As primary health care professionals, physiotherapists combine in-depth knowledge of how the body works with hands-on clinical skills to assess and treat symptoms of illness, injury or disability. With your independence in mind, a physiotherapist’s goal is to restore, maintain and maximize your strength, function, movement and overall well-being. Physiotherapists prescribe personalized therapeutic exercises, and provide essential education about the body, what keeps it from moving well, how to restore mobility and independence, and how to avoid or prevent bodily harm.
Patient-centered care
Your physiotherapist will begin treatment with an assessment that may include health history, evaluation of pain and movement patterns, strength, joint range of motion, reflexes, sensation, and heart and lung function. Based on this assessment, your physiotherapist will work in partnership with you to develop an individualized treatment program and prognosis. Expect your physiotherapist to guide you in performing therapeutic exercises in between appointments. Your progress will be monitored at follow-up visits and your physiotherapist may adjust your treatment according to changes in your body.
Hands-on therapy and other treatments
By integrating targeted therapeutic strategies, interventions, methods and techniques, your physiotherapist will assess and treat symptoms of illness, injury or disability. The hands-on care physiotherapists provide varies from person to person with a focus on the individual needs and personal health and lifestyle goals of the client. Your physiotherapist assessment may include measures of body functions, strength and weakness testing, and observed or instrumented analysis of gait, posture, balance, joint range of motion, and functional movement. Your physiotherapist’s therapeutic treatment plan will involve education, exercise, and manual therapy components.
Exercise therapies
Physiotherapists prescribe therapeutic exercises to combat the physiological effects of bed rest and immobility, or to improve range of motion, muscle strength, posture and gait, for example. A therapeutic exercise program will be designed to address your individual health concern, and may involve exercises that can be done at home, or in a gym, pool, out-patient clinic and/or hospital. To assist your recovery or maintain your functional independence, your physiotherapist may prescribe assistive mobility devices such as walkers, crutches or canes.