When you’re on the hunt for any specialised health practitioner or therapists, it can get muddled very quickly. Whilst it is seriously tempting to head to your local physiotherapist when you’re in pain or you’ve just experienced an injury, you should try and do a little research beforehand. Researching avoids you spending unnecessary time and money on a physiotherapist that really isn’t right for you or the type of pain that you’re experiencing. Take some time to do your homework and you’ll get it right the first time! How do you know what to look for? Read on for the answer…
Qualifications
Of course, you need to be sure that your physiotherapist is fully qualified, as you would with any health care professional. A degree isn’t the only approval you need, your therapist must be registered with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia or PBA for short. This board ensures that everything is up to industry standards and code!
Specialisation
Physiotherapists use a varied range of methods to treat their patients, this includes massage, dry needling, exercise and stretching. Their range of expertise is to ensure that they effectively treat your specific circumstances and pain, but sometimes you should be looking for a little more. If you’re suffering from extreme back pain, you should search for a physiotherapist that specialises in musculoskeletal conditions. By selecting your physio on the terms of the treatment that you need, you’re likely to recover faster.
Recommendation
What do you do when you’re looking for a good accountant, dentist, hairdresser or mechanic? You ask around of course! Although getting the right help for your injury should be a priority, you should never disregard the power of word of mouth, especially if you’re looking for general physiotherapy. Ask your social circle, your network or even hop onto social media, these are all great ways of discovering a reputable and effective physiotherapist.
Method
Take some time to read into the methods that your physio is going to use. Some practice more of a focus on exercise, others on massage – choose the option that appeals most to you and how you like to receive your healthcare! It’s also a good idea to ask a few avenues that you might already use for a recommendation, this can be your massage therapist, yoga teacher or even your doctor! These days, physio methods go a little further than the traditional means, and you can even get acupuncture, hydrotherapy and reflexology at some physios.
Reviews
Never underestimate the power of the Google review! You should be looking at the experiences that other people have had – that’s not to say that you should take every single one as law, keep your wits about you. Social media should also factor into this one, as people will tend to leave feedback on a company Facebook page or even in Instagram comments. We have the luxury of accessing endless information, options and reviews, so use this to your advantage when you’re looking for your physiotherapist.
Availability, both short and long term
This one depends on how urgent your appointment is, of course, if you’re in immense pain then you need to see someone now rather than later. You should, however, look into the long-term availability of your physiotherapist, its no use starting a process if your practitioner is not available to see it through! Ask for clarity regarding the long- and short-term availability of the physio that you’re interested in.
Seeing a physiotherapist is beneficial to your physical health now and into the future, so taking the time to find the right one is going to be well worthwhile. Find the right physiotherapist in Sydney CBD today!
