You’re suffering from pain, but now what?!? How do you decide where to go amongst the 15-20 health care clinics in your community?
With so much “competition for the health dollar” and the confusion that the health funds, social media and ‘BBQ advice’ breeds, we decided to put together this checklist to help make the decision making process easier. To be frank, we don’t care where you go – as long as you get the outcome you are after.
As a Physio, we are obviously biased toward the benefits of Physiotherapy in achieving your health goals. But how do you choose the right Physio? How do you know which one will provide the greatest value – that is, achieve the result YOU are after, most effectively, efficiently and for the long-term.
A poorly selected Physio/Chiro/Osteo etc will result in delayed treatment outcomes, greater costs and extreme feelings of frustration.
In every profession, there are ‘good ones and bad ones’, so here’s what to consider when choosing a Physio.
1. First things first – Why are you seeking help and what does a successful outcome look like for you?
a) Before you even search on Google or pick up the phone to enquire, understand what your expectations are and what you want to achieve from treatment. Do you want:
* Pain relief from a one-off injury?
* Comprehensive treatment for a recurrent injury?
* A meaningful diagnosis and understanding about the nature of your injury?
* Exercises to manage pain?
* Management of a ‘niggle’ to prevent a long-term problem?
* Rehabilitation after surgery?
* Injury prevention?
* All of the above?
b) Then decide what sort of outcome you are after. If you are after a ‘quick fix’, your treatment plan will look very different than if you are after long-term prevention. We can provide both, so it’s vital that you know what you are after.
WHY CHOOSE BACK IN MOTION? Back In Motion offers a FREE Initial Assessment to diagnose your injury, identify what has caused it and outline how to get it better
2. Qualifications & Expertise
This is a no-brainer. Any Physio you see will be university trained, but not all Physio’s are created equal! Beyond uni, quality Physiotherapists will continue their education to advance their diagnostic and treatment skills and undertake training to treat specific conditions such as vertigo (dizziness), Women’s health and TMJ (jaw pain), migraines, etc. Choosing a larger practice with numerous Physio’s ensures there is a depth and breadth of knowledge and skill to address all symptoms of your injury.
WHY CHOOSE BACK IN MOTION? With a team of 16 Physio’s at Back In Motion rest assured we will have your injury covered. Each of us has our own areas of special interest and expertise
3. Treatment Methods and Expanded Service Offerings
Manual therapy (that is what a Physio does with their hands) will only get you so far. Beyond that, look for a practice that provides additional services, such as strengthening (eg Clinical Exercise) and assistive aids (eg Orthotics, pillows, foam rollers, heat packs) to ensure a comprehensive rehabilitation.
WHY CHOOSE BACK IN MOTION? Back In Motion provides Physiotherapy, Clinical Exercise, massage, Podiatry and prescription orthotics, Shockwave Therapy, Exercise Physiology, and specialized services including Women’s Health, Men's Health, TMJ, dizziness, Dietetics and a golf program. We even have a Chinese-speaking Physiotherapist!
4. Referrals
Still not sure where to go? Ask your family, friends, GP, Personal Trainer or work colleagues. First hand experience from someone you trust is far more powerful than any website or advertisement.
WHY CHOOSE BACK IN MOTION? Of our 250+ new clients/month, more than 70% are direct word of mouth referrals to Back In Motion
5. Location and ‘look and feel’
a) Is the practice close to home or work? Is parking available? Driving or walking long distances to or from your Physio appointment will impact your outcome.
b) When discussing your health, it’s important to maintain your dignity. Some practices still have an open plan with only curtains separating patients. Do you really want to be discussing intimate details about your pain and dysfunction with numerous other people listening in? Look for a practice that has private consultation rooms to ensure privacy.
c) Are the receptionists welcoming and accommodating to your needs? To get a gauge on your provider, stop by the practice, ask some questions and take a tour of the practice.
WHY CHOOSE BACK IN MOTION? Back In Motion has private consultation rooms and a training studio consisting of 4x Clinical Exercise Reformers, Trapeze Table, Wunda Chair, Treadmill, Functional Trainer and Spin Bike. We welcome all our clients to our Nespresso Coffee Pod Machine before or after their appointment
6. Convenience and Availability
When you need a Physio, chances are you need one immediately because you are in pain – a waitlist is the last thing you need. Smaller practices may offer quality treatment, but larger practices are better able to handle availability and are open for longer hours and on weekends
WHY CHOOSE BACK IN MOTION? With 3 three convenient locations - Bundall, Burleigh Waters and Mudgeerba - 42% of the Gold Coast population sits in our 'catchment area'. With free off-street parking, Back In Motion is open from 7:30am – 8:00pm Mon-Fri and 8am – 1:30pm on Saturdays
7. Price
a) Physiotherapy is a professional service. My Grandad always said, “if you pay peanuts, expect monkeys”. But something is only expensive if you don't see value in it.
b) When you are looking to purchase a car, while cost can play some part in your decision, people also usually look for reliability, features, total running costs etc. When you are comparing the costs of one health provider over another, you need to consider the “extras” that are part of the service. Things such as parking, private consultation rooms, online exercise programs, friendly staff, ease of making appointments and processing payments, variety of services provided, quality of equipment, detailed treatment planning and whether or not they provide outstanding customer service where you are made to feel like the most important person in the world. This can have a large impact in the “experience” and value of the service you receive. Personally, I’d rather pay a bit extra for that nicer car that will last longer and cost less in the long term than purchase the lemon that will likely only be a short term solution.
c) In short, the cheapest Physio, is definitely not the best!
WHY CHOOSE BACK IN MOTION? Unfortunately we don't budget for our health. To ease the financial burden, Back In Motion has HICAPS on-site, so you can claim your health rebate and just pay the gap. We also offer packaged services so you can save even more $
8. Relationship
a) Health care is a partnership between you and your provider. You have to work together as a team to improve your health. Exceptional clinical skills can’t make up for a lack of bedside manner or how comfortable you feel around a therapist. You should feel at ease with your Physio since you will be working with them for weeks, months and maybe even years.
b) Your physio should be able to explain to you what they are doing with you and why they choose a specific treatment strategy. Their explanations should be clear and make LOGICAL sense to you. Don’t be impressed by big words. If your physiotherapist knows how to explain something in terms that anyone can understand, that is the biggest “hint” that they really understand what they are doing!
WHY CHOOSE BACK IN MOTION? Back In Motion is a multi- Gold Coast Business Excellence Award winning practice whose success has been built on ‘great clinical outcomes with exceptional customer service
9. Long-term, Sustainable Outcomes
‘Quick fixes’ might sound good, but over time they’re frequently proven inconvenient, costly and ineffective. Getting you out of pain is the easy part, preventing it from coming back is the real challenge. Your Physio should identify the underlying causes of your injury and devise strategies to overcome them. Your treatment should encapsulate a combination of treatment modalities such as ‘hands on’ Physio, strengthening and stability work, a home exercise program, new technology and maintenance.
WHY CHOOSE BACK IN MOTION? Back In Motion delivers a FREE Results4Life Roadmap, to outline the contributing factors of your injury and how to prevent it from recurring, all in line with your health goals
10. Service Guarantee
In some cases, numerous factors may dictate that we can't guarantee an outcome, but you can be assured of great service. The Back In Motion service guarantee stipulates 'If you are not 100% thrilled with your experience with us, we will refund your money and your next service will be free'
We hope you have found this guide helpful and if you think Physio might be of benefit to you, take advantage of Back In Motion’s Free Initial Assessment by calling your local Back In Motion practice - Mudgeeraba (5530 4956), Bundall (5592 4141) or Burleigh Waters (5613 3115)