How to Choose the Right Physiotherapist

Finding the right physiotherapist is essential for receiving the treatments and services that you need to restore yourself back to full mobility. Whether you’ve suffered a serious injury, you’re preparing for a significant physical undergoing or you simply want to improve your overall health and fitness, a physio is going to really help to get you where you need to be. Hunting down the best health practitioner for you and your needs is never simple, but there are a few tips to ensure that you end up in the right one’s waiting room! Look for these factors when you’re on your search…

Location
By no means should you only choose a physio based on their local convenience, but location definitely is a huge factor that you need to consider. It’s no good having to travel hours out of your area on your weekend or during your lunchbreak for a physio session, particularly when you’re searching for sustained treatment. Make a shortlist of practitioners who are in realistic reach for you and continue your research from there. This is a great way to start the search for physiotherapy that works with your lifestyle.

Availability
Chances are, you’re not looking for just one physiotherapy session. No matter what the reason for your search, very few people are going to benefit from a solo hour of physio. Now, because you’re looking for a physiotherapist to work with you in an ongoing, collaborative way, you need to find one that can offer you that commitment. Call up practices that you’re interested in and ask about the physio in question’s general availability to get a good idea of whether they’re going to be able to provide you with ongoing treatments and regularly scheduled sessions.

Services
Physiotherapy is a bit of a blanket term, the profession is all-encompassing and holistic, meaning it entails the use of a lot of different treatment methods. The services offered by certain physios is going to be a big determining factor, particularly if you’re searching for a specific type of treatment. Take a look at the range of services available at your shortlisted physiotherapist practises, you’ll notice that this can be pretty varied so you should pay attention. Some physios only work in a specialised area of practice, including sports, paediatric and orthopaedic. If you’re in need of a niche vein of treatment, then this should be a concern very early on in your selection process.

Experience
To find an accredited physiotherapist, you should keep an eye out for the right and relevant qualifications. A physio should be registered with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia (PBA), this organisation ensures that practitioners are safe, professional and up to industry standards. Any physios registered with the PBA are a great place to start. Again, if you’re searching for specialised treatment then you need to watch out for education and experience in that particular field.

Ask around
As you would when looking for pretty much anything, you should consult your network when searching for a great physiotherapist. Ask friends, take to social media or ask your other healthcare professionals (such as your doctor), teammates, co-workers or massage therapist for their recommendations. Getting refers and recommendations in your immediate environment will most likely lead you to a physio that works perfectly for you and your lifestyle.

Sustainable relationships and outcomes
You’re going to want to work from your desired outcome, backwards. This means looking at where you want your physicality and mobility to be a few days, weeks or months down the line. Use this as a means to pin down a practitioner that has the ability to deliver the sustained outcomes and relationships that you’re searching for. Remember that no one is healed overnight and therefore you absolutely need to find a physio that is accommodating and understanding of your unique condition, requirements and current state of wellbeing.

Physiotherapy services should not be all that hard to find, and by following these tips you can feel confident that your chosen practitioner will be perfect for you and your lifestyle. Get searching for a professional physio today!