As primary health care professionals, physiotherapists combine in-depth knowledge of how the body works with specialized hands-on clinical skills to assess, diagnose and treat symptoms of illness, injury or disability.
With your independence in mind, a physiotherapist’s goal is to restore, maintain and maximize your strength, function, movement and overall well-being.
Physiotherapists prescribe personalized therapeutic exercises, and provide essential education about the body, what keeps it from moving well, how to restore mobility and independence, and how to avoid or prevent bodily harm.
Your physiotherapist will begin treatment with an extensive assessment that may include health history, evaluation of pain and movement patterns, strength, joint range of motion, reflexes, sensation, and heart and lung function.
Based on this assessment, your physiotherapist will establish a diagnosis and work in partnership with you to develop an individualized treatment program and prognosis.
Expect your physiotherapist to guide you in performing therapeutic exercises in between appointments. Your progress will be monitored at follow-up visits and your physiotherapist may adjust your treatment according to changes in your body. Prior to entering practice, physiotherapists must graduate with an entry-level Master’s degree from a physical therapy education program at one of 14 accredited universities in Canada.
In order to practice in Canada, physiotherapists must be registered with the regulatory board or college of physiotherapists in their province/territory. Only those who are registered may use the professional designations PT in Canada.
