Physical Therapy is a trusted healthcare industry dedicated to evaluating and treating certain injuries and illnesses. The goal of Physical Therapists is to ease pain by helping you to move, live, and function better. [Source: bls.gov]. Also known as physiotherapists, these highly trained professionals go through a doctorate program with specific emphasis on kinesiology, or the movement of the body, biology, and the musculoskeletal system.
Developing a Plan of Care
Since insurance companies determine payment by a therapist’s outcomes, developing a plan of care based on an initial evaluation or re-evaluation is the first thing your therapist will do with you. An evaluation is a consultation between you and your therapist in which your level of injury will be determined. Your therapist will ask you about pain, exercise, and sometimes even sleeping and nutritional habits to determine the root cause of your pain. From there, your therapist will likely prescribe a regimen of PT that can take days, weeks, or months, depending on the illness or injury. Common illnesses and injuries treated by physical therapists are arthritis, post surgical care, pre surgical conditioning and care, low back pain, TMD, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, and joint issues [Source: apta.org].
After the Evaluation
After your evaluation and plan of care are complete, you will begin treatment. Since the goal of therapy is to minimize or eliminate pain, your PT will likely develop a combination of treatments, in addition to exercises to strengthen your muscles, improving your stability. Your therapist will likely treat you with massage, mobilization, and stretches until you are comfortable enough to perform more complex movements. You may be recommended to try cold and hot compresses, electronic stimulation (e-stim), and dry needling. Some patients are unable to properly work out because their injury or illness is too acute [Source: apta.org].
Discharge
When your therapist has reached the outcomes he or she set during your initial evaluation, you will be discharged from Physical Therapy. After being discharged from PT, you can continue to follow up with PT once a month or PRN as a preventative measure. You may be asked to keep up a home exercise program or keep up your normal activity level pre injury-we will always be working towards your activity goal [Source: WebPT.com]. Many insurance companies actually require PT before and after surgeries because it has been deemed the most effective way for surgeons to improve their own outcomes. PT can help you to live a life pain-free, flexible, and comfortable [Source: cms.gov]. As of 2016, you do not need a prescription from a medical doctor for PT. You can simply walk into any of our clinics, and we will schedule an appointment with you. October is National Physical Therapy Month, so there is no better time to come in and start your healing process today!