How to Find the Best Physiotherapist for YOU in 5 Easy Steps!
Physiotherapists are movement experts. They can help you deal with nearly any injury or pain that you may be experiencing, help you recover from surgery, and more.
Unfortunately, finding a good physiotherapist can sometimes be difficult.
Try this quick challenge:
Open up Google Maps and search “physiotherapy.” How many results did you get within a 5-minute drive from your location? Two dozen? Three? Maybe even more?
In my area, I found over 40 different clinics!
There are SO many physiotherapists and physiotherapy clinics out there, that it can be a real nightmare trying to find one that fits your needs, goals, preferences, and personality.
However, I can assure you that finding your perfect physiotherapist is not as difficult as it seems. Just continue reading to find out how you can find the right physical therapist and physiotherapy clinic for you!
A while back, a friend was struggling with some wrist pain and wanted to go to physiotherapy. He asked, “How can I find a good physiotherapist?”
I shared the same tips that are in this article with him so he could find a great physiotherapist to help him.
Just this week, he sent a text message: “Wow. My physiotherapist is a genius! He figured out exactly what was wrong and started my treatment right away. I’m already feeling so much stronger and so much better than before!”
In this article, you’ll also learn how you can research and find the best physical therapist and physiotherapy clinic for you.
1. Pick the right type of physiotherapist for you
There are many different types of physiotherapists out there. Some examples include:
- Orthopedic physiotherapist
- Sports physiotherapist
- Vestibular physiotherapist
- Pelvic floor physiotherapist
- Pediatric physiotherapist
- Neuro physiotherapist
- Cardiorespiratory physiotherapist
As you can see, the options are endless. That’s why selecting the correct type of physiotherapist is essential.
Don’t fret, though! It’s a lot easier than you think. A quick Google search can help you find the physiotherapist you need.
For example, if you just had a concussion you can try searching “type of physiotherapist for concussion.” If you’re having issues with your incontinence or painful intercourse, you can try searching “type of physiotherapist for incontinence/painful intercourse .”
You can try searching for any issue you’re suffering from in a similar format as above to find out what kind of physiotherapist you need to be seeing!
2. Pick a physiotherapy clinic with excellent online reviews
Now that you know what type of physiotherapist you need, it’s time to pick a physiotherapy clinic that stands above the rest!
You can do this by looking up Google reviews of the physiotherapy clinics in your area that meet your needs as it was discussed previously.
You can use reviews to your advantage in several different ways to gather distinctly important pieces of information, such as:
- People’s general thoughts about the clinic
- The most popular physiotherapists working at that clinic
- Reasons why people have given a clinic negative reviews
Gauging people’s general thoughts about a physiotherapy clinic:
By looking at the overall rating of a physiotherapy clinic, you can get a good idea of how people feel about that clinic as a whole.
This means you’ll know how happy people are with many factors relating to the clinic, including:
- The physiotherapists at the clinic
- The administrative staff of the clinic
- The clinic’s prices
- The other professionals working at the clinic
- The cleanliness and organization of the clinic
Delve deeper into the specifics:
Using individual reviews, you can delve deeper into the specifics of the clinic as well. For instance, when a specific physical therapist is really good at a clinic, you’ll see their name appear in most of the reviews.
One patient, Rosanna D., presents a great example of this:
“Shout out to…PhysioPlus. I received exceptional holistic service. My physiotherapist understood recovery is more than physical, but requires an engagement with your client to understand the needs, barriers and offer hope. I came to understand many things I can do to experience a better quality of life, and she gave me many tools. I am very grateful, and hope others can follow her lead. Thank you!”
If you’re looking into something really specific about the clinic, you can even use the search function in the review section to search for what you’re looking for.
For example, if you’re wondering about how punctual the clinic is, you can search “punctual” or “on time.” If you’re wondering about the pricing, you can search “prices.” And if you’re wondering how friendly the staff are, just search “staff” or “receptionist.
Understand why some people have left negative reviews:
Even a clinic with a rating of 4.5/5 or higher will still have at least a couple of negative reviews weighing it down. As a potential client of theirs, it’s important that you understand why.
For this reason, it’s a good idea to look at some of the negative reviews (or filter to only show the negative reviews) to see the reason some people haven’t left a great review for the clinic.
You’ll often notice that although there is a fair share of honest and fair negative reviews, there are also negative reviews that are best left ignored.
It’s common that some bad reviews are based on things that are out of the clinic or physiotherapist’s control. For example, if there was a power outage at the clinic or the sidewalk leading to the clinic was left icy by city maintenance.
3. Pick a physiotherapy clinic with outstanding customer service and staff
Now that you’ve learned a little bit about the physiotherapist and clinic of your choice, it’s time to put them to the test!
