Physiotherapy

What exactly is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy, in it’s most basic definition, is a medical profession that focuses on correcting and optimizing MOVEMENT. It’s movement therapy. Physiotherapists are university trained movement specialists/guides. There are different types of physiotherapy and for this discussion, we will focus on orthopedic physiotherapy. Orthopedic physiotherapists treat muscles, tendons, joints and ligaments to help and guide you to move better.

Here are some examples of when physio can help:

If your movement is painful
- See a physiotherapist to assess your movement and to develop a treatment plan to get back moving the way you want to

If you want to move better (i.e. run faster, jump higher, perform sports better)
- A physiotherapist can analyze your performance and make suggestions on how to improve your performance.

If you have a condition that changes the way you move (i.e. surgery, arthritis, stroke, heart attack)
- Physiotherapy can help you understand how to move better and guide you to get as much of your movement back as possible.

How does Physiotherapy help your movement?

Well, think of your movement goals being the end of a hike and a physiotherapist as a hiking guide. Each physiotherapist will assess your current status and recommend a plan to guide you through your hike. This plan will include the therapist using various tools (techniques) to help you. Depending on the therapist and your goals, these tools can vary slightly.

- Some physios focus on manual therapy (joints and bones).
- Others focus on soft tissue treatments (muscles, tendons and ligaments).
- Some use modalities (machines) to help tissue healing and reestablish healthy tissue.
- A few may have specialize tools for specific hikes/conditions (ie acupuncture, pelvic floor expertise, spinal manipulations)
- The one common tool all physios use is exercise, either in the clinic, at home or both. You can’t help someone move better without getting them to move!

So next time you find yourself not moving the way you want to, remember that physio can help. Physiotherapy is movement therapy.

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Physio,
Manni Wong (@ptmanni)