FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

DO I NEED A REFERRAL FROM A DOCTOR?

A client only needs to be referred by a physician if their extended health care plan requires the referral. All clients should check with their extended health care providers to see if a referral is required, and what discipline/s (ie. Athletic Therapy, Physiotherapy, Massage Therapy) are covered.

WILL MY EXTENDED HEALTH CARE BENEFITS COVER THE COSTS?

All extended health care plans are different; the client is responsible for confirming coverage for our services with their individual providers. Athletic Therapy, Physiotherapy and Massage Therapy are all distinct professional designations covered by some plans and not by others.

WHAT IS ATHLETIC THERAPY?

Athletic Therapy is a degree program offered at several degree granting institutions in Canada. Athletic Therapists are trained in clinical assessment and rehabilitation of orthopaedic injuries, exercise physiology, electrical modalities and on field emergency assessment. After graduation and upon successful completion of a national written and oral-practical exam, the candidate becomes certified and qualified to practice. Each member must maintain this certification by accumulating maintenance points through professional development and ongoing learning.

The Canadian Athletic Therapy Association is the governing body for Athletic Therapists. The profession of Athletic Therapy is approximately 40 years old. It is not currently a regulated health profession in Canada, as there are not enough Athletic Therapists in Canada for the government to deem regulation necessary.

WHAT IS PHYSIOTHERAPY?

Physiotherapy is a regulated health profession that has been recognized for over 100 years.

Physiotherapy is a post-graduate university program in which students are trained in several areas such as orthopaedics, burn patients, cardiac care, stroke rehab, traumatic and congenital neurology, pediatrics and geriatrics. Physiotherapists must successfully complete a national written and practical exam in order to be registered with the College of Physiotherapists within their province. Once graduated, physiotherapists generally chose a specific area of interest to expand upon, and are required to take continuing education courses to reflect this.

WHAT IS MASSAGE THERAPY?

Therapeutic massage consists of assessment of injury and dysfunction and manual massage of the muscles, fascia, and connective tissues to loosen tissue, restore tissue balance, break down adhesions or scar tissue, and release trigger points in the muscle.

Sometimes when the therapist works quite deep the client will experience some muscle soreness after the treatment, which may last 1-2 days. The tissue is notably looser even though it is a bit tender.

It is important that the client communicates with the massage therapist if they feel the work is too deep or not deep enough.

WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

EASTERN PHILOSOPHY

Acupuncture was discovered in China at least 2500 years ago. The early Chinese created a complete map of energy meridians, like rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers is like a dam that backs up, creating imbalance and pain. Stimulating the acupuncture points (sometimes with a twirling of the needle between the fingers or by passing a mild electric current through them) can influence the meridians; the acupuncture needles unblock the obstructions at the dams, and reestablish the regular flow through the meridians.

WESTERN PHILOSOPHY

A more scientific explanation of acupuncture is that the stimulation of designated trigger points on the body by acupuncture needles prompts the body to release certain hormones and chemicals that can reduce pain, and calm the nervous system.

Designated points stimulate the release of neurotransmitters and endorphins, the body's natural pain-killing hormones. It is estimated that endorphins are 200 times more potent than morphine. This is why acupuncture works well for back pain, arthritis and other musculoskeletal ailments.

Some of the physiological effects observed throughout the body include increased circulation, decreased inflammation, relief from pain and muscle spasms, a decrease of depression and increased T-cell count which stimulates the immune system.

DOES ACUPUNCTURE COST EXTRA?

No. Acupuncture will be a part of your treatment session in conjunction with other treatment techniques.

WHAT ARE OSTEOPATHIC TECHNIQUES?

The philosophy of Osteopathy recognizes that the body is an integrated whole. When all the body's components are in balance, a person is complete and in total health. Osteopathic techniques are gentle manual therapeutic techniques designed to restore functional movement to all biomechanical elements of the body and all of its moving parts.

INDIVIDUALIZED EXERCISE THERAPY

Many conditions or injuries occur as the result of biomechanical dysfunction in or around joints. Many of these dysfunctions occur as the result of decreased mobility or tension. When we assess and treat, we develop an exercise program specifically for that individual to address these dysfunctions or tensions that are unique to them. These exercise programs are utilized to augment the treatments that we provide in the clinic and help the client to recover more quickly.

AM I COVERED UNDER OHIP?

Quality Care Sports Injury and Rehab is a fee for service clinic and does not bill OHIP for any services. OHIP funded physiotherapy is only delivered in communities by Designated Physiotherapy Clinics (DPCs). The number of Designated Physiotherapy licenses has been frozen since 1964; therefore there are limited clinics.