Isolation Consultation: How to access awesome physiotherapy at home.
In more usual times our team of friendly physiotherapists from Zest Physiotherapy visit clients at home. This is perfect for our clients who are often already isolated and unable to attend a clinic. But what happens when your physiotherapist needs to stay at home too?
At Zest Physiotherapy, our team of physiotherapists made the decision to stop all in person contact at the beginning of March to ensure there is ZERO risk of us spreading the coronavirus COVID-19 infection. Because we still want to be of help we have been trialling remote video consultations. We have surprised even ourselves with what we have been able to achieve.
It’s the technology so fresh, there’s no consensus on what to call it. Call it what you will, physiotherapy by remote video consultation, online physiotherapy clinic, virtual physio, physiotherapy telehealth, it’s the technology that will bring awesome physiotherapy to you at home, without the need to open the front door.
While we all do the right thing and stay home to save lives, this doesn’t mean those niggles, aches and pains also plan to be as considerate. If you think your concerns about your injuries or long term health conditions plan to take a backseat, think again. If anything, heightened anxiety, a lot more time on our hands for ill-informed celebrity exercise videos increasing the risk of new injury and reduced physical activity could find you more in need of a physiotherapist than before.
So how can virtual physiotherapy or remote video consultation help? And what about the poking and prodding and the lovely massage? Here’s everything you need to know…
Physiotherapists know a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff
What we do works. We have a wide variety of treatment options and strategies to offer you safe and practical solutions. Trust us, physiotherapy is more than just massage.
We are experienced physiotherapists and are all degree qualified and members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and registered with the Health Care Professions Council so relax, you are in good hands.
At Zest Physiotherapy our physiotherapists also have skills and experience in specialist areas treating conditions such as
- Neurological (stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s)
- Neuromusculoskeletal (back pain, whiplash associated disorder, sports injuries, arthritis)
- Frailty, fractures and falls and orthopaedics.
During your remote video consultation you can ask us questions about your health conditions and we will help you to understand your symptoms. The questions we ask you will help us to identify serious medical conditions and let you know when you should seek urgent medical assistance.
Physiotherapists have MI-5 level observation skills.
The greatest advantage that remote video consultation has over telephone consultation is that client and physiotherapist can still see each other. We can ask you to reposition your laptop or move around within your camera field of vision. As physiotherapists we can observe how you are moving, we can see swelling, bruising, even mysterious lumps and bumps and never before has the simplicity of being able to point at the pain been so crucial to proceedings. If your problems are functional such as getting in and out of your chair or bed or climbing the stairs, we can use the video to observe your environment too.
Not to be underestimated, we can also pick up on other nuances like your posture or mood which all help us to gather the information we need to be able to advise you.
A little bit of positivity goes a long way.
The Zest Physiotherapy team are a generally positive bunch even in these challenging times. So there’s a real benefit to exploring your issues with somebody who is not going to unnecessarily fuel your worries, and who can help you come up with positive approaches to achieving your goals.
Better than asking your Auntie Margaret who’s plumber once slipped a disc and never worked again, we will help you to set positive goals and to work towards them. We will creatively problem solve to overcome barriers. We will help you to develop a positive mindset in these challenging circumstances.
We will bend over backwards even if you find that a bit tricky.
Our physiotherapists work flexibly and you can choose appointment times for your remote video consultation to suit you. We make allowances for variations in client’s abilities at different times of day and fit around your routines and commitments. We have no lengthy waiting lists so we can get started straight away. One great advantage remote consultation has over our regular home visits it that we can set up group consultations to include family members who may be isolating in their homes also.
This new service means we are available to a wider audience now too, so you don’t have to be living in Devon or even the UK to be able to access our remote services.
This time it’s personal.
There is lots of information available on line but much of it is not specific to your particular circumstances and we appreciate it can be overwhelming. We can help filter and signpost you to the information that is best suited to you.
We will help you to identify goals and treatment plans that are personal to you and led by your needs and aspirations.
Zest Physiotherapy remote consultation services are secure, easy to access and we will continue to make them available for as long as it’s needed. When we are able to resume our home visits again you will be top of the list should you want it.
The Element of Zest
Our treatment approach is special and unaffected by not being able to poke and prod you. Quite frankly coronavirus can bog right off. We consider Zest to be an essential element to living a long, healthy, happy life, an antidote if that’s not too bold. So we carry on as usual to help you to find the mindset, motivation and energy to overcome challenges and to achieve your goals.
Good quality advice and self-management strategies are what good physiotherapy is all about.
Take that coronavirus!
To book a remote video consultation with one of our physiotherapists CLICK HERE.
Thank you to:
Many thanks to Adam Meakins and Ben Cormack at the Better Clinician Project for the virtual boot up the bum.
Website References
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy What is physiotherapy?
Health & Care Professions Council https://www.hcpc-uk.org/
