How to Make the Most of a Physiotherapy Assessment
The first step in recovering from several painful and incapacitating conditions is a home physiotherapy assessment. One can sit back and let the physiotherapist do all the work. However, more accurate and positive results will come of the physiotherapy assessment if the patient becomes involved.
When you go in to the physiotherapy appointment, your doctor should have given the physiotherapist some idea of your condition. The physiotherapy assessment will begin when the therapist takes a medical history. This is standard procedure for any type of health related problem. It is wise to be thorough in explaining past problems and conditions that seem to run in the family.
This can have a bearing on your treatment. It might even point to some disease or disorder that no one suspected that you had. A thorough physiotherapy assessment could possibly lead to treatment by a physician for an unexpected illness. You might find out that, while physiotherapy is bad for very few people, it is not what you need the most.
Then, the therapist will ask questions about your present condition. She will want to know when the pain, stiffness, or other problems started. She will ask you just how much it hurts, having you grade your pain on a scale of one to ten. One means no pain and ten means the worst pain you can imagine. The physiotherapy assessment will go on with your hypotheses of what caused it all.
The accuracy of your physiotherapy assessment rests on the precision with which you answer these questions. Telling the therapist that the pain is at a level of four when you know it is more like a level of eight will lead her to treat your pain less aggressively. It will be as if you had no physiotherapy assessment at all.
However, if you are able to correctly measure your degree of pain, you will help the therapist understand your problem. When the therapist knows when the problem began and has an idea of what caused it, the physiotherapy assessment will reflect that information.
Then, the therapist will watch you move. For a person who does not wish to be seen as weak, it may be a challenge to walk and do other movements as the person does them when no one is watching. In other words, a person with a sore and stiff neck may try to move it normally in order not to seem like an invalid.
You will be put through a series of movements that may seem cruel to you. It is a part of a good physiotherapy assessment to show all the movements done as best you can do them. If you can barely do them, that tells your physiotherapist a great deal of information.
It is best that the physiotherapy assessment covers all these pains and conditions. The way to make the most of a physiotherapy assessment is to be as honest and accurate as possible. It is only then that you will get the best care.
What Are Physiotherapy Costs and Will Insurance Pay?
If you are referred to a physiotherapy clinic for an injury or condition, you might be wondering about the physiotherapy costs. More than that, it is important to find out if insurance will pay for treatment and procedures. These are questions to answer before going to the clinic for help.
The simple answer is that no one can pinpoint the exact amount of treatment a person will need, so overall physiotherapy costs are just an estimate. It is possible for an experienced and skilled physiotherapist to make a fairly accurate approximation of how long treatment will take.
There will usually be a flat clinic or office visit fee. This covers only the basic services of the team. If one does not provide adequate notice of cancellation, a fee can be assessed to recoup the fee that would have been taken in for that time slot. Yet, these are just the beginning of the fees. Physiotherapy costs go far beyond the basic fee.
Physiotherapy costs can vary greatly for different treatment sessions. This is because the same procedures are not always performed. Some cost more than others. To get an accounting of the prices for the different methods used, contact the billing department of the clinic or hospital. There should be a list of each type of treatment.
Since many insurance companies give patients a choice of doctors and physiotherapists, it is wise to discuss fees upfront. Physiotherapy costs may affect you even if you have insurance. This is especially true if your physiotherapist has a preference for many short visits instead of fewer longer ones. This will have a bearing on your deductible.
Then, all one has to do is to keep asking at each session what the next session’s procedures will likely be. This way, physiotherapy costs will come as little surprise to one. The only question is what kind of payment arrangements will be made. If the patient has no insurance, all physiotherapy costs will be due in full at the time of service.
Clinics often help arrange the payment of physiotherapy costs by contacting workman’s comp or insurance companies for one. This makes it possible for the clinic to collect their fees easily. It also takes the burden of phone calls and paperwork off the patient.
Physiotherapy costs may amount to the price of a deductible and a small co-pay for each visit. The number of visits varies, but there is an average to go on. One or two times a week will usually suffice for four to eight weeks. However, a chronic condition may need much more work.
Physiotherapy costs can be financially crippling, or small change. It depends upon the existence of insurance or the ability of the patient to pay out of pocket. Insurance covers most physiotherapy costs, but if there is any doubt, do not be afraid to ask. Physiotherapy is there to make you feel better, not to make you worry about how much it costs. Anything you can do to keep the focus on recovery will help you.
What Happens After Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy can be a long, hard road. It takes willpower and endurance to keep at it. The mere act of keeping appointments can be grueling at times. One may feel like celebrating when it is all over; but what comes after physiotherapy?
The physiotherapist will leave you with words of advice to follow after your physiology is over. One important thing to keep in mind is that any exercises you are doing should be remembered for relapses.
For example, if you have a problem with a vertebra in your neck, physical therapy can often help. After physiotherapy, though, the neck might start getting stiff and painful again. Remembering and doing the physical therapy exercises may stop the condition from getting any worse, and may in fact alleviate it completely.
You will also be instructed on the proper use of heat packs and ice packs. It will be a refresher course for you, but you will be on your own, so you need to pay attention. You will be told to go to the doctor at the first sign of relapse after physiotherapy.
Prevention will be an important concern after physiotherapy. The last thing you need is to have to go through the process again. You can take certain steps to avoid physical injuries that would require you to go back.
Aerobic exercise is very beneficial both during and after physiotherapy. It strengthens the muscles, increases oxygen to the muscles, and helps you lose weight. Aerobic exercises you can do include walking, running, swimming, or bicycling. Any exercise that gets you breathing heavily and your heart rate up will do.
In injuries like low back pain, weight loss can be a factor. It can mean less stress on your bones and muscles. Therefore, diet can play an important role in prevention after physiotherapy. It does not have to be an elaborate diet; just a simple diet that limits foods, especially the carbohydrates and fats.
Other preventative features of life after physiotherapy involve the workplace. One needs to learn the proper movements to get the job done. If it seems that it is impossible, it is a legal right to call for an ergonomics study. Another thing to consider is to make sure you use all the ergonomic equipment that is already available in your office or workplace. There may be ergonomic keyboards in a storage room, if you would only ask.
One also needs to learn one’s limitations. No more trying to lift a two-hundred pound object by yourself. After physiotherapy one knows what can happen when one does not take care of one’s body properly. It only makes sense to stay away from anything that can harm you in the way you were hurt before.
Life after physiotherapy may be a more cautious affair than is was before. One may have to think before acting. No matter what one does, it is possible that a return to physiotherapy will take place. The best thing to do is to do your best to make all the right moves after physiotherapy.