What is Virtual Care and How Does it Work?
Virtual Care, virtual physiotherapy or telerehabilitation. These are all terms which are referring to the same thing. It is an internet-based method of providing an assessment and delivering treatment through audio and video conferencing. In our case, physiotherapy assessment and treatment! Although some clinics were providing virtual services pre-COVID, it has become more prevalent since the start of the pandemic.
At Break Free Physiotherapy and Wellness, virtual care involves both you and your therapist meeting through a secure audio-video conferencing platform. It is really easy to use, and we can help you if there are any technological issues. For the assessment, it would be a similar process to in-person, including learning more about your story, doing some objective testing and observing how you move, and coming up with a treatment plan tailored to you to help you reach your goals.
Virtual physiotherapy has been shown to be just as effective as in-person physiotherapy treatment. There have been studies demonstrating good validity and reliability, especially for the assessment of pain, swelling, range of motion, muscle strength, balance, gait and functional movements1. Virtual care has also shown improvements in adherence to home exercise programs and resulted in greater confidence with exercising2.
Virtual physiotherapy care offers many benefits. First off, it is convenient. You don’t need to leave your home, so if you are busy with the kids or unable to arrange transportation to the clinic, virtual care is another great option that allows for some flexibility and you do not have to miss a physiotherapy session. Since we are physiotherapists licensed in the province of Ontario, we are able to provide physiotherapy services virtually to anyone who is a resident of Ontario. It’s awesome that we are able to help clients who may not be able to travel to our clinic. Another benefit is that we’re able to see how you move within your own space. This can allow us to problem solve and work with you to develop strategies to move better within your home environment.
But there is no hands on, so how does that work? There is a lot that we can do without having hands on. We are still able to look at things like range of motion, gait, and functional movements. And since it is slightly more difficult to pick up non-verbal cues of discomfort or pain, it relies on effective communication between you and your therapist. The therapists also have to be creative sometimes but that makes it more fun.
If you have yet to experience virtual physiotherapy, give it a try today! We have online booking or you can call us at 519-850-3733.
Mani S, Sharma S, Omar B, Paungmali A, Joseph L. Validity and reliability of Internet-based physiotherapy assessment for musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review. J Telemed Telecare. 2017 Apr;23(3):379-391. doi: 10.1177/1357633X16642369. Epub 2016 Mar 31. PMID: 27036879.
Bennell KL, Marshall CJ, Dobson F, Kasza J, Lonsdale C, Hinman RS. Does a Web-Based Exercise Programming System Improve Home Exercise Adherence for People With Musculoskeletal Conditions?: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2019 Oct;98(10):850-858. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001204. PMID: 31021823.
