Elizabeth Manning Physiotherapy

Promed Medical Centre 26 Rissik Street Polokwane 0699 Tel: (015) 297-2911

Frequently Asked Questions

"We strive to provide a personal and caring service that is easily accessible in a friendly environment, ensuring your maximum recovery"

Index:

What is Physiotherapy?
What conditions do physiotherapists treat?
What is Dry Needling?
Will my medical aid cover the costs of physiotherapy?
Do I need a referral letter / referral from a doctor?

What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is a medical discipline that aims to improve a patient's maximum level of function and quality of life. Physiotherapists treat a wide variety of painful conditions of the musculo-skeletal system, Sports injuries, chest conditions, and neurological conditions. Physiotherapists offer a wide variety of services to patients in their treatment rooms, at hospitals, patient homes and on the sports field. Physiotherapists also give advice on assistive and adaptive devices such as crutches, splints, bracing and strapping.

What conditions do physiotherapists treat?

Musculo-Skeletal complaints:

All Sporting Injuries Headaches Sinusitis and sinus pain Jaw pain including "locking" and "Clicking" when chewing Neck Pain Shoulder and thoracic pain Backache Joint and muscle injuries Neurological Complaints: Traumatic Brain injuries Spinal Cord Injuries Stroke

Most neurological conditions are severe and affect the family as badly as they do the patient. Let us help you in this difficult time to restore your loved one to his/her maximum level of function. We do home visits for those who are not able to come to the practice at an additional fee and provide caregiver training on handling and exercising the neurological patient.

Chest conditions:

We treat any chest condition that causes a patient to produce excessive secretions that they cannot clear by themselves. We treat both adults and paediatric cases and are well equipped with the latest nebulisers (both ultrasonic and compressor) and suction units. Some of the conditions treated include:

• Bronchopneumonia
• Pneumonia
• Bronchectasis
• Emphysema and COPD
• Asthma
  

Orthopaedics, Trauma and post-surgical care:

We provide care after your operation, ensuring you become mobile as soon as is medically possible. Your care will include breathing exercises to maximise lung volumes, exercising and mobilizing of stiff (operated) limbs and joints and ambulation.
Often after an orthopaedic operation or a fracture, you are left weak and unable to do things that you could do in the past. Your physiotherapist will design a custom rehabilitation programme to ensure you return to the maximum level of function that your injury will allow.
While in I.C.U physiotherapists assist the unconscious patient by clearing secretions with chest physiotherapy and keep all the joints, muscles and tendons healthy by moving the patient. Once the patient recoveres, a physiotherapist will help him breathe without a ventilator, regain strength to roll, sit and walk and eventually return home.

Sports Injuries:

A sportsperson often suffers injuries such as muscle strains or tears, ligament sprains amd joint dislocations and will often undergo a surgical repair of an injured area. Physiotherapists assist the recovery time of sportspeople by speeding up muscle healing with manual therapy, corrective exercises and rehabilitation. Joint surgical repairs and joint injuries are restored by means of joint mobilisations, manual therapy and rehabilitation. We will design a sports-specific rehabilitation programme, taking into account your unique sporting needs, to ensure you return to sport as soon as possible. One you are pain-free with full normal movement, we will refer you to a biokineticist for maximal recovery.

What is dry needling?

Dry needling is a successful medical treatment,during which very thin needles are used, without any medication (that's why we call it a dry needle), to treat pain and to help the body to heal stubborn spasms associated with myofascial trigger points. It is not at all the same as acupuncture and is a purely "western" medicine technique. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese treatment which does not need a medical diagnosis, and uses a patient's energy to cause healing effects. Dry needling, on the other hand, requires a medical diagnosis before treatment and carries no spiritual "baggage". There are a few side effects associated with dry needling performed by a trained professional. These may include bruising around the needle site (the same as would happen with a regular injection), feelings of happiness, tearfulness, sweaty or cold sensations. Patients recieving treatment over the shoulder, lower neck or chest area have an additional risk of a needle puncturing a lung. If the lung is punctured you may develop a pneumothorax, this is a rare but serious complication, and you should go directly to the hospital casualty department without panicking if it occurs. The symptoms include shortness of breath, a blue tinge to the fingers and lips, shortness of breath that becomes worse and an inability to "catch your breath". The treatment for a pneumothorax is very successful. Our physiotherapists have both completed their dry needling modules 1-3 encompassing the entire body and are fully qualified and competent in the use of dry needling. For more information please visit the Optimal Dry Needling Website

Will my medical aid cover the costs of physiotherapy?

Each medical aid scheme is unique, it is up to the member of each insurance scheme to know their benefits. Generally, physiotherapy is covered 100% for patients who are hospitalised excluding, unfortunatly, GEMS who have a pre-authorisation system for hospital treatment. Patients who come and see us in the rooms need to know if their insurance will pay. Many medical aids have a separate benefit for physiotherapy and others use the same funds that you would use to see your doctor to pay for a visit to a physiotherapist. Once these funds are exhausted, the member will be liable for the cost of the treatment. For more information please see our section on rates and appointments! Please note that we will endeavour to claim for the treatment on your behalf but if your medical aid does not pay for any reason, you, the patient, will always remain liable for your account!

Do I need a referral letter / a Doctors referral?

NO! According to the HPCSA, physiotherapists are considered first-line practitioners. This means that a patient may come directly to a physiotherapist who will then assess them and provide an appropriate treatment plan. If the injury or illness is beyond the skill of the physiotherapists, they will refer you to the appropriate medical professional for continued care. Some medical insurance schemes, in an attempt to stop abuse of the funds, do require a patient to come with a referral letter to ensure payment. This practice is against the ruling of the HPCSA but many medical aids still hold their members hostage to this rule. Once again, it is up to the Medical aid member to know the rules of their scheme!