While you might know what you want from your physiotherapy treatment, the process of even finding out how to find the right physical therapist for you can be a bit daunting. Here our knowledgeable staff at Motion Works Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Centre provide a number of resources for finding a registered physiotherapist in Ontario.
When you know you nee physiotherapeutic treatment, whether this is because you have injured yourself, have been prescribed it by your doctor, or because you are experienced pain or discomfort, it can be difficult tp sort out what your options are.
You may know what you need: from restoring mobility after an injury, managing pain, or increasing strength and range of motion. However, where do you find the right physical therapist to give you this treatment? Here are some of your best options when it comes to finding your options for physical therapy:
Friends and Family
An excellent place to start when you are considering where to look for a physical therapist is your family and friends who may have received similar treatment before. Not only will people you know be able to recommend a clinic to you (or warn you against one), they will have firsthand experience with the treatment process and can answer specific questions about the general patient experience or therapist availability.
Doctor Referrals
If you have been prescribed physiotherapy by your primary care physician, they may be able to recommend a trusted physiotherapist to you. If they can't do that, they may have a list of physiotherapists nearby to help narrow your search. Keep in mind, hoiwever, that you aren't required to visit the physiotherapist recommended to you by your doctor.
When considering a physiotherapist, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration, including their availability, specialized skills, personality and more. If you think about your doctor's recommendation as a starting point for your research, you will be well on your way to finding a physical therapist who is right for you.
Finally, you can always use Google to look up physiotherapists in your area.
If you find a physiotherapist through this method, make sure you do some research and read lots of client reviews before making your choice. In a way, reading online reviews is a lot like getting recommendations from friends or family members, only you're getting feedback, thoughts, and opinions from a much larger pool of people. This can really help when it comes to narrowing down your options!
Canadian Physiotherapy Association
If you are interested in finding a physiotherapist but aren't sure where to start, the Canadian Physiotherapy Association's (CPA) website is an excellent place to start. They are a professional organization which supports physiotherapy clinics across the country with education and advocacy.
The CPA also has a number of branches and divisions within it, which can be found on their website. They have a branch for each province and territory, and each branch lets you view a list of their constituent physiotherapy centers. No matter where you are looking for a physiotherapist in Canada, this is a good place to start.
The CPA's divisions are excellent resources for cases where you already know what kind of physical therapy you need. Each division is composed of physiotherapists who are dedicated to a particular specialization from acupuncture to women's health. These are excellent resources if you are looking to find a physiotherapist who specializes in a particular health issue or treatment method.
College of Physiotherapists of Ontario
The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario is another excellent resource for finding a physiotherapist in Ontario.
It is always good to check their public registry for a physiotherapist you find using any other method. In order for a physiotherapist to be able to legally operate in Ontario, they must be a registered member of the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario.
If you aren't able to find a physiotherapist in their registry, or if you see their name on the list of unregulated practitioners on their website, that should be a red flag for any physical therapist you are considering.
Ontario Physiotherapy Association
The Ontario Physiotherapy Association (OPA) is a branch of the CPA dedicated specifically to physiotherapists practicing in Ontario. They provide information about physiotherapy in Ontario, as well as a directory of their member physiotherapy centers.
This is an excellent way to find physiotherapists near you so you can start to compare what they offer and make a decision about which one might be a good fit for your needs.