physiotherapy

Table of Contents

What is physiotherapy?

The physiotherapist is useful in many circumstances. Let us mention in particular:

chronic ailments of the musculoskeletal system;
muscle and joint problems (such as a sprain , torticollis , etc.);
domestic accidents or accidents at work;
sequelae of surgical intervention;
various motor disorders;
or breathing difficulties.

What does the physiotherapist do?

The physiotherapist can practice as a liberal or as an employee (in a hospital center, a rehabilitation center, or other private structures).

His role is to use massage and medical gymnastics to re-educate his patients, to help them recover their abilities.

For this, he:

questions his patient to find out what brings him;
assesses posture and mobility by performing a palpatory examination, muscle assessment or other specific tests;

Depending on the needs of his patient, he performs acts manually or using equipment or devices:

rehabilitation acts, such as active or passive mobilizations, muscle strengthening, proprioception, etc. ;
electro-physiotherapy, massages (classic, repeated on a painful area, manual lymphatic drainage, etc.);
he can propose exercises or gymnastic movements using apparatus, weights;
During the sessions, he can use water, heat, ionisation or even ultrasound.

The physiotherapist can carry out capacity assessments, on medical prescription. It can also, without prescription this time, intervene for fitness, relaxation or sports massage.
Note that in Quebec, the physiotherapist does not use machines or tools.

What are the risks during the consultation of a physiotherapist?

Consultation with a physiotherapist does not involve any particular risks for the patient.

Prepare your visit

Before going to the appointment with a physiotherapist, it is important to bring the medical prescriptions and any imaging examinations already carried out (x-rays, MRI, etc.).