In order to get the best out of physical therapy, you’ll need to know what is expected out of the treatment. There are people who will go out PT blindly thinking it is some magic cure. As much physical therapy has its benefits, it is important to have expectations in check so that you’re not ending up being disappointed because you don’t achieve what you expected. There are some things you should be aware of before you go for physical therapy and we’re going to highlight some of them.
You Don’t Need a Referral
You don’t need to be referred or prescribed for you to seek physical therapy. Your primary care physician is likely to recommend physical therapy if you’re recovering from an illness or an injury. The problem will come in when you’re using PT as the main treatment option without consulting with the doctor. You can save up to $1500 in medical expenses for spine problems if you seek the services of a physical therapist. That is why it is important that you’re looking for a qualified physical therapist if you’re to get any benefit from the treatment. You should ensure that he/she has taken the required PT training from a reputed source.
It is Safe
Physical therapy is known to be a conservative form of treatment and can be used where conventional treatment has failed. In some situations, it can be used as an alternative for surgery. Make sure to consult with a doctor if you’re thinking of using physical therapy to provide relief for a particular ailment. Physical therapy can also be used as a form of prevention because it can stop some injuries from recurring. That is why it is common among athletes.
It is Evidence-Based
There are numerous studies have been done to determine the effectiveness of physical therapy. A good therapist will be up to date with the best practices to ensure that you’re getting the best treatment when it comes to physical therapy. You just have to make sure that you’re getting the right physical therapist if you’re to realize the full benefits as this Physical Therapist in DC is suggesting.
It Might Be Painful
Physical therapy is not all rosy. You might experience some pain during the treatment, especially if you’re recovering from an injury. It will be the responsibility of the physical therapist to ensure that you’re comfortable during treatment. The pain is likely to go away with time but you should be prepared for some discomfort when the physical therapist is working on your body. An experienced therapist will be aware of various pain-relieving techniques to ensure that the sessions are comfortable even with the pain involved.
Finding a Physical Therapist
This is one of the biggest challenges that you’re likely to face when searching for physical therapy treatment. You should never rush the process as you don’t want to work with someone that is not qualified. The most important trait that you should be looking for is experience. The experience of the physical therapist can be gauged by the number of years that they’ve been practicing. You can ask for references as well just to make sure that the person can back up their claims. This will ensure that you’re not working with shoddy providers who are only interested in making a quick and not providing value for their patients.
Booking the Evaluation
When booking the evaluation for the first time, you’ll want to know if the physical therapist has ever dealt with your condition before. It is during the initial consultation that you get to ask all the questions that you could be having. Make sure you’re writing everything down so that you’re not missing out on the important facts. The physical therapist will also have a couple of questions that they’d like to ask depending on the severity of the injury or illness. They’ll also ask what you intend to achieve with physical therapy treatment.
What to Wear
This is a question that you’re likely to ask yourself if it is the first time that you’ll be visiting the physical therapist. Ideally, you should wear comfortable sports clothing as you will be around a lot. There is a lot of stretching and you don’t want to be wearing tight clothes.
To sum it up, it is imperative that you’re getting the right physical therapist if you’re to realize any benefits. You want to look for someone that you’re comfortable with as you might find yourself in awkward situations. The person needs to be experienced with your condition too.
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