During the extended periods most of us were stuck at home during the recent COVID pandemic, healthcare providers had to come up with a way to provide healthcare to their patients without being able to see them one on one. Thus, telehealth use became much more widespread.
Remote telehealth is utilising the technology developed during that time to provide specialised healthcare to people that may not have access to it locally. In the case of us at Move Clinic, that means climbing injuries. If there is nobody in your local area that has an interest in climbing injuries, you may not receive a nuanced understanding of your injury and be provided with the appropriate steps it takes to get back to the crag or the gym.
What does remote telehealth look like?
In the lead up to your appointment you’ll be guided to prepare any relevant imaging or medical documentation. We hold the video conference on our system, Cliniko, in a private room where any information you share with us is confidential.
During a remote telehealth assessment your physio will conduct a comprehensive video assessment, taking into consideration the mechanism of injury, where the symptoms are and how they are reproduced, your movement patterns, any medical imaging and doctors reports, and your current goals. With all of this information gathered your physio can help you develop a personalised treatment plan including exercises to promote healing, any tissue offloading strategies required and ongoing monitoring recommendations. If further imaging is needed they can help you coordinate with local healthcare providers to organise it.
Why is remote telehealth effective?
A big portion of effective physiotherapy management is in both setting meaningful goals and learning about more about your injury or condition and how to improve it. Sure, manual therapies like massage, dry needling or joint mobilisations can give you a couple of days of relief, but generally speaking they’re no replacement for following a personalised rehabilitation plan. A physiotherapist who’s field of interest is in your sport or hobby is going to be much better at appreciating the nuances of your condition and will be much better equipped to work with you on that personalised plan.
The benefit of reaching out to us for climbing physiotherapy via remote telehealth is we speak your language. If you come in saying you tweaked your ring finger when you were reefing on a quarter pad full crimp and your foot popped, or felt a twang in the back of your thigh while you were hand heel matching, the sentence actually makes sense. We also understand the biomechanics behind those words, how to assess the injury and what it takes to get back on the wall. Lastly, it means we understand how meaningful climbing is to you and want to keep you on the wall as much as possible.
Takeaways
- Remote telehealth is utilising the recent advances in video conference technology to help you access health professionals where you may not have one locally.
- A remote telehealth appointment still has the key features of a standard physiotherapy appointment: a thorough assessment, goal setting and a personalised treatment plan based on your clinical presentation.
- The major benefit of seeking out a physiotherapist with a special interest in your sport is it takes more of the guesswork out of treatment. They understand the mechanism of injury, the biomechanics of the injured tissue, and the steps it takes to get back to your sport and beyond.
If you want more info on climbing specific remote telehealth, click here.