FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
A: We treat all types of orthopedic injuries. This may range from an ankle sprain or other sporting injury to more complicated and chronic injuries related to repetitive use, overdoing it in the garden, or the weekend warrior. We have excellent experience in getting to the root cause of your injury.
Q: Do I require a doctor's referral to come for physiotherapy?
A: A doctor's referral is not required to come for physiotherapy assessment and treatment. However, we will contact your physician, if required, to dicuss any concerns that may arise from our assessment, with your informed consent. We may also refer you back to your physician for further testing, such as an x-ray, or for referral to a specialist if there are concerns that warrant further investigation.
A: It is recommended that your first visit is usually one hour long. During this timeframe, we will ask you a number of questions about your injury and how it occurred or when it started to bother you. We’ll also ask you about previous injuries, or other current or past medical conditions. As well, we will ask about your daily activities such as work, sports and hobbies in order to determine factors contributing to your problem. It is also important for us to review any special tests (x-rays, CT scans etc.) that you’ve had so that we may have a deeper understanding of your problem.
Then, we will preform a detailed physical assessment to look at how you hold yourself (posture), how you move, as well as a more specific biomechanical exam to help us determine what the problem is and where it is coming from.
Finally, we will begin treatment in this session if time allows. This will also include education regarding what we have found to be the problem and what you might expect in terms of healing timeframe, as well as what to expect in future physiotherapy sessions.
Please plan to bring along a pair of shorts or comfortable clothing so that we may more easily assess you. Please come a couple of minutes early to fill out a patient information form and consent to treatment form. All sessions will require the last 10 minutes of the session to be reserved for discussing your injury, changing clothes, payment and scheduling future appointments.
A: Follow-up visits will typically be 30 or 60 minutes duration, depending upon what was determined most appropriate by you and your therapist at the time of your initial assessment. It is often recommended to schedule 3-4 sessions after the initial assessment to allow us to begin treatment and to work on your rehabilitation treatment plan with regularity for best success.
During these subsequent sessions, we will ask how you are doing and how you felt after the previous assessment or treatment. This helps us to determine your response to treatment. As well, it assists us in planning how we may progress future treatments. The ultimate goal of treatment is usually your physical improvement, reduction of symptoms and a return to your desired activity.
Follow-up sessions will also include a brief re-evaluation of your physical limitations. As well, we will have more time to devote to treatment, such as manual therapy and exercise, as determined through your intial assessment. Treatment will include 25 or 50 minutes of manual therapy, exercise and other treatments as deemed appropriate by your physiotherapist. The remaning time will be used for education and discussion, changing of clothes, payment and scheduling of future appointments.
For more information on the types of treatment that we provide, please refer to the Services section of our website.
A: If possible, could you please bring:
- Any test results or specialist reports you have.
- Shorts – if you forget them, we have some you can borrow.
- Women, please wear a regular bra or a bra that does not cover your spine.
- Footwear - your shoes may contribute to your symptoms, as well as orthotics that you are currently using for support.
- A workbook and pen to make notes about your treatment and exercises.
Q: How do I make payment?
A: Payment can be made by cash or personal cheque made out to your individual therapist. We do not accept credit or debit cards.
A receipt will be issued for physiotherapy services provided that you can submit to your extended health provider. Please have payment ready prior to your session to lessen the time required to complete this at the end of your session.
Q: How do I cancel my appointment?
A: We require a minimum of 24 hours notice for cancelling appointments without payment. A full service fee will be charged for missed appointments without sufficient notice for cancellation.
However, we often have a waiting list. If we are able to re-book your full appointment time with another client, then we would be pleased to be able to waive the cancellation fee.
You may cancel appointments via our online booking system www.timecenter.com/bodyworks or click:Alternately, you may cancel your appointments via email to your specific physiotherapist For example, please email dana@body-works.ca for cancelling appointments with Dana Ranahan. Please see our About Us page for individual therapist email addresses.
You may also cancel your appointment by phone at the clinic at 604-983-6616. We do not have a receptionist, so if we are unable to answer your call, please leave us a detailed message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.