When you or a loved one is recovering from a pain or injury and seeking to regain mobility to live life normally, the last thing you’ll need to worry about is if your physiotherapist is properly accredited or trained to help with your unique circumstances. Every country around the world has certain common standards that physiotherapists must adhere to and specific qualifications to be eligible to practice.
There are, of course, other more unique concerns to beyond qualifications alone consider before selecting your physiotherapist such as how well you get along with them and more. Nothing however beats a personal meeting with a physiotherapist, ideally at their practice before you commence on a treatment programme for you or your loved one.
After all, you may be seeing them on a regular basis for weeks or months to come and it’s best to know that they’re the most suited for your exact circumstances.
To help you out, here’s a checklist of what you ought to be looking for if you are looking for a physiotherapist in Malaysia and what to look out for on that initial meeting.
#1 What qualifications does your physiotherapist have?
While the criteria to qualify as a practicing physiotherapist varies from country to country, practitioners in Malaysia require, at the minimum, a diploma in physiotherapy. In other countries such as the United States, aspiring practitioners need to have a postgraduate degree in physiotherapy to qualify.
Something to note is that The Allied Health Profession 2016 Act (Act 774) by the Malaysia Ministry of Health may be enforced next year which will regulate the practice of allied health professionals such as physiotherapists in Malaysia. While registration under the act is not yet mandatory, it can be seen to act as a future indicator as to the credibility of a physiotherapist’s practice in Malaysia and may also possibly impact on any insurance or healthcare claims.
After graduating, many physiotherapists may further their studies and specialise in an additional area of expertise such as sports or musculoskeletal physiotherapy, neurological rehabilitation or geriatric-related treatments and more. On top of qualifications, you should also inquire what sort of field experience that your practitioner has and how it would benefit your treatment programme as a physiotherapist with both the relevant experience, specialisation and qualifications would be able to offer better treatment outcomes.
#2 Are there adequate facilities and accessibility at your physiotherapist’s practice?
It is a fair request that upon your initial consultation at a physiotherapist practice that you be given a tour of the facilities. This is where you need to ask the physiotherapist and assess for yourself if they have the necessary equipment and facilities to treat you or your loved ones condition and help them on the road to recovery. While experience and personability is one thing, the quality and availability of the rehabilitative equipment available at a practice are equally critical factors to consider.
Another important factor to consider is how accessible the practice is. If it’s located somewhere far away that needs you to drive long hours or is not disabled friendly without a built-in elevator or wheelchair ramp access as well as easy parking, you may need to reconsider your options.
#3 Do you get along with your physiotherapist?
While you can’t choose your family nor can you pick who your colleagues are (mostly) in your workplace, you can however choose who will guide you or your loved ones on the path to recovery. Given two physiotherapists of equal caliber and experience, you will naturally derive better results from the one that you have better rapport with.
Another factor to assess is if your physiotherapist is able to communicate effectively with you or your loved one in a way they feel comfortable with. Having one conversant with local dialects that, perhaps you or your parents are familiar with makes treatment sessions a much smoother and more pleasant affair. Your initial consultation at a physiotherapist is where you get to ascertain if your potential physiotherapist and you essentially, for lack of a better word, get along.
#4 Assess availability for treatment When you are quite literally in a world of pain, it’s not exactly the most encouraging thing to hear that you have to go on a waiting list before your physiotherapist can get to treat you, especially in an urgent situation or if you or your loved one’s treatment profile requires a lot of personalised attention.
You’ll need have to have a frank discussion with your physiotherapist on their availability for urgent situations should they arise or for personalised treatment plans rather than being handed a generic sheet of instructions to follow and cookie cutter treatment plans.
At Pau Physiotherapy, patients can rely on a world-class team of professionally accredited and overseas trained physiotherapists who have had years of experience treating some of Asia’s best sports teams at some of the most prestigious sports events in the world like the SEA Games, the ASEAN Para games and the Audi World Cup Speed Skating.
Pau Physiotherapy is also one of the few centres in Malaysia with a resident practitioners that each holds a Masters specialisation in Sports Physiotherapy and Neurological Rehabilitation. The practice also has the ability to offer cardiac rehabilitation therapy in line with world-class practices along with a real time electrocardiogram (ECG) known as portable telemetry to allow physiotherapists onsite to monitor the patient’s heart while they are exercising and being treated at the centre. Pau Physiotherapy is strategically located at Desa Sri Hartamas and is easily accessible via Grab along with easy parking. The clinic has also been designed for ease of access with a built-in lift from the ground floor and basement parking levels for less mobile patients in wheelchairs. Bookings are absolutely easy and can be done online at their official website at ww.pauphysio.com. For inquiries, please drop by www.pauphysio.com or the official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Pauphysio