Who is qualified to provide physiotherapy?
Registered physiotherapists are healthcare professionals specifically educated to provide physiotherapy (or physical therapy) services. Training is a minimum of 4 years (or equivalent) at a recognized university but now you will often see physiotherapists with another undergraduate degree along with their physiotherapy degree.

How are physiotherapists regulated?
Each province has a licensing body (College of Physiotherapists) that develops and enforces the regulations that govern the profession. In Ontario, physiotherapists are also governed by the Regulated Health Professions Act.

Is treatment covered under OHIP?
No it is not at Back On Track Physiotherapy. The provincial government has not issued licenses for this service for over 30 years. The only way to become an "OHIP clinic" is to buy an existing license. Besides hospitals, there are a few OHIP funded clinics left in Ottawa.

Many people have coverage for physiotherapy services through their benefits package or extended health plan at work (or via your spouse's/partner's).

You will also be covered for physiotherapy services related to injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. Please check with the clinic for further details.

Do I need to see a doctor first and get a referral for physiotherapy?
No you do not in order to receive physiotherapy. Your physiotherapist has the skills and knowledge to determine if your injury/condition warrants seeing your family doctor. Please note that there are a few extended health plans that still require you to have a doctor's referral; check with yours to be sure.

How long is the course of treatment?
This will vary considerably depending on a number of variables, including type/degree of injury, how long you've had the problem, previous history, and outside factors that may contribute to perpetuating the problem (work, posture, daily activities, stress, etc.).

As well, the accuracy and effectiveness of the physiotherapist's assessment and treatment, the client's commitment to the treatment program and home exercises, and the fact that we all respond to treatment at different rates ( yes age is a factor here!) also play key roles in this.

How long is each appointment?
Some clients are at the clinic for 30 minutes, others for 1 and ½ hours; it depends on your injury, your treatment program, your needs, and your time available. Fees for each visit are not based on time. This allows your physiotherapist to develop a treatment program based on your needs and for you to work at your own pace.

What if I don't think I really need ongoing treatment?
Yes, some people are looking for only advice and education on their problem, or to start with a home program first and assess their response to this. There may be a time issue or cost issues and we respect that. Your physiotherapist will give you his/her professional opinion based on their findings and advise you on what they think is best. An appropriate treatment program will be developed based on your needs and circumstances. You will not feel like you are being coerced into a treatment program that is unreasonable
or unsuitable for you and your situation.

What if I've been told that there's nothing I can do about my pain/problem and I have to live with it?
Well, in some cases this may be true, in others only partially true, and in some it is outright false. In dealing with musculoskeletal based pain, there of course will be some conditions that are more difficult than others to treat as effectively and get as favorable a response to treatment as we would like.

Problems such as advanced arthritis, chronic pain syndromes, degenerative back/neck pain, some types of headaches, fibromyalgia (an often overused and misused diagnosis), and myofascial pain would be a part of this list. Some will not respond to our treatments, others may require surgery or other medical intervention, but some can/will be helped by high quality physiotherapy.

Our intervention in such "tough-to-treat" cases often involves a lot of one-on-one very specific and specialized manual therapy along with a detailed home exercise program. In a lot of cases the client just has not had this kind of approach with previous treatment; every practitioner has their own methods.

Once we explain to the client what we plan to do and that it often is possible to change the intensity, the frequency, and the duration of pain along with the "recovery rate" from a flare-up, they realize that although we may not rid them of pain completely, this can greatly improve their quality of life.

As well, getting the client on a conditioning program (one that is right for them and their condition) to improve strength, flexibility, mobility, posture, core stability, and cardiovascular fitness often is crucial in these situations.

Educating the client regarding pacing techniques, posture, positioning, and ergonomics among other factors can also be of significant value in this process.

So when we hear "I've tried everything" or "I'm told nothing can be done", we know that in some cases we can and will make a very positive difference.