It’s National Physiotherapy Month!
With May being National Physiotherapy Month, it’s only appropriate that we focus in on this amazing profession, and highlight the many benefits and strengths a physiotherapist offers their patients.
Physiotherapists, like medical doctors and chiropractors, are primary care practitioners (PCPs). This means that one does not need a referral to see one – anybody can book in with a physiotherapist at any time should they have the need. Specifically, physiotherapists focus largely on the movement & functional abilities of their patients – identifying barriers to recovery/improvement, and helping to overcome them through rehab strategies, manual therapy, and education.
Why should I see a physiotherapist?
Patients traditionally seek a physiotherapist following an injury, invasive surgery, or as an aid in combatting chronic pain. To that end, physiotherapists are effective at treating complaints as minor as a pulled muscle, to as complex as post-operative spinal surgery. Perhaps less-commonly known, physiotherapists can also aid in non-musculoskeletal conditions as well including lung problems such as asthma, disability resulting from cardiac (heart) problems, pelvic issues including bowel & bladder problems (including those related to childbirth), and neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s & multiple sclerosis.
The expertise of physiotherapists also extends into pediatrics; many childhood conditions can be improved or even resolved through physiotherapy! Postural problems are very common in children of all ages – usually related to long hours of sitting in school or lugging around a backpack heavier than necessary. Compound these issues with inevitable growing pains & you’ve got a child who would greatly benefit from the eye of a physiotherapist.
What can I expect from HCC physiotherapists?
On your first visit to any practitioner at HCC, the practitioner will work with you on developing a detailed clinical history or your condition. Additionally, a physical examination will also be performed, in order to help rule in or out the many possible conditions of the human body.
Once our physiotherapists are confident in their findings & the specific needs of you or your loved one, they are capable of administering & educating on the diagnosis responsible for your condition. Following this, they will create a treatment plan best suited to your needs.
Physiotherapy treatments at HCC use a combination of manual therapy and exercise science. Different techniques such as Myofascial Release Technique (MRT), Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching, Trigger point therapy, Thermo/Cryotherapy, Low Level Laser Therapy, Therapeutic Ultrasound & Acupuncture are all different manual therapy modalities that the physiotherapists at HCC may rely on. Additionally, a variety of exercises with focuses on postural modification, cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, or spinal stability will be demonstrated, taught & prescribed.
Just as important as the manual therapy & exercise components of treatment, physiotherapists are also experts as identifying potential causative agents of different patient conditions. This is where the idea of Lifestyle Modification & education is incorporated into treatment. Methods such as stress management, activity modification, and maintaining a healthy mindset can all play a profound role in recovery time & patient prognosis.
