During the Covid-19 crisis, we are being advised to maintain social distancing and avoid unessential travel. While osteopathic treatment has typically included hands-on treatment, there are a lot of options that can help you manage your musculoskeletal pain and disability during this crisis.
What is Telehealth?
Telehealth is a service being offered by registered health practitioners during the coronavirus crisis. It allows you to contact a practitioner (such as a physiotherapist or osteopath) through video conferencing to discuss and treat your musculoskeletal pain and/or injury.
How Can I Help?
While I practice as a hands-on osteopath in Australia, I have an extensive background in exercise prescription and exercise rehabilitation, including a PGCertHS (Sports Medicine). I spent over a decade in New Zealand as a senior manager for a group of gyms. My role in NZ included overseeing all of the personal trainers (50+), delivering in-house training to our fitness instructors and personal trainers, as well as training my own clients. We also offered exercise rehabilitation services, which I both provided and oversaw.
As an osteopath with 15 years of experience, I regularly take a case history and assess musculoskeletal complaints, formulating a differential diagnosis and treatment plan.
My exercise prescription background, as well as my osteopathy experience, gives me a unique set of skills to help you manage your musculoskeletal pain and injuries during these unique circumstances.
Telehealth: Virtual Appointment
If you can’t access your usual practitioner directly, software like zoom allows you to contact someone like me, an osteopath through video conferencing.
The virtual session will include:
- History: A thorough history of the presenting complaint and any relevant medical history.
- An assessment: You may be asked to perform some movements to assess your pain and disability.
- Treatment*: While no hands-on treatment will occur, you will receive advice on exercise and self-management techniques that you can perform safely in your own home. These will be completed during the video conference to ensure understanding. You will also receive advice on ice/heat, activities to avoid, etc. You can then complete these activities in your own home at the frequency discussed to help reduce your pain and disability.
- Follow-up: If required, a follow-up session will be booked.
While the treatment may be quite different from your usual face to face experience, the advice will give you some tools and reassurance so that you can manage your musculoskeletal pain and/or injury from your own home.
*referral to your GP may be recommended if the history and /or assessment suggest that your complaint requires further medical intervention or scans.
This virtual service does not provide advice regarding Covid-19 or medical illness. If you have any doubts about your current pain, please contact your GP or hospital.