About Physiotherapy
Should I see a Physiotherapist?
Most people see a Physiotherapist because they have pain or are having difficulty doing something. Perhaps you have sprained your ankle in a sports injury or been involved in motor vehicle accident or just woke up a few weeks ago with pain in a joint or muscle that has not gone away.
Physiotherapists are the movement specialists who determine the core root of your problem and treat the cause, not just the symptoms. Our goals are your goals: to decrease your pain and help you get back to what you want and love to do.
Members of a regulated health care profession, Physiotherapists are educated in anatomy, physiology, physical function, disease and injury and use this knowledge to assess, restore and maintain your physical ability. Trained to treat people of all ages who have musculoskeletal, respiratory and neurological conditions, Physiotherapists keep their skills and knowledge current by taking post-graduate courses and often focus in a specific area, such as sports injuries, osteoporosis, spinal care, pediatrics and women’s health.
The goals of physiotherapy are to improve mobility and strength, to relieve pain and to restore physical function. This enables you to resume your regular activities of daily living including work, school, recreational activities and personal care.
What is involved in the Physiotherapy Assessment?
On your first visit, the Physiotherapist will perform an in-depth assessment which includes asking you relevant questions about your pain and/or injury and how it affects you. Next, a detailed clinical assessment will include the examination of your posture, range of motion and strength as well as clinical tests that relate to your injury or condition. The goal of your assessment is to determine the structure, or structures, that are affected. Sometimes, the cause of your pain is very obvious and sometimes it is not. Therefore, the Physiotherapist will use a variety of appropriate tests and measures to determine the root of your problem.
A treatment plan, based on your assessment, will be discussed with you. Every patient is unique and therefore their treatment needs to be individualized to their medical history, injury and goals. For example, although two people may each have a shoulder rotator cuff injury, their treatments may be very different based on their assessment and unique presentation. Also, although two people may each have pain in their leg, the root causes may be very different and therefore the treatments will be different.
We understand you want to get better as soon as possible. At Pro Motion, your first visit includes your assessment as well as the start of your treatment. We also understand that you have questions about your injury or condition, how long it will take before you are better, etc. Therefore, we encourage you to ask us any questions, any time.
What kind of treatment is involved?
Your Physiotherapist has a variety of treatments that may be recommended and could include one, or more, of the following:
Manual therapy: This is often referred to as “hands on” treatment where the Physiotherapist will use their hands to work on your joints and/or muscles.
Acupuncture: Acupuncture is one of the oldest and most commonly used systems of healing in the world. It stimulates the body to produce its own pain relieving substances called “endorphins.” It is a very effective tool for relieving muscle tension and trigger-points and also stimulates various systems in the body including the sympathetic nervous system which helps to decrease inflammation and promote healing.
Electro-Therapeutic modalities: Modalities (machines) are often used to decrease inflammation and pain, improve circulation and improve strength. These may include ultrasound, laser, interferential current, ice, heat, paraffin wax, etc.
Taping: This may be appropriate for the specific sport(s) you need to return to or for postural correction.
Exercises: This is a very important part of your treatment. Strengthening, range of motion and/or posture exercises may be given for your specific injury or condition to help you maximize the gains you have made during treatment. However, we also want to help you be as fit as possible and therefore offer personal training and medically supervised exercise programs once your Physiotherapist feels you are ready,
Home program of self-management: In addition to your treatment, you will likely also be provided with a home program of exercises to do once you have completed your treatment. These exercises will be important for you to complete as they will complement the gains you have made in your Physiotherapy sessions.
Education: We want to provide information to you on how to improve your condition and also how to prevent a re-occurrence. We are happy to answer any questions that you have as we walk with you on your road to recovery.