Moving from face-to-face physiotherapy to interactive remote management (aka Online Physiotherapy):
The world is an ever-changing place. However no one has experienced a time when their world has changed as quickly as over the last year and a bit. Due to the coronavirus, people’s lives have had to alter dramatically. Mostly, because of the need to socially distance or to isolate completely. So we had to adapt to react to these unprecedented times. When we could no longer treat people face to face, had to switch to help and manage people remotely.
Remote consultations had been happening for a while already but it wasn’t something we previously offered – our usual business is providing physiotherapy services in our London clinics. To deliver it well required a change in culture and in beliefs and expectations. Of what physiotherapy is and what it can and can’t offer. Not just for our clients but for our physio’s aswell.
How do online physio video consultations work, what does it involve?
To some, physiotherapy is a very ‘hands-on’ treatment. But although necessary or desirable in some circumstances it isn’t absolutely necessary in most cases. Although manual therapy has its place, better long-term improvements in pain and function can be achieved with the right exercise therapy. Whether that’s trying to strengthen muscles, stretch things that have become a bit tight or improve movement patterns and postures to make them more efficient. This is all best achieved by graded exercise. Which realistically can all be achieved remotely via physiotherapy video consultations.
We can take the same detailed history to make sense of your symptoms. Can even do a detailed physical assessment of you by watching you move. It’s only the ‘touching’ bit that is missing. We can even give you advice about your ergonomic set up whilst working from home. Working in spaces that haven’t been specifically designed for it. We can guide you on how to protect against neck and back pain resulting from that change.
How can we help?
Recovery from a painful problem, injury or operation can be positively influenced by avoiding too many of the wrong things and doing enough of the right things. This helps guide natural biological processes and create an environment in which healing and recovery can occur. Just understanding the problem and reducing some of the anxiety that can accompany painful problems can go a long way.
Advice, education and reassurance are always a huge part of our treatment armoury at Central Health Physiotherapy. This can easily be achieved remotely. So just because we are not in the same room, physiotherapy can still be hugely beneficial.
You can find further information about our Online Physiotherapy Video Consultation service here, where you can also read about all of our individual physios, and be guided through the booking process.
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