• Treatment for conditions such as cerebral palsy, stroke rehabilitation, complex post-operative recoveries, and many chronic diseases are often not available through private clinics
• Complex paediatric out-patient rehabilitation is available almost exclusively through the public system
• Many rural regions of Nova Scotia do not have ready access to private physiotherapy
• Injured workers without WCB coverage commonly receive rehab through the public system, enabling them to return to work.
• Many of our most vulnerable citizens do not have any private coverage at all. Even for those with private health insurance, and with conditions treatable within a private practice care setting, coverage is commonly only $500.00 per year. At a typical private physiotherapy clinic, this would allow for less than 10 treatments. Many conditions can be successfully treated within this number of visits, but chronic or complex conditions often cannot. Once private benefits run out, individuals often rely on public out-patient clinics.
The benefits of receiving timely access to physiotherapy care are many:
• Access to physiotherapy improves health, reduces pain, and promotes functional independence in those suffering from both acute and chronic conditions.
• Patients can often be discharged from hospital faster when they have access to out-patient rehabilitation.
• When physiotherapists are involved in screening orthopaedic patients (e.g., hip and knee conditions), consultation and surgical wait-times are reduced, and patients receive appropriate care faster.
Publicly funded out-patient physiotherapy ensures that all members of our community have access to the care they need.
How has publicly funded out-patient physiotherapy helped you? We want to hear your stories! Send them to info@physiotherapyns.ca. We'll post them (without names) to our website as examples of the great physiotherapy care received by Nova Scotians.
Nova Scotia recently became the first jurisdiction in the world to make helmet use mandatory for snow sports. This new legislation comes into effect in November 2012.
NSPA strongly encourages skiers and snowboarders to make helmets part of their mandatory equipment even before the legislation comes into effect next winter.
"The consequences of a brain injury, even what seems like a minor one, can be devastating and can last for a lifetime," says Mary Solomon, the Chair of CPA's Neurosciences Division. "A brain injury can result in physical disability such as paralysis, but more importantly can result in changing the essence of the person - how they interpret and interact with the world. Personality, emotions, thinking abilities can all be affected; life is forever changed," stresses Solomon. "We need to protect our brains by protecting our heads, at all ages. Wearing a helmet is one good way."
You can also minimize the risk of falling and injuries by being in good physical condition, warming up, and taking breaks. NSPA has the following tips:
• Train your muscles by doing strengthening exercises that reflect the physical demands and movements of the sport (e.g., squats for skiing).
• Do a 10-15 minute gentle but dynamic warm-up, reproducing some of the movements of the sport you will be doing.
• Take rest breaks as needed. Avoid squeezing in an extra run if you are tired.
• Have even minor musculoskeletal injuries assessed and treated by a physiotherapist to prevent the risk of injury recurrence.
Above all, always wear a helmet! Help make the skiing and snowboarding season safer and more enjoyable for everyone involved.