There are so many great local businesses within our Whyte Ridge community. We want to introduce you to some of the brilliant services our neighbourhood has to offer, along with the hard-working people that run them.
Kenaston Common Physiotherapy is an Orthopedic and Sports Injury Clinic located near Costco and Indigo. We had the pleasure of interviewing inspiring and caring clinic owner Allison Guercio to find out more about therapies and treatments that can be beneficial for you in challenging times.
What is physical therapy?
Physical therapy/physiotherapy is a form of treatment that uses physical means to relieve pain, regain range of motion, restore muscle strength, and return patients to normal activities of daily living, sports and work.
What made you want to become a physical therapist?
Growing up, I had various sports-related injuries. I required physiotherapy to return to activities, and I had great results. In addition, my grandpa suffered a major stroke and was unable to walk afterwards. I saw how he worked with his physiotherapist to gain more function and strength. Physiotherapy is such a diverse profession that works with so many patient populations. It is highly rewarding to see how I can make a difference in someone’s life.
What happens in a therapy session?
On the initial visit, your physiotherapist does an assessment, gets a history of your injury, looks at your movement and strength, and performs other clinical tests to come up with a diagnosis. We educate you on what the problem is and work with you to achieve your goals. You will receive treatment and home exercises to improve your condition.
Why does physical therapy take longer than some people think it will?
People frequently come in for treatment of things that have been bothering them for many months. If this is the case, it often takes a longer time to see improvements as other factors come into play, such as compensation of other body parts, muscle shortening, etc. Therefore, it is best to see a physiotherapist sooner rather than later when something is causing you pain.
Do I really have to do home exercises?
Another major factor in recovery time is the individual taking an active role in his or her recovery. This includes following your physiotherapist’s suggestions for activity modification and, most importantly, home exercises. If you aren’t doing your part at home, treatment likely won’t be as effective. So please, do your home exercises!
How has COVID-19 changed treatment?
At this time, we are offering two types of treatments: in-clinic and virtual.
1) In-clinic treatment: This looks a little different than it did in the past. All patients and staff members are required to complete a health screening prior to entering the clinic. The same caring therapists are there to treat you, but they now wear masks and face shields. We have increased our already thorough sanitization of the clinic. All patients are required to wear masks because you cannot social distance when you are in the treatment room with your therapist. Hands are sanitized on entry and exit to the clinic. Only the person receiving the treatment can enter, and we ask patients to wait in their cars until their appointment times and to use contactless payment.
2) Virtual treatment: This is a great way to receive treatment in the comfort of your own home. It is like FaceTime with a physiotherapist, except on a secure platform. Your physiotherapist will assess you in your own environment, looking at range of motion, strength and function, and then explain what is going on so you can understand your condition. We will help you set goals and make a treatment plan, as well as provide education on what to avoid and what to do for home treatment, such as activity modification and exercises. We can assist with a safe-return-to-work plan if you are off of work. We will progress your home treatment plan each session and keep you on the road to recovery.
This has been such a great addition to our practice! We can really see how beneficial the education portion of treatment is, and it has been empowering to see patients be very active in their own recoveries!
For more information, please visit our website: kcphysiotherapy.com.
Want to share the story of your business with our community?
Contact orli.gelfat@gmail.com – Orli Gelfat, community reporter.