Leading Physical Therapists: a Checklist to Finding Yours
Here’s your leading physical therapy checklist:
Whether you’ve got pain from a recent injury or a long-term issue, the result is the same: you’re searching for a solution. You’re searching for relief. Everyone seems to promise they can help restore function and movement, giving freedom back to your life. But it’s hard to know who to trust. Treatment can be time-consuming, not to mention expensive. And what if it doesn’t work? What if the pain gets worse?
You’re right to be skeptical. It’s your health after all, which means it’s smart to research the most leading physical therapists, so you can get all the answers before jumping in with time and resources. Once you know what to look for in a clinic, it’s so much easier to work toward your best health.
1. The Right Credentials
What is it: You want treatment from an accredited professional in the field, simple as that. Whether a physiotherapist or a registered massage therapist (or both), each person should have accreditation through the college or association in his or her province. Don’t be afraid to ask for credentials (they’ll probably be proud to show you!), as well as where and when she went to school, where he gained experience. If you don’t want to ask the person directly, contact the clinic to gather information about all current staff.
Why is it important: Above standard accreditation, therapists with different specialties—such as senior care, sports physio, workplace or automotive-related injuries—can take your recovery to the next level. You can find someone with training and experience dealing with your specific injury or health concern. Plus, at MVMT Physio & Chiro, these individuals are often the same ones who are continuing their education, taking more courses to update their skills, get the most current therapies, in order to give you the best care possible. Always inquire about areas of specialty to make sure you get this type of leading physical therapy for efficient and effective treatment.
2. A Solid Mentoring Program
What is it: This one may not seem as obvious as the others, but having a mentoring program is a good overall indicator of a physio centre and group of physiotherapists with the experience and confidence to pass on knowledge to the next generation. Being able to teach others requires quality methods that have been recognized by a local collegiate institution; it also requires patience—both attributes are signs that you will get the best care possible.
Why this is important: The flip side of this is cross-generational learning. Clinics like MVMT Physio & Chiro are open to both teaching and learning from more recent graduates, showing their experienced and progressive nature: we know we can learn something from the new perspectives of young therapists, who can share up-to-date procedures with their colleagues. In order to get the kind of leading physical therapy you deserve, inquire with your prospective clinic to find out more about their mentoring program.
3. Quality Assessments
What is it: Next on the list is the assessment. Once you’ve reviewed credentials and mentorship, it’s time to sit down with someone to talk about your injury or health concerns. Your physiotherapist should get a full health history from you by asking a series of questions and running some tests, before presenting a diagnosis and suggested physiotherapy plan. If you have any relevant information, like x-rays or notes from a referring doctor, share these during the assessment. This assessment should NEVER be rushed. You should feel on-board and prepared for the proposed plan.
Why this is important: Clinic care is what turns good physiotherapists into leading physical therapists. Your physical therapist should take the time to walk you through a) what exactly is happening with your injury, b) how they are proposing to treat it, and c) the projected timeline to make this happen. In order to get the best care possible, St Albert’s MVMT Physio & Chiro knows the importance of this step. With a full understanding of what’s happening and what will happen, our patients get education and confidence to work alongside our physio professionals toward a full recovery.
4. Results You Can Feel
What is it: If you’ve decided to move forward, the next thing to consider is results. You’ve had a few sessions with your physiotherapist. Time to check in. Is your physical health improving? Do you have less pain? Or is your bank account the only thing that’s shrinking? Don’t expect a miracle on the first visit, but within 2-3 sessions, you should be seeing pretty immediate improvement.
Why this is important: Leading physical therapy can achieve in days what may have taken months in the past. But the key here is communication. Your physiotherapist should be constantly engaging with you about your treatment plan—what is improving, what isn’t—in order to reassess and adjust accordingly. This happens through your course of treatment at MVMT Physio & Chiro. One size does not fit all. You’re unique. So is your pain and your recovery process.
Credentials, mentoring, assessment, results: follow these simple steps to give yourself the confidence to find the right clinic to give you optimal physical therapy when treating your pain and injury.
Do your research, call around, run through the checklist. Then call MVMT Physio & Chiro and let us prove our results to you.
You’ve suffered enough. You deserve to feel better. You deserve your best health.