FAQ
What qualifications do Physiotherapists (Physical Therapists) have?
Physiotherapists have a physiotherapy (Physical Therapy) university degree and must meet strict standards in order to be licensed by the College of Physiotherapists. Physiotherapists must constantly update their skills and keep up with the most modern and proven treatment approaches.
Physiotherapists are trained to work as part of a healthcare team along with doctors, massage therapists and other health care professionals. This allows for the best possible treatment program to help you heal quickly and safely.
Who Pays For Physiotherapy (Physical Therapy)?
Many private health plans cover physiotherapy such as Blue Cross or Great West Life. You may also be covered under a spouse’s plan or parent’s plan. Some plans require a Doctor’s referral to physiotherapy and some do not. It is best to check ahead of time. If a referral is required you may speak to your Doctor about the benefits of physiotherapy and ask for a referral. A doctor’s referral is not required for Manitoba Public Insurance or Worker’s Compensation claims. Another option is to pay for physiotherapy services directly.
We can directly bill some private insurance companies on a person’s behalf as well as Manitoba Public Insurance for auto injuries and Worker’s Compensation for work injuries. In order to do this some details about your health plan like the contract or claim numbers would have to be provided to our receptionist in order to assist in the billing process.
Manitoba Health or Medicare will only pay for physiotherapy in a hospital setting or in the community such as in the school system or through Home Care Services. These services can be arranged through your Doctor or community health care offices which are listed in the white pages under The Winnipeg Health Services Directory.
Who benefits from Physiotherapy?
Physical Therapy and Physiotherapy are the same profession. Just about anyone can benefit from physiotherapy and physiotherapy is about healing of the human body. Physiotherapy was used by the early Greeks, the Romans and the ancient Chinese. The Physiotherapy profession began to prove itself in the early part of the 20th century helping soldiers with traumatic injuries. Physiotherapists have always been highly respected members of healthcare teams in the community including clinics, hospitals, and schools. This comes from the desire to help people heal. Physiotherapy is the use of physical procedures such as exercise to treat patients with diseases or injuries. It’s used to rehabilitate the body and to prevent further complications that could arise by the lack of use of a body part. Physiotherapy is also about prevention. As we age, our bodies change including our bones and muscles. Physiotherapy can include specific exercises designed to keep us as fit as possible. Physiotherapy is often used for patients with arthritis. It can help workers with neck and back injuries or people with broken bones or muscle injuries. In the sports field, most professional sports teams have a physiotherapist to treat athletic injuries and to help with the conditioning necessary to prevent injuries. Treatment is used to make the healing process go more quickly at all stages of life. It also helps to reduce aches or pains. Essentially, physiotherapy benefits anyone with injuries to bones, muscles or joints and can also benefit other physical problems that affect mobility and independence. So from the smallest ache or pain to major difficulties, physiotherapy will help.
What a Physiotherapist does.
A Physiotherapist is a professional who has studied the human body and how it works and then applies that knowledge to treating and preventing physical injuries, diseases and physical disabilities. Physiotherapists are experts in how the body moves and how one area of injury can affect another area. For example, a person may have an ache or pain in the shoulder. A physiotherapist may discover that the problem is not the shoulder but a pinched nerve in the neck. The Physiotherapist will know a wide variety of proven treatments and they will determine what is best for the difficulty. In other words, they analyze and assess the problem and start treatment or refer to another professional for treatment. Physiotherapists are also in close contact with other healthcare professionals like Doctors. Physiotherapists are university trained and licensed by the College of Physiotherapists of Manitoba. Every Physiotherapist must meet strict requirements in order to be licensed and only use proven treatments. Many physiotherapists have more qualifications than the minimum degree. For example, some have a certification in McKenzie Spinal Therapy or acupuncture.
Treatments Used In Physiotherapy
There are a wide variety of treatments a physiotherapist may use. The treatment program depends on the type of problem and what needs to be done.
For example, a person may have lower back pain due to a bulging disc. The physiotherapy session will start with the physiotherapist asking questions and looking at how the lower back feels when the person moves in different directions. In this way the problem can be identified. The physiotherapist will explain what the problem is and what is the best recommended treatment program. A treatment plan is made that best meets a person’s needs and preferences.
To ease the pain, the physiotherapist uses many hands on treatments like massage, to help the lower back move easier and with less pain. They may use their hands to apply gentle pressures to the lower back to help reduce the bulge in the disc and therefore get to the root of the problem. To help pain and healing they may also use other proven methods such as ultrasound, heat, acupuncture, and gentle electrical therapy. They will also teach the person special exercises and movements to reduce pain, and heal a bulging disc.
Physiotherapy focuses on the long term solutions for various conditions as well as short term pain relief. Patients are taught ways of easing the pain at home or at work such as using a proper support for sitting and how to use the lower back at work or during sports without injuring it further. Teaching self-treatment is a very important part of physiotherapy treatment.
As a person improves, special exercises are used to strengthen muscles and stretch tight muscles and joints. The physiotherapist is an expert in choosing the right exercises and technique for each person.