FAQs

Physiotherapy is a regulated health care profession primarily concerned with the remediation of impairments and disabilities and the promotion of mobility, functional ability, quality of life and movement potential through examination, evaluation, diagnosis and physical intervention. At ALPHA Health Services we work hard with YOU to achieve your functional goals and to help you lead an active life, achieve peak performance, and to encourage healthy ageing.

During your initial assessment, you will meet with a registered physiotherapist to discuss your concerns, health history, functional limitations, relevant Xrays/imaging. The physiotherapist will assess your strength, range of motion, ligament integrity, muscle tone and other physical components to accurately diagnose you and come up with a goal-oriented treatment plan.

For lower extremity problems, please wear shorts.

Females please wear a sports bra for upper extremity assessments.

Please bring any medical imaging and doctors notes you think may be applicable to the assessment.

• strengthening
• joint mobilizations
• ultrasound or other modalities
• balance or gait retraining
• decreasing muscle tone
• pain-relieving techniques
• education on lifestyle changes, home exercise programs, coping mechanisms
• gait aid training
• soft tissue work
• manual therapy

For Pelvic Floor treatment information- please visit the pelvic floor page.

Physiotherapy at ALPHA Health services is covered by extended health care plans. Check your plan to see how much is covered.

Recent budget cuts mean OHIP covers very little physiotherapy, has increased the time on waiting lists and few clinics have the license to provide physiotherapy under OHIP. ALPHA Health Services is not covered by OHIP.

You do not need a referral from your doctor prior to attending physiotherapy, as physiotherapists are considered primary health care providers. However, some insurance companies do require a referral from your doctor in order for you to be reimbursed for expenses.

Yes, you can receive physiotherapy at any clinic of your choosing. You should ensure that the person delivering your care is a physiotherapist registered with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. All ALPHA physiotherapists are registered to deliver services in Ontario.

At ALPHA Health Services, we offer boutique-style physiotherapy, without the added fee. All patients receive one-on-one care, with the right physiotherapist. We know that everyone is different, and so every one of our patients are treated as individuals – at ALPHA we treat the whole person, not just the injury. There is no double booking, assistants, or increased fees. We guarantee personalized physiotherapy, and the ability to communicate with your physiotherapist even without a scheduled appointment. We are proud of our approach, and see that it gets people better more effectively and efficiently. All physiotherapists at ALPHA are hand-picked, highly trained, and specialize in various conditions and injuries. We look forward to working with you, and getting you back to what you need, want, and love to do.

Tell me about you.

The foundation of any initial appointment with a physiotherapist, is a thorough patient interview, which allows your physiotherapist to learn more about you. It includes learning about your condition, your past medical history, contributing factors and understanding your needs and goals. This can be done in person, over the telephone or through video conferencing. In a tele rehab appointment, we will accomplish this through asking you questions, probing further into your injury/illness, and obtaining a complete medical history.

How do you move?

After we talk about you, what is preventing you from your activities of daily living, and understand what is limiting your ability to achieving full function, the next step involves careful observation of you and how you move. In person and video appointments are best for these situations as it allows your physiotherapist to guide you through different positions and movement patterns to gain the necessary information to provide a diagnosis and create a treatment plan. We will ask you to move, to put joints in certain positions, to get a good look at how your muscles move your body.

Make a plan

The final step involves creating a plan to help you manage your pain, return to function and start moving better. Regardless of whether you are having an in person or tele rehab appointment, your ALPHA Health Services Physiotherapist will ensure that you:

• Understand your condition and what you can do to manage pain and prevent or minimize flare-ups
• Have a clear plan that meets your goals and provides you with exercise videos and written instructions to accomplish these goals
• Follow up

Like any physiotherapy appointment, your physiotherapist will discuss with you the need for follow up. At ALPHA Health services, our goal is to give you as much information as we can for you to achieve results while not in clinic or with a physiotherapist. We are fully set up to deliver your home exercise program via online platforms which include videos, and tracking. Your physiotherapist will discuss the need for follow up tele rehab appointments. Your physiotherapist is also always available via email to answer any questions, concerns or follow ups, and will respond to any patient email within 24 hours during weekdays.

Tele Rehab appointments are well suited to:

• Education and discussion regarding pain management strategies, activity and lifestyle modification to address pain and prevent injury
• Creation or progression of existing exercise programs
• Screening of acute injuries to help you deal with new injuries in a timely manner and referral to other health care professionals to ensure you are seeing everyone you need to see to get better, quicker

Tele rehab appointments will rule out any serious underlying cause and any issues that need to be investigated, in the same way as a face to face appointment would. The virtual care appointments require the same high level of adherence to safety and professional standards as our in person appointments do. However, tele rehab appointments do have their limitations and there may be instances where your Physiotherapist will recommend you come in for a session so s/he can perform some additional hands on assessment to finalize the diagnosis, rule out serious pathology or provide hands on treatment (such as dry needling, soft tissue techniques and joint mobilization/manipulation) that when combined with your exercises, will help you get moving again.

ALPHA Health Services tele rehab Physiotherapy service can be delivered by telephone or using video call technology, in the same way you use Facetime or Skype. For a video call you can use any device that has a camera and is connected to the internet. You can use your mobile phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. When your appointment is booked, you will receive an email including a link- click on the link at your appointment time and your physiotherapist will meet you there!

Prior to your session, you will receive via email an appointment confirmation which includes a link for the session. You will also receive a tele rehab consent form to complete online.

We recommend that you find a quiet, private space to have your virtual care appointment as you may need to share personal information and perform movements.

Ensure you can set up your device in a location where your Physiotherapist will be able to see and hear you. Remember, you will be asked to perform movements, so having a hands free option is recommended. It is helpful to wear clothing that allows the injured body part to be exposed (e.g. shorts for a lower limb injury).

Check your set up before your first session, ensuring you have a good signal, internet connection and battery power.

As with any appointment, we do require 24 hours cancellation. This appointment has been reserved for you and as such, failure to provide 24 hours notice, may result in a cancellation fee.

If you would like to schedule a tele rehab appointment please email info@alphahealthservices.ca, or click here.

Tele rehab appointments are tax-free and qualify as Physiotherapy appointments. Most extended health providers will cover the cost of these appointments, if you are uncertain please check with your individual extended health insurance provider. Payment can be made by credit card, debit, or e-transfer.