What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is a regulated health profession dedicated to improving the quality of its clients' health with conservative physical treatment methods. Physiotherapy is a science based profession. Your Physiotherapist has specific training and education which provides him/her with the skills to evaluate your condition and then design and implement physical treatments with the goal of improving your condition.

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Physiotherapy treatment can be broken down into three different categories and your treatments will likely have components from any or all of the categories of care:

• Passive Treatments: these are treatments which are applied to you to effect a physical change. Treatments can include modalities (laser, ultrasound, electromagnetic current, heat, ice etc.) and/or manual techniques (joint mobilization/manipulation, soft tissue mobilization, muscle stretching/strengthening etc.).

• Active treatments: these are treatments which require the patient's participation. They are specifically designed exercises targeted at effecting a change within the musculoskeletal, neurological and/or cardiorespiratory systems as they relate to your condition.

• Home Program: You can expect to have some work to do between visits which will help progress your care. Your physiotherapist at Hespeler Community Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre will teach you everything you need to know as well as demonstrate proper form and technique.

 

Modalities that we use at Hespeler Community Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre are:

• Ultrasound

• Therapeutic LASER

• Electromagnetic currents (IFC, T.E.N.S., EMS)

• Heat and ice

• Paraffin wax

• Acupuncture

 

We also have mechanical traction available.

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Active Release Techniques (ART)

ART is a hands on soft tissue (muscle, tendon, nerves, fascia) assessment and treatment technique.
Increased movement within the soft tissues is achieved allowing normal soft tissue processes to occur. The result is to hopefully relieve the symptoms felt causing the person to seek treatment.
In most cases the soft tissue is placed in a shortened position, hands or tension is applied to the tissue and then it is taken into a full, lengthened position with the tension monitored.

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