Physio – Your Wellbeing Partner
By Mukul Singla

Physiotherapy is commonly used to treat specific injuries or as part of a program of recovery from surgery, but have you considered being even more pro-active?

If you’re one of the thousands of Health Partners members who need minor or elective procedures each year, pre-operative physio could provide potential post-op recovery benefits.

Mukul Singla at Therapia Physiotherapy and Pilates, one of our partner physiotherapy practices in Adelaide, has seen improvements for his clients by taking a proactive approach to their physical therapy.

“I’ve worked with people preparing for surgical procedures for knees or ankles, for example, and focussed on gentle movement and strengthening that helps with muscle conditioning and support,” Mukul says.

“It’s beneficial for them before a procedure because it can help alleviate symptoms, and my experience is their recovery is much shorter and less difficult.”

Physiotherapy can also be more actively used to maintain health and wellbeing, not just in response to injury or pain. It’s probably not the approach most people take, but Mukul Singla would like to increase the awareness of the wellness benefits.

“I understand completely that many people only think of their physio when pain or soreness hits, and that’s clearly an important role for therapy,” he says.

“But we don’t only brush our teeth or use dental floss when we have a toothache, or only eat fruit and vegetables when we’ve seen the GP for a check-up.”

“Getting advice from your physio on strengthening exercises, muscle stretching, and gentle core muscle conditioning using pilates are all part of looking after your body so that injury, strains and muscle aches are minimised.”

Therapia Physiotherapy and Pilates takes a holistic approach to physiotherapy, using yoga techniques, acupuncture, massage therapy and reflexology and has a weekly timetable of pilates classes, all designed to help its clients achieve good physical health.

Physiotherapy also has a role to play in enhancing sports performance, which Mukul knows only too well, having worked with extreme athletes and Cirque Du Soleil performers and artists.

“We see our practice as partnering with our clients on their overall health and wellbeing, and I personally place great importance on knowing the physical limits and goals of my clients and matching that to their one-on-one physiotherapy sessions or pilates or yoga classes.”

“Of course I’m biased, but there are health advantages to doing pilates and yoga with a physio rather than at a gym, particularly if you already attend regularly for therapy.

Did you know Health Partners has a network of more than 45 participating physiotherapists, at a range of locations convenient to you, where members pay a low, set gap or no gap at all.

If you have Gold Extras cover, you’ll pay just $12 to see a physio at a Health Partners Participating Provider.