What is physical therapy?
How long will my appointments take?
What should I bring with me to my first appointment?
What should I wear to physical therapy?
Do you accept my insurance?
Can I bring my child with me to my appointments?
Can I bring my dog to my appointment?
What is physical therapy?
Physical therapy provides services for people of all ages, from newborns to the very oldest, when medical problems or other health-related conditions limit their ability to move and function in their daily lives. A physical therapist will examine you and develop a treatment plan to increase your ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability.
The goals of physical therapy are to improve your mobility (such as walking, going up stairs, or getting in and out of bed), to relieve your pain, and to restore your physical function and overall fitness. Depending on your injury, disease, or condition, you may need to work on flexibility, strength, endurance, coordination, and/or balance.
Generally, the first goal of treatment is to decrease any pain and swelling you may have. The next step is usually to increase your flexibility, and then to increase your strength and endurance. The goal is always to improve your ability to do your daily tasks activities. As with any exercise, you may have mild soreness or swelling as a result of treatment, and these should be noted by your therapist. Your therapist will monitor your reaction to treatment (for example, if you have swelling or become out of breath) and will adjust your treatment as needed. This ongoing assessment and adjustment means that the risk of any injury or complication from physical therapy is very low.
In most cases, part of your physical therapy will be education. Your therapist may teach you about a home exercise program, proper body mechanics, and the use of any special equipment you may need. He or she will then periodically assess how well you are transferring the skills you learn in therapy to your daily life.
How long will my appointments take?
The initial/first appointment is generally 1 hour and subsequent visits are usually 45-60 minutes.
What should I bring with me to my first appointment?
Please bring your insurance card, your prescription for physical therapy, and any notes or reports from your physician that describes your condition. We also encourage you to bring any x-rays or other test results that your physician may have given you.
What should I wear to physical therapy?
Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothes to allow access to the affected area (e.g. shorts, t-shirt, sports bra, etc.).and that will allow you to work in the gym. Most importantly you should have supportive shoes that do not pose a safety hazard while working on the equipment.
Do you accept my insurance?
We have preferred provider contracts with most insurance companies, please visit our patient information page for more details.
Can I bring my child with me to my appointments?
It is best that you do not bring your child or bring a friend to stay with them in the waiting room if they are not old enough to wait on their own. Children are not allowed in the gym unless they are patients.
Can I bring my dog to my appointment?
While we love dogs, this is a health care facility and it is not appropriate to bring anything other than service animals into the clinic.
