So who really needs physiotherapy anyway?

Is physiotherapy just for sports injuries like sprained ankles or knees? Or is it for post-surgical rehabilitation after ACL repairs or arthroscopic surgery?

Can it help someone with low back pain? Neck pain? Shoulder pain?

What if pain isn’t involved, but weakness is? What if lack of strength, or coordination, or endurance is the problem?

What if there is no pain or injury? Could physiotherapy still help improve human performance for someone who has no immediate limitations?

Ultimately, the reason most people seek out the expertise and knowledge of a registered physiotherapist is because they can’t do, or want to improve on, something that’s important to them.

This is often due to pain, loss of range of motion/flexibility, loss of strength or because of some medical intervention (e.g. surgery or bed rest). This loss of function could have an impact on so many different aspects of someone’s life from looking after their kids to playing sports, to something as simple as doing everyday chores or tasks such as driving.

However, with preventative health awareness on the rise, more and more people are looking to be more proactive.

They’re looking to do as much as they can to avoid being impacted by repetitive strain or overuse injuries before they occur. They’re looking to improve their base strength and fitness so they can minimize risk of a variety of lifestyle related diseases and disorders (diabetes, cancer, heart disease etc) as they age.

They’re looking for optimal health and ultimate performance. They want to be at their best.

So in the end, physiotherapy from a registered physiotherapist may be the right option if you’re looking to do the things you want to do, or get back to doing the things you want to do.