Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/1/2021 (190 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Manitoba Physiotherapy Association (MPA) and its several hundred members are very pleased to provide access for all Manitobans to their new website and Find a Physiotherapist feature. During the past year, a dedicated Working Group has redeveloped the website and the Find a Physiotherapist feature to make it as user friendly and helpful as possible for the public to utilize it to meet their health, mobility and independence needs.(image tga full)
The website offers helpful information to enable optimal healthy living and recovery from illness and injury. Physiotherapists have advanced understanding of how the body moves, what keeps it from moving well and how to restore mobility. Physiotherapists manage and prevent many physical problems caused by illness, disability and disease, sport and work related injuries, and long periods of inactivity. Physiotherapists are skilled in the assessment and hands on management of a broad range of conditions that affect the musculoskeletal, circulatory, respiratory and nervous systems.
Physiotherapy can help:
- Address physical challenges associated with pain, arthritis, repetitive strain injury etc.
- Assist in the management of incontinence
- Attend to sports injuries and provide advice on prevention and recurrence
- Help manage the physical complications of cancer and its treatment
- Manage and treat neck and back pain and other ailments to joints or muscles in the body
- Maximize mobility for clients with neurological disorders such as stroke, spinal cord injury or Parkinson’s disease
- Oversee rehabilitation in the home after injury or illness, including use of virtual physiotherapy
- Treat workplace and motor vehicle accident injuries
- Pre- and post-natal care and other women’s health conditions
- Provide care for children with Paediatric conditions such as a developmental delay, fractures, cardiorespiratory and orthopaedic conditions
- Recover after surgery
- Treat and manage respiratory and cardiac conditions
- Provide manual therapy interventions, including manipulation to decrease pain and stiffness
How does Physiotherapy work?
Physiotherapists assess and analyze the effect of illness, disability, injury and inactivity and develop specific treatment plans based on their assessment and the individual client’s goals.
Your physiotherapist will follow these four steps to get you moving as optimally as possible:
- Assess your level of mobility, strength and endurance
- Diagnose your condition and develop a treatment plan to restore movement and reduce limitations, including pain
- Prescribe and demonstrate specific therapeutic exercises, perform hands on treatment and monitor your progress over time
- Prepare you for independence with advice on how to manage your condition
Physiotherapists care about your goals!
Your physiotherapy treatment plan will be as unique and individual as you are, and your active participation will be essential for success. Your physiotherapist will develop your treatment plan in close consultation with you and adjust it during the course of therapy in keeping with your goals and personal circumstances. Depending on your needs, your physiotherapist will draw upon a number of practice skills that will assist in developing a comprehensive and customized treatment plan.
Practice skills:
- Corrective techniques to improve heart and lung function and cardiac conditioning
- Electrical modalities and acupuncture
- Manual therapy interventions to reduce pain and stiffness
- Posture and gait retraining and individualized conditioning regimes
- Techniques to correct muscle imbalances and postural alignment
- Techniques to improve movement coordination and balance
- Techniques and modalities that reduce pain
- Therapeutic exercise to build strength, flexibility and mobility
Do I need a referral from a doctor?
No, physiotherapists are primary health care professionals just like doctors and dentists meaning you can go directly to a physiotherapist.
Who pays for physiotherapy services?
Manitoba Health covers physiotherapy treatment that is provided in a hospital setting. In a private clinic setting, most extended health benefits plans cover physiotherapy services. In addition, Manitoba Public Insurance, the Workers’ Compensation Board and the Department of Veterans Affairs pay for physiotherapy services when applicable.
How can I find a physiotherapist near me?
To find a physiotherapist in you area, visit www.mbphysio.org and click on "Find a Physiotherapist." Be sure to follow the simple instructions to navigate our website and the Find a Physiotherapist feature. If you have any questions, please contact our office at ptassociation@mbphysio.org or 204-925-5701.
The MPA would like to acknowledge and express appreciation to the Working Group and the volunteers who worked tirelessly to redevelop our website and the Find a Physiotherapist feature. Special thanks to Jeff Hollyoake and Viewsource Media, Shauna Streich and The Possibility Centre, and Saskia Friesen, our website Administrator.
This article is produced by the Advertising Department of the Winnipeg Free Press, in collaboration with Manitoba Physiotherapy Association