Hands on treatment includes techniques employed by physiotherapists such as:
- joint mobilisation;
- massage;
- dry needling & acupuncture;
- assisted stretching;
- guided exercises.
Conditions suitable for "hands-on" treatment
Sports Injuries - especially if there is pain, swelling and/or loss of function.
Soft tissue and joint related problems, such as:
- whiplash after a vehicle accident;
- severe bruising after a fall;
- pain after unaccustomed activity;
- pain during or after repetitive activities;
- loss of range of movement or a persistent feeling of tightness;
- a feeling of instability related to movement;
- pain in the neck, shoulders or back area from prolonged sitting;
- pain in a joint that interferes with your usual activities;
- joint or muscle pain that interferes with sleep.
Note that a "hands-on" treatment session will also include education, some home exercises and/or some strategies to help you to deal with the issue. Your initial session will most likely involve 30 minutes of assessment which will include a series of questions about you, your problem and your expectations. A physical examination of the area is also part of the initial assessment.
In some cases you will be referred back to your Doctor if there is an underlying medical problem that needs to be addressed. Poorly controlled Diabetes, for example, delays the healing process.
Physiotherapists can fill out request forms for basic X-Rays and Diagnostic Ultrasound, but if you need a CT or MRI you will be asked to return to your Doctor or your Specialist. There is strong evidence, however that radiological findings often do not correlate with symptoms, especially when there is a non-specific, long term issue such as low back pain. The real value of imaging is that it looks for significant pathology such as fractures, ruptured tendons, serious ligament injuries or tumours.
