The County Physio

07/31/2020

I often get asked, “do I need a referral from a doctor to see a physiotherapist”? The short answer is “no”. Physiotherapy is considered a “first contact health care provider”, meaning that patients do not need a referral from the GP (general practitioner) to seek Physiotherapy services. In fact, studies have shown that early assessment by Physiotherapy can lead to better patient outcomes including: reduced wait times, less referral to specialists, increased likelihood that patients will achieve their treatment goals and better outcomes for the patient in general (see link below for reference).

This means that waiting to see a doctor first (for general musculoskeletal problems), can lead to longer wait times and poorer outcomes for the patient who can benefit directly from Physiotherapy, a referral is not necessary to access the treatment.

Something to consider.

Link for research:https://physiotherapy.ca/sites/default/files/positionstatements/primary-health-care_en.pdf

06/01/2020

We are happy to let everyone know that Physiotherapy has been given the go ahead and we will be reopening our doors to appointments beginning this Friday June 5. We will be following all safety protocols required including masks, spaced out appointments and disinfecting between clients. We look forward to seeing you in our clinic and have even been able to make some more additions to the space while we were closed like this custom made exercise bar! 😀

05/14/2020

What is Virtual Physiotherapy?

Most folks have not done a virtual Physiotherapy session before and so would not necessarily understand how it works. It is not a new method, but people are more familiar with “typical” In-clinic physiotherapy where you come to the physical building for an assessment and treatment. One way to envision virtual Physiotherapy, is to think about a new technology that most people are using: the zoom meeting! Most of us have done one of these in the past month or so to connect with friends and family. We understand how that works. Now think of a zoom meeting where one person is asking you questions about your injury, getting you to move around a bit and checking to see what hurts. Voila, you have virtual Physiotherapy! If that sounds like a relatively easy thing to do, that because it is. I’ve done a few of these types of interactions now and with our modern technology the process is pretty seamless. In addition, if the idea of the video aspect makes you nervous, you can also stick with the telephone for the whole session, or switch to video when a demonstration of the painful movement would be helpful.

Hopefully that helps anyone who who is in need of physio, but is concerned about how it might work.

If you have more questions, feel free to connect with me via email: thecountyphysio@gmail.com, or via phone: 613-885-3222 and I would be happy to walk you through the process, discuss your options, and answer any additional questions you might have.

05/08/2020

Hello Everyone,

Here is an update for anyone who may be considering the services of a Physiotherapist in Ontario.

As of May 1, 2020 on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario government is extending all emergency orders until May 19, 2020. This continues the current restrictions that physiotherapists cannot provide in-person services unless that service is for URGENT care. Virtual or tele-rehabilitation for non-urgent care is appropriate (because it is not in-person).

What constitutes Urgent Care?

A patient who is currently experiencing incapacitating neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction or pain.

Any scenario where the inability to initiate care or the withdrawal of care would lead to the significant deterioration of a patient’s condition and the patient is at risk for imminent hospital admission or re-admission.

Post-operative care immediately following surgery when necessary for cardiorespiratory and essential functional mobilization as an in-patient to prevent the delay of a patient being discharged home to the community.

Follow-up immediately post-discharge from hospital to the community to ensure safe return to home and prevent re-admission to the hospital.

The patient is an individual such as a health care provider in an essential service in an acute care setting or other setting deemed to be essential, whose injury or condition requires physiotherapy care to return to work safely as soon as possible.

So if you fall into the above criteria, you can seek in-person physiotherapy services within the community, provided those services are available (most clinics are shut-down). For everyone else, virtual or tele-rehabilitation is still available if you need Physiotherapy at this time.

The County Physio does offer virtual Physiotherapy at this time. You can find these services at https://www.thecountyphysio.com/ or just click on book now at top of the face book page.

The County Physio, James Bouma Physiotherapy clinic in Prince Edward County, Private Physio Clinic, Picton, Ontario, sports injury, Physical Therapist, knee pain, neck pain, back pain, shoulder injury, Canada

04/16/2020

Hello everyone! As some of you know, we opened our doors in Mid-March. Not the best timing for opening a new business, but we have been working on alternative ways to treat patients virtually.

James has been upping his virtual physio game and treating patients through phone and secure video calls. Because his main form of treatment is exercise based, James has been finding that virtual physio has been working quite well for his patients. If you are interested in getting in touch with James for an appointment, please visit our website at www.thecountyphysio.com

We know that times are tough for many out there who have lost their jobs or are facing difficulties. Please know that if the cost of physiotherapy is out of reach at this time, please let us know and we can help you. We don't want anyone to be suffering unnecessarily!

If you have any questions, please contact James at thecountyphysio@gmail.com or call him at 613-885-3222

Many Insurance companies are now covering virtual physio treatment, but it would be best to check with your insurance to make sure you are covered.