The following are answers to some of the questions that are frequently asked of PART staff.

Should I consult a physician to be accepted by the PART Service?
You don't need a physician's referral to be evaluated or treated by a physiotherapist. However, the CSST, WSIB, SAAQ and automobile insurance companies generally require a medical referral. If you have a private insurance plan, your insurer could also ask for a medical referral.

How long is the waiting period before one can be seen by a physiotherapist?
Clients are generally seen within 5 working days. Recently, we have had a large increase in the number of requests for our services. Due to these circumstances, we have had to establish a priority for work-related accident victims and victims of car accidents. Clients who did not fall in either category had to wait more than 5 days to be seen.

To alleviate your pain - ice or heat?
During the acute phase of the injury, ice should always be applied. The acute phase starts immediately after the accident and can last between 48 hours and a week, and even more, depending on the nature of the injury. ICE is recommended if one or more of the following symptoms appear:

• pain persists or increases
• important loss of mobility
• lack of sleep and/or if rest and immobilization do not improve the situation, or if,
• there is persistent inflammation, even after 48 hours or a week.

Ice should not be applied for more than 15 minutes at a time. The application can be repeated every 2 hours.

Later, when the acute phase of the injury has passed and signs of inflammation (pain, heat, redness and swelling) have disappeared, applying heat for 20 to 30 minutes could be useful.

The use of heat or ice is a type of treatment that is simple and efficient in most conditions. However, it is necessary to respect certain contraindications:

Contraindications to ice and heat applications
Serious circulatory problem Important loss of sensitivity Taking medication affecting mental clarity (danger of burns) Malignant tumours
Contraindications to ice	Contraindications to heat
Anemia Raynaud Disease Large open wound Discomfort when applying cold Hives when applying cold High blood pressure Diabetes with circulatory complications	Hemorrhaging Acute phase of inflammation Open-wound infection Skin disease Allergy to heat

Is it important to do regular physical activity?
Yes, each activity is important. The more you do, the better you will feel. Physical activity is not age related. The benefits of regular physical activity are:

• Improved health
• Better physical condition
• Improvement of posture and balance
• Better self esteem
• Weight control
• Bone and muscle strengthening
• Added vitality
• Relaxation and stress control
• More autonomy upon becoming senior citizen

• premature death
• osteoporosis
• heart disease
• strokes
• obesity
• high blood pressure
• diabetes

Hours of Operation
The clinic is open Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

You can reach us: by telephone (613) 632-1111, ext 308, by fax (613) 636-6180, or by e-mail part@hgh.ca

Additional Information
For additional information, you can visit one of the following sites from the Links page:

• Canadian Physiotherapy Association
• College of Physiotherapists of Ontario
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
• Commission de la santé et de la sécurité au travail
• Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology
• Fédération des kinésiologues du Québec
• Canadian-Health-Network
• Kino-Québec