Whether you’re an office worker struggling with posture or chronic pain, a mum recovering from pregnancy, or an active sportsperson, experiencing pain in any form can seriously disrupt your everyday life. When pain prevents us from enjoying the activities we love, completing work, and spending time with family, it not only affects our physical health, but has flow-on effects to our mental wellbeing too. From those niggling pains to more serious injuries, seeing a physiotherapist can provide relief and prevent ongoing complications.
If you’ve never seen a physio before, you might be wondering if it would be the right fit for you. You may be surprised to know that physios see a diverse range of patients with a variety of new and ongoing health conditions.
Physiotherapists are highly trained health professionals who provide treatment for people suffering from a variety of physical issues anywhere from injury, injury prevention, ageing, illness, surgery rehabilitation and more. Ultimately, a physio’s job is to help you feel your best so you can get back to enjoying the things you love most.
People tend to believe that physiotherapists mainly work with back and sports related injuries. While that is true, a physiotherapist’s purpose is to improve a person’s quality of life by using an array of treatments to relieve pain.
Physios are here to help when the going gets tough but did you know that a physio’s preferred treatment is actually injury prevention? At Coast Sport we will provide you a personalised care plan which means – whether you’re in to see us for an existing injury seeking out rehab or are after injury prevention, your program will be personalised to suit your needs.
Now that we’ve covered WHO a Physio is and WHAT they do. What are the benefits of Physiotherapy you ask?
Here are 10 Things a Physio Can Do For You:
1. Manage your pain
Does Physiotherapy help with chronic pain? The short answer – yes.
If you’ve made it to this page, chances are you’re dealing with some kind of pain. Whether pain has been bothering you for years or has only just begun, seeing a physio is a great first step. Your physio will first complete an assessment to understand your pain, and will then use a range of physical therapies to help improve function and reduce pain in whatever way possible.
2. Prevent injuries
While sometimes all it takes is a fall or an accident to develop an injury, in other cases injuries are developed over time. Whatever sports or activities you do in your everyday life, a physio can help you identify bad habits, assess your movements, and develop a strength and coordination program to keep you injury free.
3. Manage sporting injuries
Participation in sport and exercise is proven to have countless health benefits, but with those benefits also comes the occasional risk of sport-related injury. Physiotherapists are equipped with a deep understanding of a wide range of sporting injuries which allows them to identify your injury, promote healing and get you back competing in the sport you love as soon as possible.
4. Manage work-related injuries
If you’ve injured yourself on the job, in many cases your employer will require you to seek medical advice. Physiotherapists are vital in the coordination of return-to-work rehabilitation and are accredited State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) providers. A physio can help you manage your injury and improve your capacity to recover while returning safely to work. That nagging back pain you are experiencing, Physio can help!
In the meantime you can read our 8 tips for Working on Your Feet All Day
5. Assist with pre- and post-surgery rehabilitation
Many people will know that when undergoing surgery, a physio will likely be involved in your post-operative rehabilitation. However, did you know that a physio can also assist in preparing for surgery? Undertaking a physio-led program prior to surgery can get you in the best shape and put you on the front foot for your post-operative rehabilitation. Following surgery, a physio will assist with pain management, improving mobility and function and regaining strength to get you back up to speed.
6.Provide ergonomic assessments and advice
In order to treat the body it’s particularly important to consider the environments and equipment it interacts with. For work, study, sports and leisure, a physio can help you set up your space and advise you on the right equipment to help alleviate pain and allow you to focus on the task at hand.
Something as simple as correcting your posture could make a world of difference.
7.Manage chronic health conditions
While many people assume that physiotherapists only work with muscle and joint-related problems, our broad range of physical treatment approaches can also increase quality of life for those with other ongoing health problems. A physio can provide support through exercise programs and hands-on therapies to patients with conditions such as diabetes, chronic fatigue, obesity and arthritis.
8.Prepare you for an upcoming sporting season
Have you ever heard the saying ‘Failing to prepare is preparing to fail’? Physiotherapists are often forward-thinkers who live by this notion. We value the importance of injury prevention over injury management and see pre-season screenings as a vital tool for sportspeople. A physio can help you identify potential weaknesses and risks of injury before developing a conditioning program to ensure that you perform at your peak by the time the first game rolls around.
9. Help you to perform at your best
You might be training hard and pain-free, but still feel as though something’s holding you back from achieving your goals. If that’s the case, a physio can use their expertise in human movement to break down your training and establish those 1% improvements to get you over the line in first place.
10. Be your go-to for Women’s Health
Physiotherapy and Exercise Physiology both play a large role in Women’s Health. Some benefits you may find from your Women’s Health physiotherapy would be a pelvic floor health assessment, treatment for incontinence, treatment for abdominal separation, personalised exercise programs antenatal or postnatal, as well as pain relief for endometriosis.
Click here to view the detailed list of our Women’s Health offerings at Coast Sport
As you can see, there are many benefits of physiotherapy, and the list goes on! If you any of these 10 points have hit home for you, our team at Coast Sport would love to show you firsthand the difference one of our physios can make in your life.
Contact us today or book online
Written by: Physiotherapist, Geoff Wilson
Helping the Central Coast Feel Well, Move Well and Perform Well!