Ottawa Health: Experience the Best Chiropractic Rehab after an MVA

Our vision for Ottawa Health: Performance and Rehabilitation is to become leaders in the delivery of healthcare services by bridging the gap between physical therapy and conventional medicine. We are a team of devoted professionals who promote research-based treatments for patients of all ages. We follow the latest guidelines and incorporate cutting-edge technology typically found in elite-level facilities.

By Dr. Richar Raigoza

A considerable part of our practice revolves around chronic pain, which refers to any injury or discomfort that lasts for more than three months. Regrettably, some patients find themselves in this situation because they have received inadequate advice that reinforces behaviors leading to more pain. We acknowledge that dealing with an injury, be it from sports, work, or a car accident, can be overwhelming and stressful.

Selecting the right facility is crucial for attaining a speedy and cost-effective recovery. To help you make the best choice, here are some recommendations to consider when choosing a rehabilitation facility.

Undivided attention to each patient

We often hear from our patients who had poor experiences with certain facilities that their assigned therapist was only present for a small part of the session. In these cases, facilities rely heavily on assistants to provide treatments, which unfortunately compromises the quality of therapy. We believe that skilled therapists should be with you throughout the entire session.

An essential aspect of effective therapy is continuous assessment, documentation, and adaptation of treatments based on the patient’s response. When different individuals participate in each treatment session, it leads to the formation of multiple opinions, weakens therapeutic relationships, and often results in poor outcomes. To ensure the best possible treatment experience and outcome, we prioritize having the therapist actively involved in your care from start to finish.

Dependence on passive treatment

A passive treatment is one where the patient has very little involvement. These usually involve the patient lying or sitting while a therapist provides therapy which may include manual release, manipulation, laser, ultrasound, etc. Although passive therapy is helpful under certain circumstances, including exercises and active-based treatments helps create independence and reinforces the improvements obtained from the passive treatments.

Active treatments may include the prescription of exercises to be done at home or in the clinic. The combination of passive and active treatments creates a sense of accountability where the active therapy reinforces the passive therapy and helps patients take control of their injury. We always support and encourage facilities to empower patients to become independent by educating them on the problem, rather than believing that only passive therapy will fix them.

Repetitive treatments without noticeable success

One of my favorite quotes is “insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.” This applies to many things in life, including physical therapy. A good therapist will constantly be reassessing and reviewing their recommendations with you depending on your response. This is another reason why our first recommendation is to avoid clinics where the lead therapist sees multiple people at once. You will certainly be more likely to find repetitive treatments when your therapist is attending 3 or more people at the same time.

Education is the key to success

When your attending practitioner takes the time to explain your situation to you in a way that is easily understood and applicable to you, it shows they care about your success not just at the moment but also for the future. One of the reasons pain becomes chronic is due to poor understanding of aggravating and relieving factors. Once you understand the mechanisms of injury, you can easily avoid these provoking activities or movements until you’ve fully recovered. A well-rounded treatment plan must include education!