Canadians believe different forms of therapy are important to maintaining or returning to good health, finds report
Canadians believe that their employer should provide them with coverage for different forms of treatment to address their physical pains, according to a recent Ipsos report.
Overall, 96% want health plans to cover a range of treatments, and 89% would want to have access to athletic therapy if they got injured.
This is the case as 47% of Canadians say that they have been injured in a way that impedes or has impeded them from being fully functional at work, at home or at play.
And 96% believe that different forms of physical therapy are important to maintaining or returning to good physical health. The number is slightly higher among women (98% vs. 94% men).
“Athletic therapists adhere to the Sports Medicine Model of care. They treat a wide range of patients, from kids with concussions to seniors recovering from hip replacement surgery, using various manual therapies, modalities, exercise prescription and even bracing and taping,” says the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association (CATA).
“The treatment varies but the objective doesn’t: an athletic therapist's goal is to help clients return to their usual activities, whether that means playing competitive sports or walking to the mailbox and back.”
Canadians also want therapy to be done professionally.
Source: Ipsos
In May, New Brunswick made legislative changes to make workers eligible for more compensation when they are injured.
Personalized treatment plans
The reason nearly all Canadians want health plans to cover a range of treatments is so that they can access the treatment that works best for them, finds Ipsos’ survey of 1,000 Canadians conducted April 10 to 12, 2024.
Overall, 97% of Canadians believe it is important that people have access to personalized treatment plans, but to have this without breaking the bank.
When people spend money on physical therapies, over nine in ten (93%) think they should be able to claim it on their income tax.
Those more likely to agree with this include women (96%, vs. 89% men) and those aged 55+ (95%, vs. 93% of those 35-54 and 90% of those 18-34).
“Certified athletic therapists are best known for their quick-thinking, on-field emergency care of professional and elite athletes,” says CATA. “The first to respond when someone gets hurt, they are experts at injury assessment and rehabilitation. It’s that same mix of on-site care and active rehabilitation skills that makes Athletic Therapists so effective in treating the musculoskeletal (muscles, bones, and joints) injuries of all Canadians, whether on the field or in the clinic.”
Comorbidities are fairly common in worker’s compensation cases involving lower back pain, and can have a significant impact on workers’ recovery, according to a previous report from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).