What does a Physiotherapist do?
Physiotherapy is the treatment of injury, disease and disorders through physical methods - such as exercise and strengthening, massage and mobilisation, load management and return to function.
The role of the physiotherapist is to identify the cause of pain or dysfunction and assess movement patterns in order to form a treatment plan individualised to the client.
Physiotherapists are highly trained professionals who aim to improve a person's quality of life by using their skills and knowledge to alleviate pain, restore function and promote healthy movement patterns.
What is the difference between Physiotherapy and Osteopathy?
Both professions often treat the same conditions, but with a slightly different approach.
An osteopath tends to be more hands on, predominantly using manual techniques such as massage and manipulation to provide pain management and symptom relief.
A physiotherapist tends to use a more active approach to strengthen and stabilise or lengthen and mobilise. This is done predominately through targeted exercises, load management and rehabilitation programs.
With that in mind, sometimes it is beneficial to seek treatment from our osteopath and our physiotherapist together to provide a complete approach to your care.
How can Williamstown Physiotherapy help you?
Our Physiotherapists specialise in a variety of different areas, including sports injuries, post operative rehabilitation and repetitive or degeneration conditions. We are also committed to improving healthy movement and keeping you stronger and active for longer. As a result we are happy to discuss fitness programs and exercise plans for longer term management after the initial injury has been addressed.
Physiotherapy can be an effective treatment for a multitude of conditions so please contact our team to discuss any questions or queries you may have.
What professional training do Physiotherapists have?
Physiotherapists will have a Bachelor degree in Physiotherapy which is either a three or four year university course. Some physiotherapists also complete further study at Masters level to specialise in a focused field.
Physiotherapists are also required to continue regular professional learning to retain their registration therefore we will always endeavour to provide you with the most up-to-date and gold standard treatment approach.
Because of this, you do not need to be referred by your doctor to seek Physiotherapy treatment but often your GP will recommend Physiotherapy as an appropriate course of action for you.
How long will my Physiotherapy session be?
Your initial Physiotherapy session will be 45 minutes. In this time our physiotherapist will ask questions to gather a detailed history of your condition, they will conduct a physical assessment to identify the causes and possible contributing factors and then form an individual treatment plan to manage your pain and dysfunction.
Follow up treatment sessions will commonly take 30 minutes. In this time our physiotherapist will conduct reassessments, progress and develop your exercise program and provide any other treatments as necessary.
At Williamstown Health + Lifestyle we also offer 15 minute appointments for brief assessments should you want a quick check-up or to discuss any questions/ queries you may have.
What can I expect from my first consultation?
In your first consultation, your physiotherapist will discuss and record notes on your issue. They will also ask about your medical history, your previous injuries and specific questions to rule out a more serious or sinister cause. All of our clinicians are highly trained to identify alternative medical diagnoses and are able to refer for scans or imaging, or to other specialists should this be required.
Your physiotherapist will then conduct a physical assessment to determine your current strengths, weaknesses and limitations that may contribute to your issue. Please dress in loose-fitting, active clothing to allow for free movement and proper assessment of the particular area. We may require you to remove some clothing if necessary but we endeavour to keep you as comfortable as possible throughout the consultation so please discuss this further with your practitioner at any time.
One of the more important parts of your consultation will be forming a plan with your physiotherapist to find out what you would like to achieve or get back to doing after the issue has resolved. This goal will help guide our treatment throughout your sessions.
