Physiotherapy FAQ's
Answers to your Frequently asked questions
Physiotherapy in Quebec
What is Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy (also known as Physical Therapy) is a discipline specializing in the prevention, treatment, and management of physical impairments and pain. This will commonly include, assessing and diagnosing the issue as well as using interventions such as patient-education, manual therapy (e.g. massage and joint mobilizations), electrical-physical agents (e.g. ultrasound, laser, TENS), and exercise-prescription.
While you’re likely used to thinking about physiotherapist treating musculoskeletal injuries there are also specializations within neurology, cardiorespiratory, vestibular and other domains as well.
In Canada, Physiotherapist are regulated by a their provincial professional college. In Québec, the Ordre Professionnel de la Physiothérapie du Québec oversees both Physiotherapist and TRP’s.
What is a Physical Rehabilitation Therapist (TRP in french)?
Like Physiotherapist, Physical Rehabilitation Therapists (TRP’s) are OPPQ-regulated professionals in Québec and can carry out treatment-interventions. Unlike Physiotherapist, they do no conduct assessments or diagnose injuries.
Do I need a doctor’s note to see a Physiotherapist?
No. Physiotherapists are direct-access practitioners in Québec, meaning that a doctor’s referral is not required. Your private insurance provider, however, may require a doctor’s referral for your treatments to be covered (though this is less and less common and usually the insurance company doesn’t mind if the date of the referral is after the date you started your physiotherapy sessions)
Is Physiotherapy taxed?
No. Physiotherapy is tax-exempt in Quebec (and Canada generally, for that matter).
How much is does PHysiotherapy cost in Quebec?
Typically Physiotherapy sessions in Montreal, Quebec will be somewhere between$75-95 and are not taxed.
How long are physiotherapy sessions?
Typically treatments are anywhere from 30-60 minutes, depending on the Physiotherapist’s style of practice. You should ask to see how much of this time is spent with the physio, versus time spent on machines (e.g. IFC), with other professionals (e.g. TRP, kinesiologist), or unsupervised time within the gym doing exercises,