Should I Consider Telehealth?

During these challenging times we have all faced during COVID and the current restrictions, seeing a health professional in person has been quite tricky particularly during stage 4 restrictions. 

Seeing a therapist in person during stage 4 restrictions, your condition must be considered critical. 

Criteria for essential treatment include: 

1. The absence of treatment, or a six week delay in treatment, will cause significant deterioration of the patient’s functional independence

AND

2. Is likely to cause escalation in care needs (for example, medical treatment/review or admission to hospital or presentation to an emergency department)."

For those who feel they need therapy right now, however your condition does not fit the above criteria, telehealth with your physiotherapist is a great option. 

For many of us that are currently working from home and are not moving as much, have you noticed increased stiffness? Or maybe increased aches? Or maybe since isolation you have picked up new and exciting hobbies that has tested your body in new ways such as running!  

You may be thinking, how can telehealth therapy help me considering therapists work a lot with hands on? Or it may be that you are seeking hands on treatment and telehealth won’t give you. 

Yes you’re right, telehealth wont give you that hands on experience. However, Telehealth WILL give you the reassurance of what you are going through by assessing you and devising a step by step program for you.

Through telehealth we can give you an individualised treatment plan that is unique for your needs and works around your current lifestyle. 

So what will Telehealth look like at Ideal Physiotherapy? 

Your therapist will have your appointment time booked in. You will receive an email with your appointment time and link to join into the call. Online, your therapist will do a thorough assessment by asking you questions related to your current condition. Your therapist may use things around your house to help relieve your current tension. 

They will provide you with the education you need to avoid things that may be aggravating you and what things you can do to ease your pain /stiffness.  

If exercise is what you currently need, your therapist will provide you with specific exercises and email them to you so you can follow. 

My greatest concern during this COVID pandemic is if people wait too long to seek help due to the inability to attend clinics due to the criteria above and then are reluctant to join telehealth due to uncertainty and therefore do not seek help all together. 

Please seek your telehealth option as you do not want your current condition to get worse. We are here to help! 

It’s an easy online connection to your health care professional which will provide you with the tools you need to get through this period.