Over the next few days I thought I’d share a little bit about how the virtual visits work for each of my areas of practice.
You may be wondering “How can you do manual therapy over a video call?
The truth is that as a manual physiotherapist using my hands is just one small piece of the treatment I offer and the quality of the assessment and treatment truly is the same as in person. The process just achieves the same goals from a different perspective. That’s also why there are so many different strategies and amazing therapists that take different approaches but can all help you feel better!
Virtual Assessment Rundown:
1. We start with a very thorough history and have the time to really dig deep into what your goals and challenges are. A good history often points us exactly in the right direction of what the problem is and what we need to rule in or out.
2. Next, we do a physical exam much like in person. I’ll ask you to move in different ways to watch for movement patterns and get to the root of the problem. (So be ready to move!)
3. We can also use different active exercises and stretches to assess for things like joint mobility, muscles flexibility, strength and co-ordination. I might even cue you or a family member to help do some tests that I would normally perform with my hands.
4. Next, we come up with a plan filled with advice and education that is really specific to you and your needs and goals. We include self-management strategies like self-release techniques, stretches, strength and co-ordination exercises and we always leave time for lots of questions!
Sounds like a pretty good way to spend an hour keeping your distance from others doesn’t it?
If you have any other questions about how virtual PT could work for your orthopaedic problem send me an email to sarah@centredphysiotherapy.com. Can’t wait to help you with your goals!
~Sarah