FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the difference between physical and occupational therapy?
We both help you progress with function and pain relief. We have some overlap in what we do, but the main goal is to get you better without medications, injections, or surgeries.
Physical therapy in general works on gross motor function, such as running mechanics, walking, strengthening and balance.
Occupational Therapy works on Activities of Daily Living, how to integrate your life functions at home and at work, hand writing, fine motor hand controls, cognitive aspects.
We can both treat for pain and transitional movements such as bed mobility, transferring chair to bed, sit/stand, sitting balance.
We usually advocate for both PT and OT services if we see that there are a lot of aspects of life and pain that needs to be integrated. Like having 2 sets of eyes, plus yours, we do better when we team up to improve your health and lifestyle. Once you get to our clinic and discuss with the therapists, you will have a clearer idea what you will do in OT/PT sessions. Call us if you have questions.
Does physical / occupational therapy hurt?
You are coming for pain relief and improving function, not to increase pain, so No. “No Pain – No Gain” is not true in most cases. You may develop some muscle soreness from working muscles that you haven’t used or that are weak. But during therapy sessions, you should not be having more pain, or sharp or radiating pain. We advocate for PAINFREE activities. This allows for your body to develop TRUST, to reduce muscle guarding and dysfunctions. Then we progress each time to broader sets of movements.
Our treatment will help reduce your trigger points or referred pain areas, which will help you feel better.
The only time that someone MUST have pain, is to prevent joint contractures. For example, surgeries to the joints of the knee, elbow, or fingers, and now the patient is unable to move to full range. We might have to work on these areas including stretching the tissues more rigorously, and the patient would have to work hard to activate the muscles to help increase the range of motion. We recommend the patient to take pain medications before coming in. This is unavoidable to prevent more surgeries to release these adhesions. We do try our best to warm up the area and soften the tissues before the active exercises, to minimize discomfort.
Who chooses which physical / occupational therapist I go to?
You! Be your BEST advocate in choosing the best therapists in town- that’s US!
We take care of your whole body health – We do not accept just a patch up job of treating body parts! As soon as you get into our door, you become our friend for life. We care about your pain and function. We want you happy and improved!
Often, your physician will give you a recommendation or a listing of physical/occupational therapists in your area. Sometimes your insurance company will guide you with regard to who is “in network” for your insurance plan. Ultimately, however, the decision as to where you receive your care is up to you. If you have a specific request, you need to let your physician or insurance company know. If we are not in network for your insurance company most plans have out-of-network benefits that will allow you to choose your physical/occupational therapist.
We accept Medicare, Tricare, Medicaid for kids, Staywell, UHC, and other insurances, Care Credit, private pay. We will work with you to get you the best treatment!
What is my responsibility in therapy?
You are our partner in your recovery. Your therapists cannot do it without you! We ask that all patients and clients cooperate by following through with their home exercise programs and instructions, as this is extremely important in expediting your recovery.
A sense of optimism! We want you happy and successful!
Bring these for your first visit:
- Insurance card, Driver license or identifications, Therapy prescriptions
- Credit card if you are paying privately or for copays (we do not accept cash)
- Reports, MRI, X-ray results, and any other forms that may have been sent to you
- Equipment that you are currently using: wraps, braces, splints, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, etc.
- Medication list with dosages and frequency.
- If you like, you can also take photos of your home or office, bathrooms, to discuss activities of daily living and ergonomic questions.
- Write down a list of questions that you want to ask and goals that you want accomplished short/long term- Don’t be shy- Let’s get you better!
Will my insurance cover physical /occupational therapy?
Most insurance companies cover physical therapy and occupational therapy services. We will verify your exact coverage for you, however, so you will know your insurance policies guidelines when you begin your therapy sessions. If you have additional questions regarding your specific insurance give us a call.
What is the co-pay for physical /occupational therapy?
Co-pays are determined by your insurance company. However, we will do all of your insurance authorization and re-authorization for you, and will be able to give you all the information about your therapy services coverage, including co-pay amounts on your first visit.
What should I expect on my first visit?
On your first visit, our Doctor of PT or OT will do a thorough interview, to be sure we understand you as a person and your personal health goals. We not only want to understand the current condition, but HOW did this start, what are the ROOT causes?
We come up with a sensible plan to help you, and guide you in improving as fast and safely as possible.
