Group Physiotherapy Programs – 5 Reasons this is the Effective Form of Recovery of the Future

It is a well-known fact that exercise is an important component for injury or post-surgical recovery. Unfortunately, we tend to make it difficult on ourselves to follow through on exercise. Group exercise, especially when done in a therapeutic setting, can help make regular movement and exercise a more achievable goal. Group Physiotherapy programs are taking this idea a step further, by grouping class for particular conditions or injuries.

5 Reasons that Group Physiotherapy is the approach of the future

Removes Barries & Increases Accountability
Social Interactions
Motivation
The Eyes and Experience of Professionals is with you
Cost Effectiveness

Removes Barriers & Increases Accountability

It’s very common and easy to convince ourselves out of doing exercise. Many people lack the motivation or discipline to keep up a routine consistently. Others find it difficult to fit exercise into their busy schedules, especially with work and family obligations often taking priority. Another common barrier is the lack of knowledge in putting together an exercise routine or finding it too boring to want to continue.

The advantage of group physiotherapy classes is that these sessions are scheduled ahead of time, often same day of the week and time consistently over several weeks or months. This is often the major benefit, because it’s just a matter of putting it into your calendar and the rest of the day can be scheduled around this. At the same time, participants can just follow along with the class, there’s no need to think about putting together a bunch of exercises and whether or not they will be beneficial for you or even the right thing to do considering the condition you are dealing with.

Social Interactions

It is very common for individuals to feel isolated when they are dealing with pain or an injury. It can be difficult to leave the house and can seem like a big hassle that isn’t worth the trouble, especially with limited mobility or pain. This often leads us down the path of depression and further isolation. Participating a group physiotherapy program will surround you with people who have the same or similar injuries, not only are you connecting because of shared experience, but you will also be able to learn from others, such as what works well or doesn’t. This helps expand your social support system and can be hugely beneficial for the mental health aspect of injury recovery.

Motivation

Not only will you be well surrounded by others who are living similar experiences as you, but you will also be supported to succeed along side them. Seeing others accomplish things that they weren’t able to before hand is motivating and we are inclined to put our best efforts forward to match them. This may even be the beginning of a back and forth competition, but since these programs are under the supervision of trained professionals to oversee safety, it creates an atmosphere of fun and motivating.

The Eyes and Experience of Professionals is With You

Group physiotherapy classes are done in a small setting, generally with anywhere between 6 to 10 participants. Our team of physiotherapists and rehab assistants tailor the class program to include the most beneficial and relevant exercises for the specific group. These exercises can often be tailored to our abilities or restrictions.

The rehab team also provides supervision at all times to ensure each participant is using proper form and technique. This not only helps to minimize the risk of injuries but it also helps to optimize proper movement patterns and muscle recruitment. Having an expert available to ensure that we are doing the right movements is great piece of mind.

Cost Effectiveness

As mentioned above, group physiotherapy classes are overseen/supervised by a combination of Registered Physiotherapists and Rehabilitation Assistants instead of a Fitness Instructor; that is a major reason why these sessions are often covered by private extended health benefits, as it’s no different than one-on-one physiotherapy care. Since there are multiple people doing the class and program at the same time, this will cost you significantly less than seeing a Physiotherapist for a one-on-one session. Your health care dollars will last you longer.

A 2015 study from Toronto highlighted the benefits that group physiotherapy provided to patients following knee replacement surgery. The results of the study indicated that people completing a group physiotherapy program after knee replacement surgery had clinically and statistically significant improvements in mobility and function, all the while having similar satisfaction levels as patients who received one-on-one physiotherapy. The benefits of group physiotherapy are not only applicable to individuals following surgery, but anyone recovering from an injury can achieve these as well.

Have you ever tried a group exercise class? What was your experience like? What kind of classes do you think would be beneficial?

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Jason Bellefleur

Jason Bellefleur is a multi-award-winning physiotherapist. Most recently, he was recognized as a 2016 Ottawa Forty Under 40 recipient and received numerous awards from the Orléans Chamber of Commerce (the 2011 Young Business Person of the Year, the 2012 Healthcare Professional of the Year and the 2014 Business Person of the Year awards). Jason is proud to be an Orléans resident and to raise his family in a bilingual community. He enthusiastically promotes local business within the Orléans area and frequently supports and participates in local events. Jason was recognized for his community involvement by receiving the Orleans 150 Community Builder award in 2017 by Ottawa-Orléans MPP Marie-France Lalonde. Jason firmly believes in high-quality one-on-one physiotherapy interventions. His treatment approach emphasizes hands-on intervention, continued client education, and active involvement by the individual to help them reach their full potential. By opening a clinic that offers 'Higher Standards of Care,' Jason wants his patients to feel confident that they receive the highest level of patient care available. As a result, he is also preventing injury and helping to improve their health and well-being.