What happens when I book an appointment?

You will be booked for 40 minutes with the physiotherapist at your first appointment for a new injury.  You will be asked to arrive 10-20 minutes early to complete our medical information paperwork, after which your therapist will assess and treat your injury.  Subsequent treatments may include time booked with the lasers and/or in the rehab area with our fitness trainer. 

Your therapist will answer your questions about the nature of your injury, healing time, what type of and number of treatments likely to be needed, and how to modify your daily activities to avoid further injury.

Wear clothing that is loose and comfortable.

Wear or bring shoes that will let you walk or exercise comfortably. 

You do not need a referral from a physician to see a physiotherapist.  Usually.  For reimbursement of treatment fees, some insurance plans require a referral.  More information is available in Direct Access to Physiotherapy Care

What areas of the body can physiotherapists treat?

Almost anything that contains muscle, bone, ligament, tendon or cartilage  This includes toes and fingers, ankles, elbows and knees, all the spinal muscles and joints, hips, neck and jaw, shoulders, and arms.  More details are available under the 'Explore' title on the top left side of this page

How long should I wait after orthopedic surgery before starting rehab treatment?

You’ll need to ask your surgeon this question.  Each surgery has a different recuperation time, and your surgeon should have a list of recommendations for time frames and level of activity.  Physiotherapy can be recommended within 2-3 days of surgery, or up to eight weeks later.  See the details of your surgery in the articles listed under the 'Explore' title on the top left side of this page in the Injuries and Conditions menu item.  If you don't see your surgery listed, please send us an email, and we will send you the information we have available (and update the site).

I hurt myself at work.  What should I do now?

• Get your workplace injury/incident paperwork completed, and ask your supervisor to fax it to WorkSafeBC.
• See your physician for a referral and WSBC injury report (Form 8).
• Phone 1-888-967-5377 (option 2) to get a claim number.
• Book your first appointment:  * You must have a claim number to book with all clinics that provide physiotherapy services for WSBC.
  Check their website for an updated list of physiotherapy providers in your area:  Go to:  WorkSafeBC.com    then select  'Health Care Providers', 'Physiotherapists',  'Provider Lists'.

I was just in a car accident and feel a bit sore.  Should I make an appointment?

Up to you.  Make sure you’ve been checked out by a physician first (your family physician or the hospital emergency department).  In most cases, therapists can help ease discomfort and give the healing process a ‘boost’ using ‘modalities’.  This can prevent a small injury from becoming a chronic problem.  Your therapist can also give you information about modifying your home and work activities in ways that will allow your injury to heal quickly.  Depending on the level of pain, swelling etc., your active rehabilitation (exercise and stretching) may start immediately, or two to three weeks after the accident.  Your therapist will evaluate your injury and give you her/his recommendation.

I am a .... runner, cyclist, sports-team member, swimmer, tennis player, golfer, kayaker, dancer, horseback rider, walker, quilter, carver, painter, musician, gardener, … and have a sore body part that gets worse during my chosen activity.  What should I do?

For most injuries, start with the RICE formula:  Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.  Remember that chronic pain is NOT gain – it just hurts more and more and more...  Get assessed by a physiotherapist to find the source of your problem, and find ways to change the mechanics of the motion.  Then DO THE EXERCISES and stretches needed to prevent future injuries! 

Also, see the information available under the 'Explore' title on the top left side of this page.

Why do you ask so many questions on the medical information form?

There are many diseases and conditions that will affect the treatment your therapist chooses.  Pain can be ‘referred’ from one part of the body to another;  one example is that gallbladder pain will sometimes seem like right shoulder pain.  Also, your therapist will be looking for anything that doesn’t ‘fit’ with a musculoskeletal problem.  If in any doubt, he/she will send you back to the doctor for further testing.

If you wish, you can download our intake forms, print them and bring them to your first appointment.  Let the receptionist know that you are bringing the paperwork with you.  Please email or phone us with any questions you may have.

How is my treatment paid for?

In most cases, you will pay for the cost of physiotherapy treatment.  Exceptions are:

-   If your injury is the result of a workplace injury, WorkSafe BC will pay for your first visit IF: 

-   you and your employer fill out all of the required paperwork

-   you have been to your physician and they have completed the necessary report

-   you have gotten a claim number

-   your date of injury is within 60 days of the appointment

-    If your injury is the result of a motor vehicle accident, ICBC will pay a portion of your visit fees when your claim is accepted.

-   Health Insurance BC provides very limited coverage for physiotherapy.  Only persons who are in the ‘premium assistance’ program have any coverage for physiotherapy, and this is limited to a total of 10 visits per year with any of:  podiatrist, chiropractor, massage therapist, physiotherapist, naturopath …etc.  You can find HIBC on the web at:  www.hibc.gov.bc.ca.  If you have had a change in your income from the previous year and believe that you are eligible for premium assistance, please contact HIBC at 1-800-663-7100 to have your situation reviewed.

-    We are not currently able to bill directly to other third-party health insurers (e.g., Blue Cross, Sun Life, etc.), and will provide you with receipts containing the registration number and credentials of your physiotherapist.  Note that your employer plan may require that insurers obtain a referral from your physician, for your treatments to be eligible. We recommend that you contact your health insurer directly to determine what information they require for reimbursement of treatment expenses.

Can a physiotherapist do an ‘adjustment’ on my back?

Well – sort of.  Physiotherapists use a different system to mobilize joints.  After assessing the muscles, tendons and ligaments around the joint, your therapist will use the necessary amount of force and movement to restore normal movement to that joint.  Mobilizations are graded on a scale from 1 (very gentle and small movement) to 5 (high-velocity, high-amplitude movement).  The grade 5 mobilization is what most people think of as an ‘adjustment’.

I hurt my back last week.  How long should I wait before seeing a physiotherapist?

That depends on several factors.  If this is the first time you’ve experienced back pain, and the pain is not extreme, try waiting for a week or so to see if the problem resolves itself.  If the pain is severe (or unbearable), and is the result of a specific incident, we recommend that you see your physician first for assessment, in case there is a fracture, or a disk injury.
If you have a chronic back problem, sooner is probably better than later;  because as time goes on, the muscles and joints can get ‘locked’ into spasms that are painful and take more time to resolve. 

In all cases, consider seeing a physiotherapist at some point for an assessment of muscle strength, tightness, and balance.  He or she will be able to recommend strengthening and stretching exercises that will help prevent further injury.  Your therapist will also review your activities at work and at home, and suggest ways to modify your posture while working and playing.

You can find more details on back injuries and surgeries under the 'Explore' title on the top left side of this page.

Will a physiotherapist do an ‘adjustment’ on my neck?

Not at this clinic.  Due to the (admittedly remote) possibility of stroke resulting from a vertebral artery tear, therapists at Sooke Evergreen Physiotherapy will not use a grade 5 mobilization in the cervical (neck) area.  Gentle mobilization, stretching, exercise and postural changes are effective in treating most neck pain.  Your therapist may also recommend acupuncture or laser treatment.

If there was no cracking sound, does that mean the mobilization didn’t work?

No.  The sounds made by the joints are somewhat random;  you may or may not hear popping during any of the grades of mobilizations.  The sound is produced by a process called ‘cavitation’ and is not well understood.  Your therapist will be able to tell if the joint responded and is now moving within a normal range of motion.

Will the laser burn me?

No.  The light produced by the Bioflex lasers is 'low energy', and can't cause burns.  Surgical lasers are the ones that are used for cutting and ‘ablation’, and operate at a much higher energy and intensity. 

However, even low energy laser light can injure the eyes, so we use the recommended eye protection at all times.