Rehabilitation

So, What Is Rehabilitation?

Rehabilitation is performed by trained physiotherapists, who specializes in restoring patients' movement and physical function through various manual therapies, mechanical/electrical devices, and therapeutic exercises. A significant part of a physiotherapist’s job involves educating patients on proper performance of home exercises to prevent further injury.

Physiotherapists are experts in the examination and treatment of musculoskeletal, neuromuscular and cardiothoracic problems that affect peoples’ abilities to function meaningfully. Whether you want to run a marathon or just be able to pick up their grandchildren!

Some conditions commonly treated by physiotherapists include:

• Acute and chronic neck and back pain, sciatica, and disc injuries
• Joint pain and body aches
• Soft tissue injuries, including muscle strains/tears and tendon/ligament sprains, bursitis and tendonitis, plantar fasciitis and shin splints
• Headaches &and ,igraines
• Sports injuries
• Repetitive stress injuries such as tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident
• Nerve impingement resulting in tingling, weakness, and numbness in the arm(s) or leg(s)
• Arthritic conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis
• Degenerative Conditions including degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis

What to Expect At Your First Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Appointment

All initial appointments begin with an assessment of your condition. This involves a review of your medical history as well as a neuromusculoskeletal physical examination. By discussing your medical history (along with the examination), we can verify your symptoms and better evaluate your condition to develop an effective treatment plan.

The goals of the assessment are to:

1. Find the source of your pain/complaint and determine the structures that are contributory.
2. Produce a working diagnosis which will guide your plan of care.
3. Develop a comprehensive treatment plan based on the findings of the assessment and tailor it to your individual goals and expectations.

For your initial assessment, it is best to wear loose, comfortable clothing, such as shorts and a tank top, as these allow for freedom of movement and allow the therapist to identify faulty mechanics accurately.

What to Expect During a Rehabilitation Treatment

Recovery from accidents can require very restrained forms of treatment to ensure further damage is not caused. Physiotherapy often relies on patience while waiting for muscles and bones to recover over a period of time. Physiotherapists use a combination of interventions to promote healing and ease the pain. Electrotherapeutic agents such as ultrasound, TENS, interferential therapy, and NMES use sound waves or electrical current to reduce pain and muscle spasm, promote blood flow, and speed up the recovery process. Heat and cold are applied to decrease swelling, alleviate pain, and restore mobility to tissues.

Manual therapy techniques are at the core of our “hands-on” approach and can include spinal and peripheral joint mobilization or manipulation. As well, manual therapy may include massage, stretching, mobilization or manipulation of soft-tissue including muscle, tendon, ligament, and fascia. No physiotherapy treatment is complete without a personalized exercise program, designed to restore strength, endurance, and flexibility of your tissues.

By combining your rehabilitation treatment with other services at Lifepath Dental & Wellness, we can offer a one-stop trip to help treat your injuries and get you moving again!