Virtual physiotherapy, or telerehabilitation, is a type of physiotherapy that uses video calls to provide services remotely. This type of physiotherapy can be used if you have barriers that make it difficult to leave your home or if you prefer the convenience of care in your own home. These online sessions allow you to connect with experienced physiotherapists for a 1-on-1 session from anywhere.

How the Process Works

Virtual physiotherapy allows you to receive treatment from the comfort of your home using live video streaming. You will see and hear your physiotherapist, and they will be able to see and hear you as if you were both in a physical clinic. This allows two-way communication to receive the same high-quality physiotherapy care you would receive in person.

With the only difference being location, your therapist will continue more common tasks such as:

• Taking a full history of your concern.
• Assessing and accurately diagnosing your injury, area of pain or concern.
• Performing a functional movement examination.
• Evaluating your range of motion and strength.
• Listening to concerns and answering any questions.
• Explaining your pain, condition or injury – and how to manage it.
• Providing a full rehab plan to follow in your environment.
• Prescribing exercises and stretches – with supporting photos/videos.
• Correcting exercise forms and providing cues to perform them more effectively.
• Progressing or modifying your current treatment plan to match your personal goals better.
• Providing and refining self-directed soft tissue or self-joint mobilization techniques.
• Helping train another person to assist you with exercises or stretches.
• Providing an ergonomic assessment in real-time.
• Recommending necessary equipment—braces, tape, orthotics, etc.

As mentioned earlier, other treatments, such as acupuncture or dry needling, must be done at a physical clinic. Our physiotherapists will inform you if this needs to be done.

Is This Effective?

Absolutely! During a remote physiotherapy session, you will still receive the same high-quality care as in person. After discussing your symptoms with the assigned specialist, they will develop a plan to manage and alleviate them from the comfort of your home. This plan may include lifestyle changes, home remedies, or over-the-counter medications. This type of physiotherapy can benefit many issues, including post-surgical recovery, back and neck pain, sprains and strains, osteoarthritis, vertigo, postnatal issues, and more.

How is this achieved without a hands-on approach? While physiotherapy is a medical treatment that uses physical methods to treat diseases and injuries, the depth of practitioners’ skills and expertise are not limited to their hands. This is why a full patient assessment is done during the initial session. Specialists won’t just solve a problem but unearth underlying issues through interviews, questioning, and deductive reasoning. 

From there, they can develop a unique program that addresses the main concern and promotes a better quality of life through continued treatments.

Conclusion

Want to recover faster? Book your virtual physiotherapy at Whitehorse today! We treat patients with our philosophy of accurate diagnosis, holistic resolution, and effective intervention. Call 667-2138 for your appointment, or schedule one by visiting our website!