The Dental Model of Physiotherapy

Preventative healthcare is expected for certain fields like dentistry or annual check-ups. For some reason with our movement systems, we treat them reactively. When something hurts, when something breaks. We've accepted a purely reactive model for the system that literally carries us through life.

The dental care parallel is obvious but worth exploring as dentistry is preventative by design. Regular cleanings, screenings, early intervention when small problems appear. Catching a cavity early is infinitely cheaper and easier than root canals. We consider it wise not to wait until your teeth fall out to see a dentist. Why then do we wait for physiotherapy problems to compound for months or years, waiting for our bodies to force us to treat our unrelenting symptoms?

I consistently reflect on how within Western medicine we’re so programmed to minimize our symptoms. To take an ibuprofen, ignore and move on. Go to work, go to school, assume it’ll go away on its own, no curiosity. Time and time again that’s what patients tell me. That they’re here because they waited for it to go away and it didn’t so they decided to come in.

The practice of using physiotherapy (as other branches of medicine) retroactively rather than preventatively reflects a relationship with our body.

If we’re lucky, patients may be ready to hear that their symptoms are the result of potentially decades of compensation. However, that never comes with a proportional expectation to unravel those dysfunctions for months or sometimes years. What can 5 sessions do for 5 or 10 or 20 years of compensatory patterns embedded into our subconscious movement?

By this metric, the dental model of physiotherapy doesn’t just reduce our injury risk and help us live longer, healthier lives. Rather it does 2 incredibly impactful things:

1) The dental model of physiotherapy matures our relationship with our bodies.

When we consult movement professionals earlier, we’re having conversations about smaller signals.

The more attention we place on these smaller signals, the more calibrated and nuanced our internal sensors get.

This is actually the reason physiotherapy is largely moving cash based. As a profession we understand and are advocating for an expanded role for the population compared to what insurance companies historically reimburse for.

2) The dental model of physical therapy reduces the amount of intervention needed at any one time.

Just like dental care, things are cheaper and faster when we manage them earlier. 3-5 sessions can get you pretty far when used wisely.

Regular check-ins (quarterly, twice yearly, whatever fits) with someone who knows you and your baseline gives you a more valuable insight into what needs to be managed and how.

Life happens. A dental model doesn’t prevent all the big bad stuff. But the point is, even if you do have a more acute injury or a surgery, a consistent practice of preventative care even reduces your recovery time.

It’s a positive feedback loop. In every way.

This isn't constant treatment. It's informed maintenance of a movement system. Small intervention early prevents the need for major rehabilitation later. The goal is for people to eventually manage their own movement well, with periodic professional input rather than dependence on ongoing therapy.

Who actually needs this? Anyone who moves. So…everyone.

This isn’t just a shift for patients, it’s a shift for the industry. Including for us providers!

At ROOTS, we have been steadily pushing the needle in this direction since we opened. We prioritize teaching and learning. We consider ourselves to be consultants for your health, as a team, rather than traditional prescriptive treatment. We do 1:1 hour sessions specifically because we want depth and continuity. We're building relationships with people across years, not episodes.

Master your machine is aout more than an oil change. It’s about helping you stay well and investing in your long-term capacity embedded within our relationship.

Your body is worth investing in. Before it breaks.

Keep your eyes out for “ROOTS Check-ups”. A unique type of appointment built to be used 2x/year to run through the system you’re carrying from top to bottom. You’ll get a structured take home clarifying where you’re at, what you need, and the steps to start getting you there.

Prevention is always cheaper, easier, and more effective than treatment. We know this. We just have to apply it.