In our present time we have so many options to choose from – from Italian restaurants to models of the same make of car, to health care providers.
So how do you know what option to choose and if that decision was the correct one for you? Who do you trust?
When it comes to Physical Therapy, how do you know which clinic to attend? Well first you need to really think about what it is you are looking for in your care. What is it that you value most when looking for Physical Therapy care? What is the determining factor in your decision to get you back to your goals and being fully functional and independent?
What To Look For In A Physical Therapist?
In the first visit, you will be assessed by a Physical Therapist (PT) who will evaluate your symptoms and level of pain, your alignment, limitations in range of motion, strength, balance, and how you move. This gives the PT and idea of what is limiting your function and where the root cause of the problem is.
After the evaluation, a treatment plan of care will be recommended that will be tailored to your individual limitations and goals. A program will be developed through each follow-up session where you are an active participant. It will incorporate strengthening, alignment, and movement exercises. These exercises will target the imbalance of the muscles affecting your symptoms and changing the patterns of movement that initially caused the symptoms or injury.
The PT should be empathetic and honest about your course and success of treatment and the process of reaching your goals in a non-judgmental way. You should feel that the PT is passionate about what they do and are truly there to help you and give you undivided attention.
If you find yourself in a clinic where the PT is running between 3-4 other patients, slaps on a hot pack or electricity for 20 minutes, or hands you over to an aide to take you through your exercise program, maybe that may not be the appropriate place for you to meet your goals.
First Impressions
You can usually tell when something feels right to you. If you call up a new clinic and all the front desk asks you is your information and gives you the date of an appointment, where is the empathy for what you are going through? It should be a red flag right in the beginning that the clinic does not have the time to listen to you.
How do they even know if what your issues are, are those that they specialize in or can help to resolve without inquiring about them?
How We Help You Here At Wellness Rehabilitation Inc.
We start with the first phone call. We listen to your story – ask how the problem you are facing is impacting your life, have you found anything that helps alleviate your symptoms, what your goals are, and how you will feel to be able to resolve your problem.
Again in the first session, the evaluation, we continue to listen to your history: what has worked, what hasn’t worked, any other goals you want to achieve. We observe how you move, your gait, your alignment. We discuss a plan of care: how long it may take to reach your goals and what we will do to achieve those goals. You will be sent home with 1-2 exercises to start your journey towards recovery.
Education is a huge part of the healing process. We describe what we see and how it has affected your symptoms so you are knowledgeable in the root cause of the problem to be able to treat it.
If you are having pain, the first 3-5 sessions will spent relieving the pain through hands on techniques and changing movement patterns. You will have homework to stabilize the changes gained in the follow-up sessions.
Then we can work on strengthening in a program that is unique for you and your body. This program will teach you correct ways to use your muscles to prevent injury and recurrence of injury. The program can include Pilates-based rehab exercises. As it is ongoing, there will be tweaks in the program as your body progresses and strengthens.
In the final phases of rehab, you learn to incorporate everything you have learned to correctly move, whether it is rising from a chair, gardening, or doing your sport. By learning how the injury occurred, proper alignment, the correct way to use your muscles, gains in strength you have made, you will move more efficiently, be painfree, and injury-free when going through your daily routine and activities.
You will achieve your goals of moving injury/pain free by:
– initially working to relieve/eliminate the pain through my hands on work if needed
– teaching you what is happening in your body (getting to the root cause of the problem) and how that relates to your issues
– you will be given homework initially to maintain alignment we have achieved in your session
– and once your pain is eliminated and your alignment improved, you will be given more strengthening exercises unique to your issues (you will never be overwhelmed by the amount of exercises given. It will be according to your tolerance level and you will understand the reasoning and goals behind each exercise.)
What To Do Next?
Feeling ready to take the next step towards your recovery to being fully functional, mobile, and independent, click here to schedule a Free 20 minute call to discuss your issues and how we can help you.
To Your Health,
Cynthia
