Frequently Asked Questions

No, is the short answer. Physiotherapists like to work closely with your physicians, but a referral from your family doctor is not necessary. The longer answer is that some third parties; such as extended health insurance companies, ICBC and WCB may require a referral before they will fund or provide reimbursement for your treatments.

Intramuscular Stimulation or IMS is a treatment using acupuncture needles to release muscles which have become contracted and shortened due to an injury. IMS can be an effective treatment for chronic pain and soft tissue pain where there may be no outward evidence of damage or inflammation. We only use sterile, prepackaged, single use, disposable acupuncture needles. IMS appointments are generally made on a weekly basis.

That’s a good question and one that is more complicated than it first appears. Heat and cold both have very similar physiological effects; both will increase circulation to the area they are applied to as the body attempts to maintain normal temperature. The difference is that cold will slow the chemical reaction that produces inflammation, while heat will speed it up. Therefore, if you are in an active inflammatory phase ie; within 72 hours after your injury, you should put ice on the injury. The take home message: put ice on fresh injuries and heat on injuries no longer producing inflammation. If you call our clinic and speak to a physiotherapist we should be able to advise you regarding the application of heat or cold.

This is another good question. Recent studies have raised doubts about the benefits of stretching prior to activity. There is even some data suggesting pre-event stretching results in a greater number of injuries. Yet it makes sense that the connective tissue will be less prone to injury if they are flexible enough to allow full movement. So what should you do? Warm up prior to stretching. One the connective tissue is warm you are less likely to sustain an injury and your stretching will be more effective. The physios at Olympic Physiotherapy can provide you with the appropriate stretches specific to your activity.

Appointments will last 45 minutes to 1 hour.  For your first visit it is helpful to arrive a few minutes early to fill out the initial paperwork.