We will send your evaluation to your physician(s) as needed so that everyone’s on the same page with your therapy progression.
What types of interventions may I receive?
We treat patients in a holistic way, addressing the whole body and root causes of problems. We don’t just treat one body part, because one part affects another. We even check how you are breathing, eating, and voiding, for example, to be sure your whole body is functioning well.
Then we work hands on with you to help you feel better immediately. We teach you activities and exercises to improve mobility, flexibility, balance, motor coordination, sensory integration, etc. We use wrappings, electrotherapeutic modalities, lasers, etc, to help treat you to the best possible improvement.
How long is a typical treatment session?
Treatment sessions will take approximately 45-75 minutes depending on the diagnosis being treated.
How long is a course of therapy?
It depends upon the diagnosis, the severity of your injury and how dedicated you are to doing your part outside of treatments. Our goal is to not only get rid of your pain but to get you to the point where the likelihood of the pain coming back is significantly reduced.
How is my progress measured?
We do a thorough evaluation, beginning with an in-depth interview to determine the root causes of your problems. We help you review life habits and support system and suggest changes. Progress will be examined daily, weekly, monthly, with your feedback on how you feel, if you have difficulties along the way.
We have objective tests as well as getting your opinion on your own progress. We send reports and recommendations to your physicians as needed to be sure you are getting comprehensive care.
Ultimately, when You are a happy healing patient = goal accomplished!
What if I have an increase in symptoms?
If you have worsening symptoms or discomfort, let our clinicians know immediately. Frequent feedback between you and us are of utmost importance. Don’t be gung-ho and don’t be shy. Honest straight forward communication is best to help you heal!
Call us if you need anytime. We will discuss the next step, whether you need to come in for treatment, or if you should contact your physician. We can send the physician a report to update him/her on your progress or difficulties.
Treatment should be individualized; You should feel that you are making improvement each time you come, or each week. There might be some regression depending on your state of health, but overall trend should be an upward improvement. The therapists should be giving you hands-on care, exercise instructions, balance activities, and life functional training. Although you may be a little sore after therapy, you should feel an improvement in your ability to perform your activities at home, work or leisure with greater ease, increased tolerance, and improved feeling of well-being and personal confidence.
When you go to a place that puts you in with a bunch of other people doing the same thing every day, you are not at the right place. You need to see us instead!!!
Will I need follow-up or maintenance care?
Taking care of your health is a lifelong mission. We offer complimentary consultations for all our patients any time after their completed episode of care. This helps to avoid any problems that may arise from getting worse, and also allows us to help the patient be more independent in their condition. We also offer yoga based or exercise classes, that our patients would enroll in, to help them maintain their strength and flexibility. We also have laser and other treatment modalities that can continue to help reduce pain and improve healing.
When you go to a place that puts you in with a bunch of other people doing the same thing every day, you are not at the right place. You need to see us instead!!!
What if I need to return to physical / occupational therapy?
If you need to return to therapy, feel free to give us a call to discuss or schedule more appointments.
When you go to a place that puts you in with a bunch of other people doing the same thing every day, you are not at the right place. You need to see us instead!!!
Is it OK to ask my doctor about physical / occupational therapy?
If you have a problem that you think can be helped with physical therapy, feel free to give us a call. After discussing with you the specific problem you present with, we can give you a better idea if it is something that is manageable with physical /occupational therapy. You can also give your doctor a call. If he or she is not sure, he or she is welcome to contact us as well. In today’s healthcare, if you feel physical therapy can be helpful to you, you will need to stress your feelings to the doctor you are seeing. Remember that it is your choice where you go for physical therapy. Don’t hesitate to voice your desires to your physician. In most cases they will be happy to send you where you prefer and where it is the most convenient for you.
Are physical /occupational therapists licensed?
Yes, all physical /occupational therapist have to be licensed in the state in that they work. Licenses should be prominently displayed.
What should I wear to my physical /occupational therapy appointments?
In general, wear comfortable clothing to physical /occupational therapy. If you are presenting with a problem of your cervical spine, upper back or shoulders, the therapist can provide you with a gown as needed to expose these areas, or you can wear a tank top or halter top of your own. If you are coming for a lower-extremity problem, shorts are important. You can bring your own clothing here to change into if that is more convenient for you.
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Phone: 1-813-631-9700
Fax: 1-844-456-0077