The easiest and quickest test you can do is by simply calling the clinic to book your first appointment. You can learn a whole lot just by doing that.
Here are some things you can take note of as you speak to them:
- Did they greet you politely and enthusiastically?
- Were they welcoming and helpful as you tried to pick an appointment time?
- Were they willing to work with you and be accommodating to your needs?
- Were they thorough and detailed in the information they provided for you?
These are some very simple things that you’d be surprised some clinics are not able to get right!
Just check out how brightly these smiles shine through the masks!
As you continue visiting the clinic, continue to watch for friendly staff who greet you as you walk in or out and who are willing to be flexible and help you when you need it.
4. Make sure your physiotherapist actually spends time with you
You go to a physiotherapy clinic to see your physiotherapist… right? Right.
If you go to the clinic and your physical therapist leaves you on the laser device for the first 10 minutes, the TENS machine for the next 10 minutes, and then a heat pack for another 10 minutes, how much time do you actually spend with your physiotherapist?
You probably have about 5 minutes left with your physiotherapist to actually speak to them or do some exercises with them.
There are definitely times when you need some modalities to decrease your inflammation or pain so that you can actually do your exercises. However, you don’t want this to be taking up the majority of your appointment.
Another possible scenario is physiotherapists who assess once you and leave you with the physiotherapy assistant for weeks and weeks on end and only see you once a month.
Didn’t you come into the clinic looking for a physical therapist? Are you paying for physiotherapy or the physiotherapy assistant?
If your physiotherapist doesn’t see you, they won’t understand why you need their help and what they need to do to help you. That’s why it’s SO important that you genuinely spend quality time with your physiotherapist.
5. Make sure you trust and get along with your physiotherapist
Last, but certainly not least, it is absolutely imperative that you and your physical therapist are able to establish a meaningful therapeutic relationship.
It’s vital that your physiotherapist understands you as a whole, and not just the injury you’re presenting to them:
- Your personality
- Your needs (such as for work and daily life)
- Your goals (such as hobbies)
- Your treatment and exercise preferences
Let’s be honest, if your physiotherapist gives you an exercise you hate, you’re most likely not to do it.
If your goal is to return to tennis, but your physiotherapist gives you exercises that work best on basketball athletes, what’s the point?
It’s things like this that are important for your physiotherapist to understand about you so that they can provide you with the best and most personalized care possible.
Michelle DeMarchi, Physiotherapist and Osteopath, says:
“I love getting to know my patients. It’s so important that I understand their needs and what they want to get out of their physiotherapy treatment. Understanding their job, as well as the hobbies, activities or sports they want to get back to allow me to come up with a treatment plan that will help them reach their goals and get back to enjoying life.”
Finding the right physiotherapist for your needs is crucial!
As you’ve learned, there are several different factors that matter when it comes to choosing the right physiotherapist for YOU.
- Choose the right physiotherapy specialty for the specific problem that you’ve been facing
- Pick a physical therapy clinic that other people are happy with and with staff who care about you
- Find a physiotherapist who puts in the effort to know you and provide the best care possible that’s tailored to your needs
PhysioPlus Health Group has over 200 reviews, sitting at a 4.9 rating on Google and their patients couldn’t be any happier with their services. They treat a massive variety of conditions, including:
- Musculoskeletal problems
- Concussion
- Pelvic health disorders
- Bracing
- Sports physiotherapy
- Arthritis
- …and so much more!
If you’re dealing with any issues at the moment, you can use the 5 steps outlined in this post to get started!
Feel like you’re not yet ready to commit to physiotherapy? Try booking a FREE 20-minute consultation today to see how physiotherapy can help you!
This blog was written by Rostam Torki , a Physiotherapy student at University of Toronto.
FAQ
How high should a physiotherapy clinic’s Google review rating be?
There’s no real magic number for a clinic’s average Google review rating. However, a rating above 4.2 is generally ideal.
Nonetheless, as explained in this post, it’s extremely important that you read some actual Google reviews rather than rely solely on the average rating.
By reading some reviews, you’ll get a much better idea about the dynamics of the physiotherapy clinic, what people like and don’t like, and if these factors align with your needs.
Do good physiotherapists cost more money?
Yes and no. Just because a physiotherapist is charging a crazy amount of money doesn’t mean they are automatically an amazing physical therapist.
However, something to note is that some physiotherapists like to drop their prices significantly lower than the competition.
One reason they might do this is that they double or even triple book patients to be at the same time. Lower prices mean more patients, which also means it’s more feasible to book multiple patients at the same time.
This takes us back to point number 4 on this post – make sure your physiotherapist is actually spending time with you!
However, you might also find a physiotherapist who charges less than the competition but still checks all of the boxes outlined in this post. If this is the case, then all the power to you!