Renata Fonda 
Physiotherapist at Life Ready Physio + Pilates Warwick

In today’s fast-paced world, when we experience pain or injury, it’s tempting to get a “quick fix”. We turn to the internet, or take advice from family, friends and social media for our answers.  

While well-intentioned, this can lead to more confusion than clarity.  

Physiotherapy, on the other hand, offers a personalised, evidence-based approach to recovery.  

Working with a physiotherapist takes the guesswork out of recovery and helps you return to your optimal level of function more efficiently and confidently.  

Here’s how physiotherapy can guide you through the recovery process. 

Identifying the source of the problem

One of the primary benefits of physiotherapy is the ability to determine the root cause of your discomfort.  

In physiotherapy sessions, a thorough subjective and objective assessment is conducted to understand not only the symptoms, but also some of the underlying factors.  

Through skilled observation, questioning, and testing, physiotherapists use their knowledge and clinical judgement to get a clear picture of what’s causing the problem.  

Whether it’s muscle strain, joint dysfunction, or postural imbalance, this step is crucial in creating an effective treatment plan. 

Considering additional factors impacting your injury

Pain and injury rarely occur in isolation. Various lifestyle factors can influence both the development and healing of injuries.  

A good physiotherapist considers confounding factors such as sleep quality, stress levels, diet, and lifestyle choices when designing a recovery plan.  

Habits like training load, the type of exercise you do, and even your psychological beliefs about pain and injury can significantly impact your progress.  

Addressing these elements provides a holistic approach to healing and ensures better long-term outcomes. 

Manual therapy

Manual therapy techniques, such as dry needling, soft tissue mobilisations, and taping, are often used in the early stages of treatment to reduce intense symptoms and help alleviate discomfort.  

While manual therapy doesn’t necessarily speed up recovery, it plays a vital role in managing pain and creating a window of opportunity for early movement.  

Analysis: Videos, photos and discussions

Through the use of videos, photos, and discussions about your posture, form, and habitual movement, physiotherapists can highlight areas you may have overlooked. These visual tools help you see what you couldn’t notice on your own. With this deeper understanding, you’ll start to improve your overall body awareness, develop cues and prompt adjustments, which help to prevent further injury. 

Tailored treatment plans: Phases of recovery

A treatment and management plan will outline the phases of recovery, detailing when to progress or when to pull back based on how your body is responding.  

This prevents further injury while ensuring consistent progress. Your physiotherapist will monitor these stages closely, making adjustments to your exercises as needed.  

Your physiotherapist will discuss what should happen at each stage—whether it’s pain reduction in the first few weeks or improvements in strength and mobility over the course of a few months.  

Having this roadmap provides you with milestones and ensures you’re moving in the right direction, preventing frustration if progress is slower than anticipated. 

Collaborating with other health practitioners

In some cases, recovery requires a multidisciplinary approach.  

If needed, your physiotherapist can refer you to other specialists, physicians, occupational therapists, dieticians, psychologists, counsellors, etc. to help make your recovery even more comprehensive and personalised. A good physiotherapist will be able to flag when it may be appropriate for onward referral, meaning you do not fall behind.  

Whether you’re struggling with a sports injury, chronic pain, searching for post-operative rehab, or have an injury that seems to have just popped up out of nowhere; working with a physiotherapist can help you recover more optimally and with greater confidence.  

By addressing the root causes of your injury, considering all influencing factors, and creating a plan that adjusts with your progress, physiotherapy offers a clear path to recovery that will allow you to return to your favorite activities sooner. 

Click here to start your journey to becoming pain free. We have over 20 locations across Perth and Melbourne!