How does Online Physio work at treatmyachilles.com?
Updated: 3 days ago
Have you ever wondered how Online Physio can work for you and your Achilles pain? In this article, I explain how it works, why it’s a great option for a physiotherapy appointment, and what you can expect. Remember, if you need help with an Achilles injury, you're welcome to consult one of our team via video call.
The terms tendinitis, tendonitis, tendinosis, and tendinopathy mean the same thing for all practical purposes, and we use these interchangeably in most of our articles.
In this article:
Online physio appointments allow you to contact us from anywhere you have Internet access, for example, while on holiday somewhere remote, at work, or in the comfort of your home. There are no transport or parking issues and no leafing through old magazines in waiting rooms!
How does online physio work? Don’t you have to touch me?
Physiotherapy is incorrectly seen as being mainly massage therapy. Massage can be useful for short-term pain relief (if it is done correctly), but it will not fix your Achilles injury.
The most up-to-date, evidence-based treatment for Achilles injuries is a combination of load management and exercises to help your tendon regain its lost strength. You can read more about this in the Achilles Tendonitis Treatment section of our website. We also treat post-op Achilles patients and patients who have ruptured their Achilles tendons using the same approach.
We can provide this treatment effectively over a video call, and this is how we do it:
1. We get to understand the history of your problem, exactly as we would do in a clinic, by asking you questions.
2. Following that, we ask you to do a series of tests and movements, and we watch you doing them on-screen. These tests and movements are exactly the same as we use in a clinic room.
3. To be able to see all of the areas of your body that we need to assess, we may ask you to move your camera/phone/computer around. It is best to be in a room with little or no interruptions, like it would be in a clinic environment, and you will need enough space to sit, stand, and lie down.
4. During the appointment, we demonstrate the exercises you should do as part of your rehab programme. You will have a turn to do them on-screen so that we can check that you're doing them correctly.
5. After the appointment, you will receive a report on your problem and what we have discussed during the assessment. This will include a personalised exercise programme with pictures and/or videos and a training/activity plan for the forthcoming week(s).
What you'll need
A phone, computer (with webcam), tablet, or similar for the video call.
Space to lie, sit, and stand.
Comfortable, loose clothing.
Preferable but not a necessity
A portable chair, e.g. a dining or desk chair.
A blank piece of paper and a pen.
A small amount of wall space.
Your body is designed to heal itself, including Achilles injuries. Online physio lends itself perfectly to treating this painful condition as we help you to help your body do just that with expert advice and a tailor-made exercise prescription.
How we can help
Need help with your Achilles injury? You’re welcome to consult one of the team at TMA online via video call for an assessment of your injury and a tailored treatment plan.
We're all UK Chartered Physiotherapists with Master’s Degrees related to Sports & Exercise Medicine. But at Treat My Achilles we don't just value qualifications; all of us also have a wealth of experience working with athletes across a broad variety of sports, ranging from recreationally active people to professional athletes. You can meet the team here.
About the Author:
Alison Gould is a chartered physiotherapist and holds an MSc in Sports and Exercise Medicine. You can follow her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.