Online Physiotherapy: An Overview
There are many reasons people may turn to online physiotherapy, even more so now that coronavirus has made its appearance. With medical appointments reduced to emergencies and urgent treatments only, those who attend regular physiotherapy or who have been waiting for a physiotherapy referral, may find their appointments put on hold for the foreseeable future.
There’s no need to worry! Online physiotherapy can fill the void and can be just as effective as ‘in person’ sessions.
Even before coronavirus, online medical treatments (also known as tele-health or telemedicine, meaning remote healthcare using technology) were growing in popularity. There are many benefits to using online treatment methods for both patients and medical professionals.
This study on the matter concluded that, “Providers and patients should embrace tele-health modalities because of its ease of use, its tendency to improve outcomes and communication, and its low cost.”
What is online physiotherapy?
Online physiotherapy sessions are those which use modern technology to connect you remotely to your physiotherapist. You can use a laptop, computer, smartphone or tablet. As long as your device has a microphone, a video camera and internet access, that’s all you need.
You will typically connect with your therapist using video call through an app like Skype, Zoom, or Google Meets for example. There are such a wide range of video call options available. Which app is used will depend on your physiotherapist, but all are fairly simple to download and get the hang of. If you’re not used to video calls, your physiotherapist should be accommodating and guide you through the process.
These physiotherapy sessions can be done regularly, as with face to face sessions. Typically, your physiotherapist will discuss your treatment goals with you in an initial video call consultation. They may ask you to carry out certain movements on camera to assess any injuries or physical problems. They will talk to you about your medical history, how much exercise you do and how fit you are for example. From there you’ll be able to decide between you how many sessions you need and how often they should take place.
How can online physiotherapy replace face to face appointments?
You might be wondering how online physiotherapy can work! You may think of physiotherapy as a very hands on treatment, with the therapist manually moving your body around. That can be a part of physiotherapy, but there are also many ways in which a physiotherapist can guide you remotely.
To help make this clearer, let’s look at the 2 core types of physiotherapy treatments: active and passive treatments. Passive treatments are those within which the physiotherapist does most of the work, for example manually moving and manipulating your body. Passive treatments need to be face to face, because they involve physical interaction with your therapist.
However active treatments are those which are guided by your physiotherapist, but you take the active role. Active treatments make up a large portion of the work done during physiotherapy and can be done remotely.
This means that while, of course, there are some things that can’t be done through a remote consultation, there are plenty of things that can be done very effectively remotely. In fact, research shows that more emphasis is being put on active treatments in physiotherapy than passive treatments.
This study on participants using online physiotherapy concluded that when comparing online physiotherapy sessions with face to face sessions, “Telehealth can be considered as a viable and effective medium”.
What can be done through online physiotherapy?
Let’s dive into all the things that can be done through online physiotherapy sessions:
An initial consultation and patient history
Assessing an injury or any psychical issues through a visual examination
Assessing range of movement and flexibility
Developing an ongoing remote treatment plan that works for the individual specifically
Strength and flexibility training
Endurance training
Working on exercises to increase range of motion and improve flexibility
Developing a personalised exercise program
Education and advice (this can involve education about your body; education about any specific health conditions you may have, such as chronic pain; advice on how to carry out daily activities safely such as how to maintain proper posture and how to lift things safely; and advice on how to improve your fitness and adjust your lifestyle to optimize your success)
What are the benefits of online physiotherapy?
There are so many benefits to online physiotherapy. Here’s 11 of the most useful:
No need to travel to appointments
With remote treatment, there’s no need to travel to a hospital, clinic, or physiotherapist’s office to get the treatment you need. This can be a lot more convenient, saving both time and energy. No more public transport or being stuck in traffic! No more trouble parking and parking costs.
If you live in a remote location, for example in a rural area where it’s even harder to gain access to treatment, then this can be a highly effective solution. If you struggle with chronic illness or another physical illness or injury, often travelling to appointments can be stressful, painful, and tiring. For older patients or patients who struggle to get out of the house, remote appointments can allow them to get the treatment they deserve. What a relief to be able to get the treatment you need without all that hassle!
This study focusing on online treatments from doctors explains that advantages for the patient include, “no waiting time for an appointment, no waiting time in the doctor’s waiting room, and no traveling to the physicians’ office, which saves money and time in the long run.”
You’re able to carry out treatments in your own home
You can carry out treatments and arrange appointments from your own home, where you feel most comfortable and at ease. This can help patients to feel more relaxed being in their own environment rather than in a clinical setting. You could even do your physiotherapy exercises in your pyjamas if you felt like it!
Choose your own location
As well as being able to carry out treatments at home, you could choose to do your treatments anywhere you like, provided you have access to the internet and video call software. You could fit in an appointment on your lunch break at work, you could go out to the garden or fit in some exercise while you’re on holiday (after lockdown is over of course). You get to decide where your treatments take place!
You can have appointments which fit in with your schedule
Instead of having to fit your life around attending physiotherapy appointments, you can have more control over when your appointments are and fit them into your schedule. This can be useful, especially for those of us with busy lives.
More regular access to your physiotherapist
Often with online physiotherapy, you will be able to arrange more regular appointments. Online physiotherapy is often more flexible and personalised. Many physiotherapists will offer the ability to contact them out with your remote appointments if you have questions or concerns, or even if you just want a little extra guidance!
Less time waiting for appointments
Waiting to see a physiotherapist can typically be a lengthy process. You may find that you’re on a waiting list, which depending on the area you live in can be weeks or even months long, especially if you’re waiting for an appointment with the NHS (the UK’s National Health Service).
Online physiotherapy is far more readily available. Depending on the availability of your physiotherapist, you could even have an appointment within the same day or the same week!
