We often see people attending our clinic after they’ve had an injury, or before and after surgery.
During these times it’s very important to have the right support to help your body get back to its
best self as quickly as possible. However, it can also be a great idea to have regular check-up
sessions with a physio, even if you haven’t had a recent injury.
Just as you might see a GP for regular check-ups, seeing a physiotherapist can help to promote
and maintain your physical health. Consulting with a physiotherapist gives you the opportunity to
raise any concerns or goals you may have regarding your health, meaning we can identify and
explore any issues before they become significant enough to impact your life negatively. This helps
us use our specialised knowledge and skillset to set up a framework or strategy to help you move
towards the goals you want to achieve.
Preventing injury:
Whether you’re a hardcore sports athlete, a weekend warrior or just enjoy the occasional stroll, we
all have some sort of movement in our day to day lives. Given the demands our weekly activities
can place on the body, it is important to maximise the condition your body is in to help prevent
strains, sprains or other injuries. A physiotherapist can provide advice and education, or set you up
with an appropriate exercise program to maintain your body’s health. For example, we often guide
patients through stretching and mobility work to offset long periods of being sedentary (such as
sitting at a desk).
Although sports can often be higher intensity and the risk of injury is more prevalent, physiotherapy
can help to maximise the resilience of your body to minimise the chance that you get injured.
Additionally, we can help to correct any movement patterns that may be subtly increasing your risk
of injury (for example, coaching you through jumping and landing patterns).
Monitoring ongoing progress:
Regular check-ups are also a way to monitor your progress. This is especially important if you
have previously had an injury, as it allows your treating physiotherapist to ensure that you are still
on track with any exercise programs that you’ve been given previously. We know it can be difficult
at times to stay motivated, and checking in also helps clear any doubts about whether you’re
completing exercises correctly.
Regular check-ups are a great way to check in about any difficulties you may be having with
functional activities. Although these may not be ‘injuries’ per se, you may be noticing that you are
having more trouble getting out of a chair, ascending or descending stairs, reaching and grasping
overhead, or other crucial movements. Checking in with a physio can allow us to identify areas for
improvement, as well as determine whether they warrant more frequent sessions to maximise
improvement.
Managing chronic health conditions:
For those living with chronic health conditions, regular check-ups are an important method of
helping you self-manage your condition. Common conditions include arthritis and low bone density.
Physiotherapy has been shown to be extremely beneficial for these types of conditions, and once
you have been set up with strategies to manage your condition, it is important to regularly re-
evaluate your management plan to ensure they stay effective. For example, this may look like
modifying or progressing strengthening exercises for continued improvement of osteoarthritis, or
adding balance exercises in someone who has recurring falls.
Seeing a physiotherapist is a great way to get advice, education and treatment that is personalised
to your own goals, ability and activities. As you can see, there are many reasons why you can
benefit from checking in with a physiotherapist regularly, even if you don’t have a specific recent
injury, helping you to keep doing the activities you want to be doing!
