Choosing
A Physical Therapist?
It's never fun when injury and pain occur,
but when it does you need to know how to find the right physical therapist for
you. Avoiding the following mistakes should ensure that you optimize your
recovery and experience:
You don't need to see the therapist that your doctor
recommended
Since the doctors see the results of the
therapy that their patients receive, their input should be considered valuable.
But your doctor isn't hung up on where you receive your therapy. What he really
wants is your fast and complete recovery. You should explore the options
available to you to ensure that you receive the care that's right for you.
By law, physicians cannot require a patient
to see any specific specialist. So be sure to ask your physician for two or
three therapist recommendations. Ask friends, family and co-workers if they've
had a positive experience with a physical therapist. Then, check them out as
outlined in this article.
"One size" does not fit all so
find the therapist that's right for you!
You need to understand the physical therapist's
rehabilitation philosophy
Is the therapist primarily focused on pain
management for your condition? Does she mostly emphasizes strengthening? Or
does she use a balanced approach that changes based on your condition and where
you are in the recovery process?
Too many patients overlook this and find
that their symptoms are being treated but the underlying causes are neglected.
This can cause a recurrence of your condition rather than fixing it for good.
It's critical that you understand the typical treatment plan to which a
therapist ascribes and ensure that you are comfortable that both the symptoms
and underlying causes of your condition are addressed.
Check out the therapist's credentials
Every physical therapist, physical therapy
assistant and physical therapy facility must be licensed by the state in which
they reside. You should check out the therapist's and facility's license at
your state's licensing web site. At these sites you can usually to determine if
the individual/ facility is licensed, if the license is current or expired and
whether or not any action has been taken by the Board.
Check whether your therapist is a doctor,
has a master's degree or simply has a bachelor's degree. Depending on the therapist's
credential, he may have significantly more education and training than other
local therapists. (At present, the only degree that a university can grant in
this field is the Doctor of Physical Therapy.) And ask how many years of
experience the therapist has. Would you prefer a therapist with a bachelor's
degree and twenty years’ experience, or a Doctor of Physical Therapy with five
years of experience? One isn't necessarily better than the other. But you need
to find the clinician that's right for you, so ask!
Lastly, ask the therapist what added
certifications he holds. All therapists are generalists in orthopedics and can
say that they specialize in specific areas. But does yours actually hold a
certification in hand therapy? In sports therapy? In treating TMJ? etc.
Never
wait too long for your first appointment
Too many therapy facilities are making
patients wait two, three or even four weeks for their first appointments. When
you're in pain or you're limited by your injury, it seems like an eternity. And
such a delay can often cause the problem to worsen. A facility that can get you
in within five business days, and preferably three, is a facility with
employees that care! You might think that such a facility just isn't busy
enough. But you've done your homework and you know the facility is right for
you. It most likely means that the staff has rearranged the schedule to get you
in sooner rather than later.
Your recovery is important to you. It needs
to also be important to your therapist. So, avoid these five common errors, be
informed and find the therapist that's right for you.
