Active Rehabilitation & Physiotherapy: What’s the Difference?
Decades ago there was a TV commercial in which a man shrugged his shoulders, opened his hands in questioning, and asked, “Coke. Pepsi. What’s the difference?” He was then carried away on a marvelous 30-second adventure that gave him the answer to his question.
We cannot promise you the same type of fantastical, late 20th century marketing journey while you read this article, but we can explain the differences between physiotherapy and active rehabilitation. As a bonus, we will even offer a few tips that will help you choose which treatment is right for you.
Coke: Active Rehabilitation
“Active” is a strong word with a plosive hard C sound just like the words “Coke” and “kinesiology,” which is the broader scientific field of study under which active rehabilitation falls. Both aim to restore physical function through exercise. We have offered other articles that discuss the full scope of kinesiology, so here, we will only focus on active rehabilitation and its COCA-COLA approach to injury recovery.
C – Client-driven treatment plans that offer
O – Ongoing progression and
C – Continuous movement to promote healing through
A – Adaptive exercises that are
C – Condition-specific. These targeted interventions
O – Optimize muscular strength to support recovery and prevent future injuries.
L – Long-term functionality is the goal of
A – Active rehabilitation.
PEPSI: Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is a softer word than “coke” and offers a more Passive treatment than the one discussed above. Physiotherapy includes:
P – Professional assessment conducted by a professional physiotherapist who is authorized to identify and diagnose the root cause of injuries or conditions.
E – Exercises and education are then used along with
P – Patient passive techniques in which the physiotherapist touches, moves, or manipulates the affected area for the patient.
S – Specialized methods, such as these manual therapies and dry needling, are an important part of physiotherapy’s
I – Individualized treatment plan.
What’s the Difference?
By exploring what active rehabilitation and physiotherapy are, we have identified a few differences in their approaches. These include the following.
| Active rehabilitation (Coke) | Physiotherapy (PEPSI) |
| Patient-driven exercises and activities chosen and guided by a therapist | Passive, hands-on treatments reinforced with active ones |
| Often used in later stages of recovery or for chronic conditions where patient self-management is crucial. | Well suited for acute injuries or conditions requiring specific interventions |
| May be used alone or in conjunction with/ after physiotherapy | Often the first intervention for assessment and to decrease the initial pain and/or swelling |
| Focused on biomechanics, strength, and conditioning only | Broader focus that includes assessment, providing manual treatments, pain management, restoring function, and treating a variety of musculoskeletal, neurological, and cardiovascular issues |
| Specific approach (exercise) | Comprehensive approach (as above) |
| Whole-body kinetics | Site-specific |
How to Choose Between the Two
The two best ways to choose between active rehabilitation and physiotherapy is to contact a health clinic that offers both treatments and discuss your pain, needs, and physical goals with a professional and schedule an assessment. The professional physiotherapists and active rehabilitation therapists at Back in Motion Health are available at 15 locations across the Lower Mainland.
Paramjot Kaur Dhillon| Physiotherapy
Paramjot Dhillon obtained Master in Physiotherapy (Musculoskeletal) from Punjabi University, India in 2009. She has over 11 years of experience in clinical settings and teaching.
Paramjot has worked as an Associate Professor in Christian Medical College and Hospital, India. She has 9 research articles published in the reputed journals.
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