The sooner you’re able to get your illness or injury treated and under control, the sooner you can improve your quality of life and get back to your daily level of functioning.
This review of the effect of new technology on medical treatment explains that, “Remote care can improve access to health care services, enabling patient needs to be addressed as early as possible and potentially making systems more efficient.”
Cost-effectiveness
You might be thinking that this is all well and good but be wondering about the cost of this sort of service. The reality is, compared to private face to face sessions, online treatment can be much more cost effective. Many physiotherapists offer package deals or reduced rates to help you get the treatment you need.
Highly effective treatment
You can receive extremely effective treatment through online physiotherapy sessions. The treatment is just as effective as that which you would get in a person to person setting, and often with many of the other benefits we have mentioned as an extra bonus!
This study tested the use of physiotherapy carried out through regular phone calls with participants with arthritis, and discovered that, “This study demonstrated that a six-week course of structured telephone calls thrice-weekly to patients at their home, to monitor self-administered osteoarthritis-specific exercises for patients with knee OA (i.e., tele-physiotherapy) achieved comparable results to physiotherapy conducted in the clinic.”
With video calls, the connection can be even more personal and effective than using phone calls.
Recording your appointment
With many video apps, you will have the option to record your appointment. This means you can watch it back at your convenience. Not only does this help you to keep track of your treatment, it also allows you to recap on the exercises you are instructed to practice in between sessions.
Typically, when you attend appointments, it can be nerve wracking, and you may not be able to keep up with all that’s being said. It’s common to forget to ask certain questions or to find it hard to remember the details of what happened within your session. This way, you can check back anytime you like.
Feeling less rushed
Often during face to face appointments, therapists only have so much time allocated for each patient. With only have a set number of appointments, this means that they need to fit all of your conversation, questions, assessment and treatment into the sessions.
With online treatments, you are likely to have more time to interact one on one with your physiotherapist. You get to decide how long you want your sessions to be and how often, so you can get the time you really need with your physiotherapist. Typically, with online sessions, patients feel less rushed and feel that the connection is more personal.
Feeling more in control
When you are struggling with an illness or injury, you can feel that your treatment is out of your control. It can feel as though doctors are making the choices for you. You need to attend appointments when they’re scheduled, and the only thing you have control of is how you self-manage your symptoms at home.
Online treatment allows you to feel more in control of your own treatment. You are the one scheduling appointments, deciding when and where they happen, keeping track of what’s happening with your treatment, and deciding what happens next.
7 ways to find the right online physiotherapist for you
As effective as online treatment can be, it’s important to find the right physiotherapist for you. Take your time to look around at multiple options and find someone you feel will work for you.
The first step is vital. You must ensure that you find a physiotherapist who is qualified, chartered and registered with the appropriate organisations. That sounds complicated, but it simply means that they’ve been through the right training and education and are legitimately qualified as a physiotherapist.
Once you’re sure that the physiotherapists you’re looking at are qualified, you can consider other factors to ensure you choose the right therapist for you:
Check out their website to see what they offer
Look at their website to see what services they offer and what information you can find out about them. This will give you a clearer view of their approach and whether you think they could be a good fit for you.
Check reviews and testimonials
A great place to start is checking out their reviews or testimonials from past customers. This gives you a clear, honest view of how other people have found their treatment and whether it’s been effective.
Consider how much experience they have
You should be able to see on their website, or research them externally, to find out how much experience they have, both as a physiotherapist and with treating patients remotely.
Check out their social media presence
A lot of physiotherapists will have social media. This can give you an idea of their personality and their approach, so you can see if you feel you would mesh well with them. It’s important you feel able to be open with them and express yourself to get the best results from your treatment.
See if they mention treating your specific condition.
If you are looking for treatment for a specific condition, for example chronic pain or a specific sports injury, you could check to see if their website mentions experience in treating your specific problem. If not, it’s worth asking to see if they have experience in that area.
See if the treatment is in your price range
Check out their price list to ensure the price of remote treatment is within your budget. Don’t forget to look for package deals as these can be really cost effective.
Ask any questions you may have
Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask any questions you may have. Most physiotherapists will be more than happy to chat with you before you book a session and answer any questions or concerns you have.
Summary
Whatever your reasons for seeking online physiotherapy, it can be an effective and convenient way to get the treatment you need.
We offer online physiotherapy sessions and online personal training sessions as well as in person sessions, to help you meet your goals. We also have package deals to make treatment more affordable for you.
Get in touch today for a free consultation
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Kruse CS, Krowski N, Rodriguez B, et al. (2017), “Telehealth and patient satisfaction: a systematic review and narrative analysis.” BMJ Open 2017;7:e016242.
Cosio, D., & Lin, E. (2018). “Role of Active Versus Passive Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches in Pain Management.” Global advances in health and medicine, 7, 2164956118768492.
Michelle A.Cottrell, Shaun P.O’Leary, PatrickSwete-Kelly, (2018), “Agreement between telehealth and in-person assessment of patients with chronic musculoskeletal conditions presenting to an advanced-practice physiotherapy screening clinic”. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, Volume 38, Pages 99-105
Roettl, J., Bidmon, S., & Terlutter, R. (2016). “What Predicts Patients’ Willingness to Undergo Online Treatment and Pay for Online Treatment? Results from a Web-Based Survey to Investigate the Changing Patient-Physician Relationship.” Journal of medical Internet research, 18(2), e32.
Sophie Castle-Clarke, (2018), “What will new technology mean for the NHS and its patients?” The Health Foundation, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, The King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust.
Odole, A. C., & Ojo, O. D. (2013). “A Telephone-based Physiotherapy Intervention for Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Knee.” International journal of telerehabilitation, 5(2), 11–20.
