We are finishing off our winter months and coming closer to summer. The Eastern Suburbs winter escape to the South of France and Greece is over and most people are back at the gym. This means finding the best sports physio in Sydney is something a lot of people are looking for. Whether you have that niggle or want to make sure you return to sport or training that you love so much here are some things you need to look out for.
- Longer appointments – 20 or 30minute consultations don’t give you enough time to thoroughly assess your injury, treat it and help you with ongoing education and management.
- An exercise background – This is essential for a physio whether it be an exercise science, health science, or additional qualifications you need to make sure your physio has adequate skills to help you manage your injuries and prevent them from reoccurring.
- A plan – When you leave your physio after the initial consultation your physio should develop a plan with you to help manage your injury. This may be a plan that alters along the course of your rehabilitation, but the physio should set a course for your rehabilitation in the first consult.
- A mix of hands-on therapy and exercise prescription. The best treatment is the one that takes the clients expectations and goals into consideration. This means using soft tissue work such as massage as required, dry needling if needed but then a healthy mix of exercises in the physio’s gym (Make sure your physio has a gym on site) and a good home exercise program.
- Understanding the demands of your training or sport – Make sure you see a physio who understands the sport you play such as Football (soccer), Rugby League, Aussie Rules, Rugby Union, Cricket, Netball and Basketball. If you train for ocean swims, triathlons, marathons or whatever it is make sure your physio doesn’t just say “Rest”. A physio who understands your sport will be able to work around your injury to keep you training/ exercising in some form.
- Follow up – Your physio should follow up your appointment with a phone call or email. We prefer email to provide you with a recap or rundown of your consult. Often there is so much information you forget everything you have been told. So, getting an email with the diagnosis, prognosis (how long recovery with take), the plan, exercises and providing a regular touch point with your physio during the rehab is essential to providing the best service.
- Reviews – Make sure you always check out the google reviews of a clinic, they are often the best way to learn about a practice if you haven’t been before. And then of course the most glowing review is always word of mouth from a client who is happy with the service.
At BeFit Physiotherapy, our physios are all extensively qualified with extra skills in Strength and conditioning. Lead by Practice Director, who is the course creator of Strength & Conditioning for Physiotherapists at the University of Technology, Sydney. The physios at BeFit are industry leaders in strength and conditioning, rehabilitation and high performance training.
