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What to expect
What is Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapists are experts in the structure of the human body and its movement. They work with people of all ages to treat a broad range of health conditions including sports injuries and musculoskeletal conditions as well as chronic health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, osteoarthritis and stroke. Physiotherapists are involved in the assessment, diagnosis, planning and management of patient care.
What will happen in my appointment?
Your physiotherapist will sit down with you for approximately 10 minutes to understand your history, goals of treatment as well as any other concerns you might have. Your physiotherapist will work with your healthcare team so it's also a good idea to bring the details of your doctor and any other practitioners involved in your care. Following the history, your physiotherapist will assess your body and movement to come up with an accurate diagnosis of your body and a recommended treatment plan.
What does treatment entail?
There is a broad range of physiotherapy treatment available to you. In the first 1-2 sessions, emphasis is strongly based on getting you out of pain. This often includes modalities such as:
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Manual therapies such as massage, mobilisation, manipulation, dry needling.
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Self treatment for home to get you pain free and sleeping.
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A home exercise program to manage pain and flare ups.
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Taping or supporting your injury for pain relief.
Following your initial 1-2 appointments, it's important to focus on the reason that your problem has arisen in the first place. This will prevent the issue from becoming recurrent. In my 10 years of practice, I've found that the active approaches to treatment are the most effective for long term resolution of your problem. Active treatment can include:
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Understanding your problem to make lifestyle choices.
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Changing workplace and social demands on your body for a period of time.
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Change of posture and movement habits to offload your injury area.
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A progressive home exercise program to build resilience and long term pain free function.
How long does a treatment plan usually last for?
This is a bit like asking how long a piece of string is. Everyone is different and everyone has had a different life before their pain or injury has occurred. After the assessment with your physiotherapist, you will have a better understanding of:
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The pain generating structure in your body (the injury site)
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The main drivers as to how it's happened
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The approximate length of treatment
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Any other referrals that would be beneficial to facilitate your recovery.