What to Expect From Physical Therapy

WHAT IS PHYSICAL THERAPY

There are many things that physical therapy is, but there are many things that physical therapy is not.   PT does NOT stand for pain and torture.  PT is NOT massage therapy.  PT is NOT the standard gym personal training.  Physical therapy is the medical practice of optimizing the quality of life of an individual impacted by disease, injury, or movement dysfunction.  PT is also used as preventative care in many instances. Therapists will examine their patients by obtaining a detailed history of the preventative concerns, symptoms and/or mechanism of injury. During this stage, the therapists should be discussing what your goals are for treatment.  Are you just looking to decrease pain, improve your ability to walk for longer periods of time, or something like return to sport?  After gathering the history, there is a clinical exam that often includes figuring out baseline range of motion, strength, joint mobility, and functional movement patterns. Once that information is obtained, the therapist can create an individualized plan of care for the patient with their goals in mind. 

WHO BENEFITS FROM PHYSICAL THERAPY

Physical therapists treat patients of all ages in all stages of life.  They can be found in various settings, such as in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities AKA nursing homes, assisted living facilities, primary schools and universities, outpatient centers, and in your home (onsite or virtually).  Typical therapy visits look different dependent on the setting where the patient currently is. However, after about a month’s time, there is usually going to be formal reassessment of the baseline things that were obtained at the initial evaluation exam.  This is to gage progress and so that adjustments can be made to the plan of care to make sure to meet the the patient’s goals.

HOW MUCH DOES PHYSICAL THERAPY COST

Physical therapy is a typically covered medical benefit through most insurance carriers.  Each insurance carrier and its corresponding plan is different and may have different requirements to ensure payment/coverage.  Some of these requirements include referral from a physician and/or pre-authorization.  Some facilities will also offer self-pay options for those that exceed the amount of visit that their insurance may cover. 

WHERE DO I FIND A THERAPIST

Knowing who to see, when it comes to your health can be a very daunting task.  Sometimes your first best bet, if asking friends.  Word of mouth referral is going to likely get you the most unfiltered review.  If you have trouble getting that word of mouth referral, you can next go to the website of your insurance carrier and they can often direct you to providers that are within your insurance network.  Do remember that there are many fabulous therapists that are not within your insurance carrier’s network because they have opted out and decided to be at a cash based practice or be a solo cash based provider.  While it can be financially burdensome, the cash based model has its benefits.  This model often gives the provider the flexibility to maintain more time with one on one care, which often results in less visits over time.  Also remember that just because your provider does not accept insurance, doesn’t mean that you cannot submit these insurance claims on your own.  Dependent on your plan and carrier, you may still get some coverage and reimbursement.

If you are dealing with an injury or noticing some decrease in an aspect of your function, please do not hesitate.  It may be time for you to start your physical therapy journey.