Physiotherapy Telephone and Video-Call Consultations
We’re embracing new ways of working here at Impact Physio as we adjust to this period of isolation, we continue to work to support your ongoing health and well being.
In this post we look at:
- How can physiotherapy help by telephone or video-call
- How can you prevent injuries from worsening
How can physiotherapy help by telephone or video call?
It’s a challenging time which has seen innovation and new ways of working come to the fore. We quickly set up our remote consultations in the interests of public health and safe-guarding the health of vulnerable patients. Recognising that our role continues to be empowering you to return to optimal health and function. There are many ways that we can help you achieve this and remote working is an asset to enable recovery.
Remote working by telehealth, where a doctor or a physiotherapist assesses and gives advice by telephone or video call has been widely used in rural communities in Australia for many years. It has become more widely accessible with advances in Internet and mobile phone technology.
You’ll recognise that when you usually attend for a physiotherapy assessment, we begin by asking questions about your symptoms and taking a history. This part of the assessment helps us to determine what type of injury you have by analysing it’s mechanism and history. This essential part of assessment has not changed.
Whether it’s a ligament sprain for example or related to a flare up of a long term condition, such as osteoarthritis, related to a change in activity, this discussion helps us to know the best way to address your symptoms. We continue to advocate empowering our patients to be able to manage their symptoms effectively and to support their return to function by progressing the loading on the injury through exercise and guidance to gradually increase your activity as symptoms allow.
We can also determine whether there are more serious symptoms which need to be investigated further, referring onward as appropriate.
The hands-on part of the assessment is often used to identify symptomatic structures more specifically and associated factors such as weak or overly tight muscles which have contributed to an injury, these often occur in recognisable patterns. Our physiotherapists have a wealth of experience in recognising these patterns and knowing which approaches are most likely to be effective when we can’t physically assess you.
How can you prevent injuries from worsening?
It’s far easier to address an injury that you’ve had for a couple of weeks than an injury that has progressively worsened over three months!
We often see that musculoskeletal injuries and exacerbation of musculoskeletal conditions are related to a sudden change in activity or routine. As a nation we are being encouraged to value the benefit of exercise and being encouraged to do this, for some this is an increase in usual activity levels. It may be that you have more time to exercise and spend more time in the garden at the moment, perhaps trying a yoga class online or physical challenge.
People who are working from home, may be at the kitchen table and sitting in positions for prolonged periods of time are experiencing increasing neck and shoulder pain. On the other hand, some of those who have been continuing their treatment remotely have reported an improvement in their back pain whilst staying at home and not driving for long periods of time!
We’re all adjusting to working and living differently. There are ways we can help you to prevent symptoms worsening at this early stage, sometimes with advice and a few simple corrections to your office space; or a mini routine of exercises with reminders to move more often.
We anticipate that for some, a medical screen of problems to decide if further investigations are needed and some bespoke advice is all that is needed to keep you functioning. At the moment during this uncertain period of time where we are not able to do the things we are used to doing, or having to do things very differently, being able to feel positive about your physical health is essential.
Please get in touch via our contact page or email [email protected] if you have an injury or ongoing musculoskeletal symptoms which don’t improve or are worsened by a change in your activity.
We’re still here and committed to “keeping you active“!
Some examples of conditions appropriate for Telehealth
