Skip to main content

7 Questions You Have to Ask Before Starting Physical Therapy


- Some therapists specialize in manual therapy while others specialize in exercise therapy. If you are expecting to have a physical therapist treat your condition with massage, gentle range of motion, and palliative modalities, then do not schedule your first appointment with someone who has a reputation for teaching fitness bootcamps, and making clients run the Army 10-miler. On the other hand, if you are a CrossFit athlete or weekend warrior hoping to get back to setting new PR's and finishing WODs, then do not get scheduled with a physical therapist that will spend 20-minutes clearing your chakras and cleansing your aura.

2.) What will each treatment cost?

- Health savings accounts, high deductible plans, and all of the new government changes to health insurance make knowing your healthcare coverage tricky. Once you have chosen your ideal physical therapist, ask for a list of the CPT Billing Codes that will most likely be charged during each treatment. The physical therapist may not know exactly what will be charged until the evaluation, but you should at least be able to get the most likely common codes. You should also ask for the physical therapist's National Provider Number, and the physical therapy clinic's National Provider Number. With this information you can call your insurance provider and ask for the "Allowed Amount" for each unit of each CPT Code.

3.) Will I be seeing the same physical therapist?

- Some clinics offer clients the ability to see the same physical therapist for each treatment. There are pros and cons to seeing the same therapist or different therapist, but if you are the kind of person who would like to see the same therapist every time, you should definitely ask for that.

4.) How long will each treatment session last?

- Traditionally, most physical therapy treatment sessions will last 60-minutes, however with the rise of health savings accounts and high deductible plans you may want to reduce the cost of each treatment by asking for a 30-minute or 15-minute treatment. Most physical therapists should be willing to provide you with an abbreviated treatment to manage your costs to fit within your budget.

5.) Is there a satisfaction guarantee?

- This might be one of the most controversial questions in health care these days, but let's face it, if you went to a nice restaurant for dinner and hated the food, you would never be expected to pay for it. If you go to see a physical therapist and do not receive the level of service you were expecting or promised, then you should have the right to request a full refund.

6.) Are there any online videos or articles that can show you what a typical treatment might look like?

- YouTube, Facebook, and other websites have changed the way clients are choosing physical therapist providers. Videos and blog posts give you a sneak peek behind the scenes of your prospective physical therapy treatment. If I were choosing a physical therapist, I would want to see a sample of what I will be doing before I started.

7.) Are there any patient reviews or stories from other patients that have rehabilitated the same condition that I have?

- Patient experiences

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How Physical Therapists and Athletic Trainers Treat Back Strains

e of the medical complaints doctors hear about the most are back strain injuries. This happens to athletes and non-athletes all the time. 25% of all adults have experienced lower back pain at some point in their lives and chances are you could be one of those people. Medical professionals such as physical therapists and athletic trainers handle back strain treatment on a regular basis. Since this is a regular thing they deal with, then why not take advantage of their knowledge to aid in reducing your back pain and discomfort. Before moving forward with the advice below, it is always wise to seek your doctor's opinion so you can be properly diagnosed and then correctly treated. Back Strain Treatment Common treatment from physical therapist and athletic trainers that athletes use to treat back strains: 1. Anti-inflammatory: After straining your back, it is a good idea to take some anti-inflammatory medication to reduce swelling and to control any pain associated with the inj...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Treat the Pain Associated With Plantar Fasciitis

lantar fasciitis is a painful condition caused by inflammation of the thick, fibrous band of tissue (''fascia'') that reaches from the heel to the toes. This fascia is responsible for supporting the muscles and arch of the foot. The plantar fascia is made of three distinct parts: medial, central, and lateral bands. The central band is the thickest and strongest and is most likely involved in plantar fasciitis pain. Tiny tears are created on the surface of the fascia when it's stretched too far causing inflammation and pain. In addition to inflammation and pain, the stress on the muscles and ligaments from plantar fasciitis can cause heel spurs. There isn't a single treatment for plantar fasciitis, but physical therapy utilizes several tools which can alleviate the pain and inflammation. Plantar Fasciitis accounts for about 10% of runner related injuries and is more likely to affect women than men. Because of the high incidence rate of plantar fasciitis in run...
Post a Comment
Read more

Spinal Decompression: Vastly Effective for Healing a Host of Conditions and Disorders

pinal decompression is one of the most successful treatments for anyone suffering from back ache, especially lower back pain. This is administered by the use of traction, wherein the decompression occurs resulting from the force applied. The decompression therapy has been used for centuries by chiropractors and practitioners of medicine. Traction could be provided manually, by using a mechanical decompression unit or through some easy to use traction devices. What is decompression? Decompression therapy is a form of physical therapy, and is particularly effective for relief from backache. The underlying science behind spinal decompression is creating more space between adjoining vertebrae, to correspondingly overcome any underlying conditions like a pinched nerve in the back. Vertebrae are round bones through which the spine threads down, and while in our lower back, there are five vertebrae, in the neck, there are seven. When force is externally applied on the vertebrae by pr...
Post a Comment
Read more