PHYSIOTHERAPY

What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is a modality of treatment to restore, maintain, and make the most of a patient’s mobility, function, and well-being. Physiotherapy helps through physical rehabilitation, injury prevention, health, and fitness. Physiotherapists study the science of movement and can help pinpoint an injury’s root cause.

Why do I need a physiotherapist?

Physiotherapists are trained medical professionals with expertise in managing concerns regarding patient mobility, function, injury prevention and musculoskeletal health. Physiotherapy can be helpful after an injury or if you suffer from chronic pain that affects how you function every day. Physiotherapists have a close working relationship with other medical professionals, and you may be referred by a doctor after a surgical procedure, such as a hip or knee replacement, or in the event of a heart attack or stroke. Physiotherapists will focus on both injury rehabilitation and prevention. Physiotherapists get you involved in your own recovery. Treatment can be for problems caused by injury, disease, or disability.

What are some common reasons for seeing a physiotherapist?

Some of the typical issues physiotherapists can help with include:

  • Neck and back pain caused by problems in the muscles and skeleton

  • Problems in the bones, joints, muscles and ligaments, such as arthritis and post-operative rehabilitation

  • Lung problems such as asthma

  • Disability as a result of heart problems

  • Loss of mobility because of trauma to the brain or spine or due to diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis

  • Fatigue, pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of muscle strength, for example, during cancer treatment or palliative care

I want to see a physiotherapist at Unify Health. How can I make an appointment?

Unify Health offers Physiotherapy via the experienced team from Foundation Physiotherapy. Click here to book an appointment with a Physiotherapist. If you have a referral for a specific issue from a physician or nurse practitioner, please bring it to your appointment to help guide your treatment. If you plan to use health insurance to help cover the cost of physiotherapy, remember to visit your insurance company's website to ensure the physiotherapist is covered. If that insurance company does not cover the physiotherapist, you will not be able to use your benefits and will need to pay the total cost of treatment. Your session will be unique to you and your personal needs. Your physiotherapist will develop a treatment plan tailored to you and prescribe exercises and any equipment or assistive devices needed for you to be successful.

How can I learn more about physiotherapy?

If you wish to learn more about physiotherapy, you can visit the Foundation Physio, Ontario Physiotherapy Association or Canadian Physiotherapy Association websites.

What is Chiropractor Care?

Chiropractor care is the regulated professional specialty devoted to examine, diagnose and provide care to patients with a variety of health concerns related to the spine and joints and the effect on the nervous system, such as low back, shoulder and knee pain, sports injuries, and overall wellness care. Chiropractors focus on patient-centred care, use manual therapies, and often work in collaboration with other regulated health professionals.

Click HERE to book an in-person consultation with a chiropractor..

Why do I need a Chiropractor?

The practice of chiropractic is the assessment of conditions related to the spine, nervous system and joints and the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dysfunctions or disorders arising from the structures or functions of the spine and the effects of those dysfunctions or disorders on the nervous system and dysfunctions or disorders arising from the structures or functions of the joints.

Don’t Chiropractors Just Crack Backs?

Our chiropractors do not perform adjustments (cracking joints) and work to help you build your strength and function through manual therapies, exercise training and evidenced based therapeutic techniques.

What conditions will a Chiropractor at Unify see?

Spinal Disorders

  • Acute and chronic low back pain, thoracic spine pain, neck pain

  • Lumbar and cervical radiculopathies/disc pathology

  • Lumbar and cervical spinal stenosis 

  • Sacroiliac joint injuries/dysfunction

  • Headaches (cervicogenic, migraines)

  • Whiplash disorders (including MVA cases)

Upper Limb Disorders 

  • Frozen shoulder

  • AC joint injuries 

  • Muscle strains

  • Rotator cuff pathology (rotator cuff/biceps tendinopathies/tears)

  • Subacromial pain 

  • Shoulder instability (pre/post op, shoulder dislocations)

  • Elbow pain (golfers elbow, tennis elbow, UCL sprains, internal derangement injuries) 

  • Thoracic outlet syndrome

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome

  • Guyon's canal syndrome

  • OA (Shoulder, 1st CMC)

  • DeQuervain's tenosynovitis 

  • Trigger finger

  • Scapholunate instability 

Lower Limb Disorders 

  • Tendinopathies (proximal hamstring, glute/lateral hip rotators, patellar, achilles, tibialis posterior, peroneal, flexor hallucis, etc)

  • Buttock pain (deep gluteal syndrome, greater trochanteric pain syndrome)

  • Shin pain (medial tibial stress syndrome)

  • Patellofemoral pain syndrome 

  • Hip OA/FAI/Dysplasia

  • Knee OA 

  • Pre/Post Op (Knee/hip arthroplasty, ACL-R, meniscectomy, etc) 

  • Lateral ankle sprain/chronic ankle instability 

  • Plantar heel pain/plantar fasciopathy 

Miscellaneous: 

  • Chronic widespread pain

  • Fibromyalgia

  • Pelvic girdle pain (males only) 

  • Elderly fall risk assessment/prevention

  • Exercise programming for sedentary populations

  • Pediatric injuries (apophysitis)