Managing your physical health during COVID-19

As the physical distancing measures are becoming the new normal, we are here to help you navigate this time with regards to your physical health.

The emphasis from government and health departments to avoid any unnecessary interaction and contact to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is an incredibly important message in order for our health system to manage. With these measures in place, we hope to avoid the unfortunate situation that Italy, Spain, USA and numerous other countries have been faced with and continue to experience.

Making it work

As part of this shift to reduce person-to-person contact, we have adopted online video physiotherapy consultations in addition to the services we continue to offer in the clinic.  This allows us to assess, educate and guide you with treatment to keep you fit and strong from the comfort of your own home.

Although in these online video consultations we are limited with our assessment techniques and hands on treatment, we can still gather the important information about your concern or issue. This information will help us educate you on how to manage and self-treat your area of concern. We can also talk you through specific tests that help to determine exactly what form of treatment is best. We can still be thorough in these consultations however, the assessment and education process is slightly slower than what we can do in-rooms.

Our recommendation

Our recommendation during this time is to avoid letting a minor issue become a bigger problem before seeking advice. With some aches, our bodies are able to adjust and the issue resolves naturally. However, there are many issues where your body adapts in a problematic way making the initial complaint more significant and complex. This reduces the likelihood that your issue can be easily corrected via an online video consultation and is then more likely to require hands on treatment, or possibly a greater use of pain relieving medication or other drugs and interventions.

Our best advice in this period is to:

1. Get professional advice early: The quicker you identify a problem and get assistance to eliminate its cause, the less chance you will need an intervention with hands on treatment.
2. Ensure the exercises you are doing are appropriate for your body and your level of strength: Having a guided plan in how you tackle your new form of exercise is the best way to avoid injuries.
3. Avoid total hibernation: Try and keep your body active and moving. This is especially important for those who are working from a less than ideal workspace and/or have stopped walking and moving as part of their daily routine.

Can I use my private health insurance?

From 14th April 2020, most private health insurers are giving rebates for Telehealth sessions as they would for normal physio sessions. The process of claiming may differ between private health funds, so please contact your fund to find out more.

If you would like more information about the online video services, you can find out more on our website.

Please click here for more information on our video based physiotherapy consultations. https://malvernphysio.com.au/services/telephysio/

If you would like any more information, or to book an appointment, please contact our friendly reception staff by calling 9078 8434 or book online by using this link. https://malvernphysio.janeapp.com/#/physiotherapy-telehealth-video-based-assessment-management

Published April 30, 2020