by Robin Hamilton, DPT, OCS
How do you know if physical therapy is recommended and the right course of treatment for your specific condition/situation? At Evolution, we are orthopedic Physical Therapists, which means we treat any movement dysfunction and pathology related to the musculoskeletal system.
Tissues involved in the musculoskeletal system include:
- Bones
- Muscles
- Tendons
- Ligaments
- Cartilage
- Peripheral nerves
Orthopedic Physical Therapists will evaluate your condition to determine your appropriate movement diagnosis.
An evaluation may involve:
- Observing your gait and other functional movements
- Checking your flexibility and strength
- Palpating the body region involved
- Performing a series of special tests to differentiate body tissues involved
Within your evaluation, your Physical Therapist will educate you on how your habitual postures and movements are related to the cause of your symptoms and provide information about what to do moving forward to improve your condition.
Benefits of physical therapy treatments include:
- Improving mobility and function
- Improving athletic performance
- Managing pain and chronic conditions
- Reducing use of prescription medications
- Avoiding or preparing for surgery
- Recovering from injury or surgery
- Preventing future injury or chronic condition
If you think PT is the best route for you, below are some tips to choosing your physical therapist.
1. Find a physical therapy clinic:
- Ask your doctor or ask a friend for a recommendation
- Check out Yelp
- Search using the American Physical Therapy Association Find a PT database HERE.
2. Contact the clinic to determine the types of services they provide.
Each clinic or PT may specialize in a certain area, such as: pelvic health, geriatrics, pediatrics, sports, balance, or general orthopedics, etc.
3. Ask the clinic if they participate with your insurance company.
They should be able to tell you if they take your insurance or not, as well as if they are an in-network or out-of-network provider. If they take cash, ask what the cash rate is and if they have discounted package rates.
4. Check out the clinic’s website.
Here, you should be able to get a good idea of the type of physical therapy services they provide and what insurances they participate with. You may be able to see bios of the staff which can give you an idea about which individual physical therapist may be a good fit for you.
5. For more information on how to choose a physical therapist or if physical therapy is right for you check out ChoosePT.com
Are you experiencing pain or do you have questions? Please CONTACT US for more information or to book an appointment. To request an in-clinic or telehealth appointment online, please visit our REQUEST AN APPT page. As always, we aim to redefine the profession of Physical Therapy through Injury Prevention, Performance, Rehabilitation, Performance, Recovery and a Total Wellness Approach!
