A Physiotherapist can really help with your pain and get you back to your goals of being pain free with daily activities or sports. I am surprised that even in this day and age there isn’t much knowledge about how physiotherapists can help you. They don’t just work with sports people or if you’ve broken a bone. Physios also help you recover from pain that can develop over a period of time, either due to repetitive work or even arthritis. We work in several different setting too from a hospital to a private clinic or even a gym or a pool! But like anything it’s important to find the right fit for your specific goals. So it’s imperative to look for certain qualities that a physiotherapist possesses to get the best results in your journey to recovery. Here are some of those qualities, in my opinion, that  you should be seeking.

A Physiotherapist must ask you lots of questions about your pain

Now I know what you must be thinking…all talk and no hands on ? No, that’s not the case. A good physiotherapist can only assess your pain correctly by asking you lost of questions about your pain and how it affects your daily activities. It gives us tremendous information about how we can modify things in your daily life to reduce the strain on your condition. Plus by asking questions we can figure out a pattern of your pain which helps in staying ahead of the pain and allowing your body to heal. You may think that the pain comes on at anytime but our bodies are not stupid. They won’t feel pain without a reason. Everytime there’s always a cause. For some the cause may have just developed , for others, it’s taken a little while to show up. This is exactly what a good physiotherapist will pick up on.

A Physiotherapist must do manaul therapy to relieve your symptoms

So many times I hear patients complain about seeing a physio who only gave them exercises to do . Exercises are great for strengthening the muscles and preventing future issues but if you’re in pain, it’s really the manual therapy that will help immediately. Physiotherapist is meant to do hands on techniques to relieve your pain. That’s what we do at the university! That’s what makes us different from other therapies! We use our hands to mobilise the joints and muscles to relieve your pain. So if the physiotherapist is only focusing on exercises, they are not going to be able to provide you with complete pain relief. Hence, always look for a physiotherapist who will do manual therapy to relieve your symptoms immediately.

A Physiotherapist must give you a written plan of action or a course of treatment to achieve your desired goals

I do see a few patients having unrealistic expectations for recovery.l I call it unrealistic because if your body has taken weeks, months or even years sometimes to get to this level of pain, how will just 1 session help to take it away a 100%? It’s not practical right? Physiotherapy takes time because we work to enhance the body’s natural healing mechanisms. We don’t rely on medication. It’s a course of treatment requiring anywhere between 5 – 50 sessions! But of course over a period of time. A good Physiotherapist will try to give you a timeline for your recovery and give you a written plan of action to achieve your goals. This is absolutely important so you know that you’re heading in the right direction. Inf act, to give you any direction at all. Otherwise you’re left wondering how long will the injury take to heal. So make sure you ask these questions when you book in your next session with a physiotherapist near you!

If you’re anywhere close to where we are, be sure to give us a call and get all of the above!