In the world of physiotherapy, professionals are often asked questions about their line of work. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about how physiotherapists can help patients improve their bodies. Physiotherapists can provide more services than many people realize! In this article, we explore some common questions about PT.
If I haven’t experienced an injury or had surgery, why would I need physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy can restore normal function in affected areas of the body. Physiotherapists are movement specialists, so if you are experiencing a decreased ability to do what you love, PT can be the best place to start. We help figure out why you have pain when you do certain exercises and restore the restricted motion, so you no longer have pain.
When I’m already in pain, won’t physiotherapy make my discomfort worse?
The sooner you see a physiotherapist, the sooner you can get back to normal activity. The longer you wait to deal with the pain, the harder it can be for us to get you healthy again. If we’re not able to reduce the pain, we can refer you to the appropriate places.
While we work with a wide array of different movement dysfunctions, they’re not always associated with pain. In other words, you don’t need to have pain to seek PT! One of the goals of our treatment is to prevent the pain before it happens.
Why should I choose physiotherapy over massage or chiropractic care?
Massage therapy and chiropractic care are good options, but physiotherapists utilize different techniques to restore normal motion and provide solutions for long-lasting relief. Integrated Rehab also provides a high level of patient education to instruct patients on how to identify dysfunction in themselves and improve overall well-being. Everybody wants a massage, but it’s a passive activity. Working together with patients ’ PTs can improve overall body function. Think of PT as a lifetime investment to make sure your body is moving the way it should.
Will insurance cover the cost of my treatment?
Most PT clinics do accept most insurance plans. Although many healthcare plans require payment in part by the patients, think about it this way: You spend so much money on getting your hair cut, and your nails done, we have gym memberships we never use, expensive coffees, and vacations – all these things we do for ourselves cost money, but what people want is for their bodies to move better. It’s going to cost some money, but it’s worth it!
How many visits will I need before my issue is resolved?
It depends on the severity of the issue, how long you’ve dealt with the pain, and how consistent you are with coming to sessions and doing your home exercises. The better we all communicate, the quicker we can progress you through your exercises. You should see some change within the first few sessions and more significant differences in the first two weeks. In general, patients can expect results in 3 to 4 weeks or 10 to 12 sessions.
Can physiotherapy be a safe alternative to surgery?
Physiotherapy should be considered before surgery in almost all cases. If your condition does not respond to therapy and surgery is required, we can work with your surgeon or refer you to an appropriate physician for continued care.
There are many times when physiotherapy can still benefit you even when surgery is the answer. We can help get your body stronger and moving better before the surgical procedure and identify other factors that contributed to your pain and need for surgery. Additionally, we are well-equipped to handle your post-operative physiotherapy needs.
Do I need a personal trainer and physical therapist to get healthy again?
Physiotherapists are the best option to help you get healthy again, as we are experts in the biomechanics of the body and are most qualified to restore normal function. Typical exercises you do in the gym strengthen the muscles you already use. A personal trainer will give you ways to alter an exercise that’s painful but cannot restore normal function for you.
As we age, we don’t always know how our bodies are changing. You continue to do these normal gym exercises, but they have the potential to make your pain worse! Your body moves in the path of least resistance; if you’re constantly doing the same things over and over again, there is a potential for your body to break down and cause pain.
We advise being careful about working with both a personal trainer and a physiotherapist. A trainer’s instruction could inadvertently undo the normal function we have restored. Many people don’t realize this, but physiotherapists can also help you reach your fitness goals safely.
I work out all the time, why do I have pain?
We often don’t know when we are unable to move in a certain way because our bodies compensate for the restricted range of motion. These multiple compensations can cause even an everyday athlete to experience pain. The more active someone is, the easier it is for them to compensate, so it can be hard for athletes to understand why they have pain.
Physiotherapists do more than rehabilitate injuries. You go to a medical doctor for a checkup on your insides, so why not go to a physiotherapist to make sure your body is moving appropriately?