FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Will my extended health insurance cover costs?

• Any of the individual-based sessions are invoiced to you as physiotherapy sessions.  If you know that you have coverage for physiotherapy, there should be no problem submitting these.
• Many extended health insurers are now reimbursing for telehealth physiotherapy.
• Group GLAD sessions are receipted as a group physiotherapy session.  Many of the extended health companies are now familiar with this service and are reimbursing accordingly.
• *I highly recommend that you personally check with your extended health plan as to the specifics of your coverage.

What are your current fees?

• 45 minute sessions (live and telehealth) $150
• 30 minute sessions (live and telehealth) $100
• Group classes  (GLAD) (live and telehealth) $60/session

Does MSP cover any of my cost?

• If I have your birthdate and BC Care Card number, I will be able to easily tell you.
• If eligible, the MSP rates to eligble patients are:
• 45 minute sessions $115
• 30 minute sessions $60
• Group session (GLAD) $30

How do I book a visit with you?

• The bulk of my live clinical practice is done at Form Physiotherapy. 
• All telehealth visits are booked at www.formphysiotherapy.com
• I live in North Delta and have a weekend home on Gabriola Island.  If you want to see me live in either of those locations, please contact me.  To access me via telehealth, please use the booking schedule on my Form Physiotherapy website. 

Do you offer any free consultations?

• I am happy to arrange a phone call to discuss any specific questions you may have.  Committing to programs is always an investment so it is important that you feel adequately informed.  Alternately, you can rest assured that in an initial assessment visit, there is a focus on putting forward a suggested plan for you, once I have been able to properly take a history, assess you and understand your realities.

I am not very skilled with technology.  Will I still be able to manage telehealth?

• Yes!  You will need to ensure that your camera and microphone are working on your device and that you know how to access the Google Chrome browser. Nothing else is needed on your end.

What sort of equipment will I need to get?

• These exercises are meant to be easy to do at home, making it more likely that patients will stick to them long-term. If you have steps and an area with tile or hardwood floors at home, that is helpful.  You will need some pieces of stretch cord (for example, theraband) and an exercise ball and a full-length mirror may also be of help.

Is it possible to just be given the exercises to do on my own?

• This is a good question and one that I get asked quite frequently.  I always encourage people to, if at all possible, complete the GLAD or PEAK programs in their suggested formats.  Their validated results are based on the programs being completed as designed.  Of course, unique circumtances may exist for patients and it is better to engage in something, rather then not engage at all. As a therapist, I have certainly seen that having an opportunity to supervise patients repeatedly on the fine details of these exercises is much different then meeting a couple of times and leaving patients with their home work list to manage on their own.  This has been an eye-opener for me, even after 29 years of practice.

How quickly could I start to see results?

• It varies.  Many GLAD participants have seen notable pain relief after one or two sessions.  For others, improvements come after a couple of weeks and for some, after they have completed the program.  The time together in GLAD is only meant to give you the supervision to master the exercises that you are to keep doing long-term.  If you haven’t gotten much pain relief in the program, some time of doing the exercises on your own may still yield some good outcomes for you.

I am already on a waitlist for surgery.  Should I still participate in physiotherapy?

• Absolutely!  Research evidence has shown that those who do go on to have joint replacement surgery meet their post-operative milestones faster if they have done a program of neuromuscular strengthening before surgery. GLAD Canada is now recommending that those on surgical waitlists consider doing a GLAD program to help manage their symptoms.

Do I need XRays done first?

• No. Many of you will have already done XRays of your joints and, of course, that information will be of interest to Nadine.  The trend, however, is moving away from using XRays in these conditions.  We are usually able to diagnose OA without XRays. We also know that XRay findings don’t have a good correlation with how patients function and what their futures hold.  For example, a person may have XRays that show severe osteoarthritic changes in their hips yet have no pain.  Others may have mild OA XRay changes and really struggle with symptoms.

Do I need to see my family physician first?

• It is always a good idea to ensure that your family physician is aware of options you are considering for yourself.  Your extended health plan may require a physician's referral for you to be able to submit receipts.  Please beware of this before embarking on treatment.

I have a consultation date to meet a surgeon for the first time.  Should I wait until I have had that appointment before pursuing any of the first-line treatments?

• No. Your first and second-line treatment results will be of interest to your specialist and will lend to good planning and discussion together.  I see a growing trend of surgeons locally advising patients who are on their wait lists to consider pursuing a program like GLAD if you haven't already done so.  And then decide whether you need surgery or not.

I don't live in BC.  Can I still pursue your services?

• Unfortunately, I am only able to serve residents of BC.  The GLAD Canada website has a nation-wide list of providers.

Do I need to keep doing the exercises after the program is over?

• Yes!  The GLAD exercises are meant to be done twice/week long-term.  The time spent under my supervision is meant to give you the skills to do the exercises correctly on your own.  GLAD data collection shows that program participants continue with them long-term, likely because they are easy to do at home and because the exercises work!