Physiotherapists are experts in the examination and treatment of musculoskeletal, neuromuscular and cardiothoracic problems that affect peoples abilities to function meaningfully – whether you want to run a marathon or just be able to pick up your grandchildren!
What Is Physical Rehabilitation?
Physical Rehabilitation is performed by trained physiotherapists, who focus on restoring movement and physical function of patients through various manual therapies, mechanical/electrical devices, and therapeutic exercises. A significant part of a physiotherapist’s job involves educating patients in proper performance of home exercises to prevent further injury.
Physical Rehabilitation
Physiotherapists are experts in the examination and treatment of musculoskeletal, neuromuscular and cardiothoracic problems that affect peoples abilities to function meaningfully – whether you want to run a marathon or just be able to pick up your grandchildren!
Some conditions commonly treated by physiotherapists include:
- Acute and chronic neck and back pain, sciatica, and disc injuries
- Joint pain and body aches
- Soft tissue injuries, including muscle strains and sprains/tears and tendon/ligament sprains, bursitis and tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, shin splints
- Headaches and migraines
- Sports injuries
- Repetitive stress injuries such as tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome
- Injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident
- Nerve impingement resulting in tingling, weakness, numbness and nerve pain in the arm(s) or leg(s)
- Knee pain from runner’s knee and jumper’s knee
- Arthritic conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis
- Degenerative conditions including degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis
What to Expect At Your First Physiotherapy and Physical Rehabilitation Appointment
All initial appointments begin with an assessment of your condition. This involves a review of your medical history as well as a neuromusculoskeletal physical examination. By discussing with you your medical history (along with the examination), we can verify your symptoms and better evaluate your condition to develop an effective treatment plan.
The goals of the assessment are to:
- Find the source of your pain/complaint and determine the structures that are contributory
- Produce a working diagnosis which will guide your plan of care
- Develop a comprehensive treatment plan based on the findings of the assessment and tailor it to your individual goals and expectations
For your initial assessment, it is best to wear loose, comfortable clothing, such as shorts and a tank top, as these allow for freedom of movement and allow the therapist to identify faulty mechanics accurately.
What to Expect During a Physical Rehabilitation Treatment
Recovery from accidents can require very restrained forms of treatment to ensure further damage is not caused. Physiotherapy often relies on patience while waiting for muscles and bones to recover over a period of time. Physiotherapists use a combination of interventions to promote healing and to ease the pain. Electrotherapeutic agents such as ultrasound, TENS, inferential therapy, and NMES use sound waves or electrical current to reduce pain and muscle spasm, promote blood flow, and speed up the recovery process. Heat and cold are applied to decrease swelling and alleviate pain, and restore mobility to tissues.
Manual therapy techniques are at the core of our “hands-on” approach and can include spinal and peripheral joint mobilization or manipulation. As well, manual therapy may include massage, stretching, mobilization or manipulation of soft-tissue including muscle, tendon, ligament, and fascia. No physiotherapy treatment is complete without a personalized exercise program, designed to restore strength, endurance, and flexibility of your tissues.