That’s a provocative title, isn’t it?
How about: I am a better Physiotherapist than I was yesterday.
Okay…
Finally: I am a better Physiotherapist than I was yesterday BECAUSE OF TELE-REHAB.
I never, ever in my life thought I would think those thoughts, let alone write those words. I always knew that I would continue to evolve and improve as a physiotherapist in Mississauga, and do whatever needed to be done to provide my patients with the most supreme quality care and get them back to what matters to them.
Knee pain, hip pain, wrist pain, headaches, concussion. All of these things can get int he way of you living a fulfilled lifestyle.
I just never thought that education would come in the form of a world-wide pandemic and a subsequent shift to virtual care.
Virtual care is like “facetime for physiotherapy”
My patients know that I am always learning; enrolling in new courses to acquire a more advanced understanding of the human body – to help you. That’s where I gain satisfaction, and how I identity as a therapist – from a hunger for more, and a desire for outcomes on par with what can only be described as a superhero of a therapist. That’s what I want for me and you.
Then the pandemic hit. Then the quarantine happened. Then all of those courses I was planning to attend were deferred, and I was busy re-organizing our structure to support our community through virtual means.
I thought to myself:
“I’m not doing physiotherapy online.”
“I can’t do physiotherapy online.”“…can I?”
“I have to at least try…”
…cue the shift.
I’m familiar with seeing shifts in your body, it happens all the time when we’re treating. What I’m not familiar with is a shift in my mental state and a sudden and profound reflection on what we do as therapists.
I had to focus MORE on critical thinking. MORE on diagnosis. MORE on how to empower you. MORE on corrective exercise, education & reassurance.
Something funny happened. People started to get better.
- Vertigo: gone.
- 25+ years of back pain and being unable to bend backwards: drastically improved in less than 20 minutes at the first virtual session.
- An old wrist problem causing elbow and shoulder pain….knee pain…headaches….etc. …the list goes on.
Challenging cases that I had been treating for months with inconsistent outcomes started to get the results we desired. How could this be!?Something funny happened…people started to get better.
It was the mindset shift to more patient empowerment through exercise, education & reassurance, and self-treatment techniques (you can do active release technique on yourself you know…).
After only a few weeks, I am thrilled at these results.
The profound effects of virtual care have lead to a decision to continue virtual treatment post-quarantine, because of how well people are responding. And that’s what it’s all about in the end, isn’t it?
