Physio can both be tough and daunting. Here are some ideas to help you get the most out of your experience with any physiotherapist, for any injury or condition.
1. Be Prepared
think about your injury or issue in advance, your physio is going to ask you questions about it- how it happened, when it happened, where is the issue, how does it feel, etc etc? This information is IMPERATIVE for your physio to understand the issue and injury. 80% of a diagnosis is made during the initial discussion - testing done after this is to confirm the information we have already gathered.
complete the prior questionnaires! It is standard practice for clinics to have you complete information prior to your appointment. This will be simple information like your age and health history, but also will be some simple questions similar to we mentioned above. Put some effort into this- your physio will read it before, and if you have done a great job completing it- we probably already know what is going on- and will be much more efficient during our session.
bring information with you - bring your doctors referral, imaging reports, or anything else that you have related to your session. None of this is essential to have- but if you have it we will look at it.
wear comfortable clothing that you can move in and lets us see the area. If you want us to look at your knee or hip- don’t wear tight jeans that you can’t move easily in. Shorts or loose pants that you can roll up are helpful!
2. Be engaged
Ask questions- this is your health, your injury, your recovery process. We know a lot about, but we do not know what you are thinking or wondering. If you don’t understand something let us know. The more you know and understand the better
Last week during an assessment my client checked her emails on her phone… don’t do this. Unfortunately we cannot make you better by ourselves- you need to help us out and be engaged.
3. Be Honest and Open
We need as much information as possible. Remember that hip knee surgery you had 8 years ago on the same leg that you now have hip pain on - yes- it is related. It is amazing how often we hear - oh I had ‘X’ before- but thats not related. Let the professional decide that please.
If you did not like a treatment technique, it did not work for you, or anything similar- PLEASE TELL US. We have so many options available to us, not everyone responds in the same way - that is both the beauty and challenge of what we do.
We are on your team. We have no alliances with the insurance company, or your work, etc etc. We are here to serve you.
4. Commit to the process
Injuries are frustrating and annoying. We do not want you to have them. What is worse, is a lingering injury that goes on for way too long because of a half-hearted attempt to deal with it. It may take 6-8 weeks, or longer- but please commit to the process and you will forget it even happened in the future!
It is OK to not be ready to deal with something just yet. Pause your rehab and come back to it later- sometimes life gets in the way and your injury might not be the main priority at the time. That is OK!
The physiotherapy process is teamwork between yourself and your provider. At The Physio Hub our physiotherapists bring A LOT of energy and effort to every client session and episode of care. If you can match that energy and effort then excellent results will happen!