What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is treatment to restore, maintain, and make the most of a patient’s mobility, function, and well-being. Physiotherapy helps through physical rehabilitation, injury prevention, and health and fitness. Physiotherapists get you involved in your own recovery.

What problems do physiotherapists treat?

Physiotherapists focus on both prevention and rehabilitation. Treatment can be for problems caused by injury, disease or disability. Here are some examples:

• Problems in the bones, joints, muscles and ligaments cause by acute or chronic injury
• Lung problems such as asthma
• Disability as a result of heart problems
• Pelvic issues, such as bladder and bowel problems related to childbirth
• Loss of mobility because of trauma to the brain or spine, or due to diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis
• Fatigue, pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of muscle strength, for example during cancer treatment, or palliative care 

What can I expect at physiotherapy?

Your session will be unique, because it is all about you and your particular needs. In general, here’s what happens:

• The physiotherapist learns about your medical history
• The physiotherapist assesses and diagnoses your condition
• You receive a treatment plan that sets goals for you
• You are prescribed a course of exercises and any assistive devices needed