Physiotherapy is a healthcare specialty that’s focus is on the optimisation of movement and function as well as the management of pain. If your life or function is in any way limited by pain or you’re not performing in your activities or sports optimally then yes, physiotherapy may be for you.

Physiotherapists are the detectives of the pain world! An experienced, well qualified physiotherapist will have had years of formal training and very often varied hospital experience ranging from orthopedic care to intensive care and very often specialities such as sports medicine and neuro rehab. This broad experience makes them well placed to consider all causes of your possible condition.

Physiotherapists are trained to assess and make a structural diagnosis for your pain, help in ruling out or screening for serious medical conditions but also to then take an overview of all the factors that could be contributing; from biomechanics and specific soft tissue and joint abnormalities to lifestyle factors and even psychological stressors.

In many countries (such as the UK) physiotherapists are seen as specialists, many of whom are able to prescribe, conduct and refer for imaging studies, inject and list for surgery whilst always considering the more “conservative” options and root cause analysis that could best serve the patient. Physiotherapy in Singapore is rapidly progressing and, though the scope is currently not as wide, physiotherapists should at least be working with these options in mind.

This depends on the speciality of Physiotherapist you are looking for. At Integrative Physio we are musculoskeletal specialists. A musculoskeletal physiotherapists should be consulted when:

1) You are experiencing pain that is interrupting your quality of life. This can include limb/joint pain, headaches, and spinal pain. Other symptoms that may be appropriate for assessment are pins and needles, numbness, weakness and stiffness or reduced range of motion in a joint.

2) You have just had an injury that you need assessed and managed to return to activity or sport.

3) You have had a surgery that has impacted your ability to use a limb or the spine. This may include surgeries such as ACL reconstructions, rotator cuff or labral repairs and spinal decompression, to name a few.

4) You have concerns regarding your sports performance or readiness to engage in physical activity

5) You have been advised that you need surgery but would like to know if there are any less invasive options.

A good treatment depends on a thorough assessment. So treatment begins with assessment. The physiotherapist will take a detailed history, examine the region of pain and surrounding areas before proceeding often with a biomechanical and functional assessment. From this point treatment may consist of:

1) Education regarding movement, activities to avoid and techniques or considerations in your chosen activities or sports. Education should also consider lifestyle factors such as sleep, stress management and diet.

2) Manual therapy such as joint mobilisation, manipulation and soft tissue manipulation.

3) Dry needling (trigger point needling) to treat trigger points or soft tissue restrictions and sometimes initiate a healing response in tissues.

4) Electrotherapy such as shockwave therapy (ESWT).

5) Taping, bracing and semi-custom orthotics.

6) Exercise and movement re-education.

7) Most importantly a PLAN. Your physiotherapists should be able to give you a plan of action and how the following few weeks or months will pan out and also discuss options for management if the proposed plan doesn’t work as expected.

In short, some treatments are not all that comfortable but the pain is generally very short lived and is always within the tolerance of the individual. Any treatment that has the capability to cause pain is always discussed in detail first, explained and explicitly consented to. We will always do our best to balance a comfortable and positive experience with the treatment that is best for your outcome.

This really depends on your condition. We aim to get you better as quickly as possible and at the very least self manage as soon as you are able. Sometimes one appointment is all that is needed to re-assure you and make the changes required but most often somewhere between 3 - 8 sessions is sufficient.

If it is a lower limb issue then shorts and any footwear you use for sport are advisable. Otherwise just bring yourself, a copy of any investigations you think may be relevant and any referral letters that have been provided. There’s no need to come in sports gear, contrary to belief you are not with us to do an exercise session (most of the time that is).

Again this varies. Most new appointments are 45mins and follow up sessions are either 30mins or 45mins. If you would like to discuss more than one issue at your first appointment or believe that it is a particularly complicated condition you may request for one hour.

As soon as possible! Good acute management of injuries often prevents complications and a more difficult path to recovery. At the very least we can assess and advise on the need for further investigations.

Without a crystal ball this is difficult to answer. Many patients report feeling better after one session but this again depends on the reason for seeing us. If there is no improvement in your condition after 2-3 sessions we are generally looking to revise your treatment plan or refer you for further investigation.

Currently we do not accept direct billing but we do work with your insurance companies to facilitate your claims with, in general, great success. Payment can be made by cash, debit or credit card and PayNow.

We would recommend that you see a physiotherapist first. This ensures that a proper diagnosis can be made and your suitability for massage therapy can be assessed. It also allows the physiotherapist to converse with the massage therapist to recommend specific areas to work on or avoid.

If you have a specific question our admin team are happy to answer that by email, whatsapp or on the phone. Otherwise our physiotherapy can provide a telehealth appointment for 15mins to conduct a brief assessment of your suitability and give you some quick advice on management.

No, physiotherapists have ‘direct access’ so are able to see patients without a medical doctors referral. The only exception to this is if your insurance company requires a referral to make the claim.

Many of our patients re-claim their costs through health insurance, so yes we can assist in your claim. Currently though we do not provide direct billing services.