Physiotherapy might not be something that has been overly popular for a long period of time, but there’s a good reason that it’s finally starting to enter our lexicon in terms of treatments for all sorts of things. Really, one of the only reasons that more people don’t seek out these types of treatments is that they don’t know what physiotherapy is. If you’re curious, do be sure to keep reading – that’s what we’ll be covering today.
If you’re here in the Abbotsford area, you might already be familiar with some of the local physiotherapists. Don’t worry if you’re not, though, since you’ll be getting a rundown here. There’s a lot that goes into choosing one that will be right for you, so never hesitate to do as much research as you can.
What is Physiotherapy?
First, let’s go ahead and define this type of medicine. Essentially, it’s the study of the human body in motion. So, a doctor who specializes in it will be focused on that. The idea here is that they are usually able to find what the root of a patient’s pain is rather than just putting a band-aid sort of fix on whatever is going on. It can take all sorts of forms, too. Most of the time your treatment plan will be customized and catered to what your needs are. This does make it fairly unique and is why a lot more folks have started to seek out this style of pain management.
What Can it be Used to Treat?
Next, let’s take a look at some of the things that can be treated with physiotherapy. You can get an idea of some of the examples here, mccallumphysio.ca/, if you’re curious and in British Columbia. For the most part, though, it’s something that we can use for chronic pain as well as recovering from operations like surgeries.
That’s because the goal for most patients is to help reduce, cope with, and manage the pain symptoms that they’re experiencing daily. Many people with chronic illnesses that cause them pain will look to these types of treatment for relief. Ailments that impact the muscles and skeletal system in particular can be helped with these methods.
Really, though, there are a whole slew of things that can be effectively treated with these sorts of therapy sessions. If you’re ever unsure, you can check out articles like this one or consult with your current primary care provider to see if this approach may help you out. Since it’s still relatively new to a lot of us as patients, talking to experts can be useful in that sense.
How it Works
Perhaps the biggest feature of physiotherapy is that it’s customized to the individual needs of each patient involved. That’s the calling card, really, and what makes it so attractive to those of us suffering from chronic illnesses or other ailments that have difficult treatment plans and cannot necessarily be “cured.”
The goal for most patients, really, isn’t to find some sort of “miracle” cure. Instead, it’s to help you to find a way to successfully manage your symptoms and be able to carry on with your life in a relatively normal fashion. Just know that it isn’t always easy and will likely take a fair bit of time to reach that point.
When you find a physiotherapist that you want to work with, the first step will likely be for them to ask you about your medical history. That includes details about your family if you’re able to provide that. In general, this is to give them an idea of what to expect and clue them in as to what might be going on with you.
From there, they’ll work on getting a diagnosis for you if needed. Typically, this is applicable for patients who start to see a doctor for pain that they can’t explain. However, if you already have a diagnosis, this will be something that you’ll be skipping (most likely, at least).
Along the way, your physiotherapist will be thinking about and cultivating an individualized treatment plan for you. Because this could include such a wide variety of treatments, we won’t necessarily go into specifics here. The important thing is that you’ll be given the tools to move forward with your doctor by your side.
Remember, though, that this will most likely include a series of specific exercises. Don’t worry if you aren’t someone who traditionally does a lot of hardcore exercise – the point of them isn’t necessarily to make you a body builder, but rather to help you regain motion or to assist with lessening pain in specific areas.
Is it Worth it?
Before you visit a practice, you’ll want to double check that they accept your insurance. Thankfully, most of them are fairly accepting here in Abbotsford, so it’s not likely something that you’ll need to worry about. There may be a waitlist depending on where you go, so keep that in mind.
When there is little-to-no out of pocket cost to get these effective treatments, it’s hard to say that they aren’t worth your while. As long as you are pleased with your selection in doctor and are confident that they can help you create a treatment plan that will be effective for you, it’s definitely worth it to check physiotherapy out.
