Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
HEP stands for home exercise program, and it’s a vital part of any treatment plan. It’s one of the most important aspects of physical therapy. If you started anything new in life: a workout, a new job, a new hobby, etc, you would benefit immensely from doing it every day as opposed to a couple times per week. It will usually take 10-15 minutes of your time at home to engage in a few stretches/exercises that will compliment the progress you make in our office. Don’t worry, they generally require little to no equipment, and equipment will be provided to you if you need it (such as an exercise band).
Yes, we regularly communicate with your doctor. This includes initial evaluations and occasional progress notes. This is to:
- Ensure that the treatment you receive is consistent with what your doctor is recommending.
- Maintain a continuity of care between the professionals who are helping you.
Our therapists are fully licensed physical therapists. If you are wondering about the specific staff in your clinic, please visit the location page for your area and read the bios. We also employ several physical therapist assistants (PTA’s), at our locations. These professionals are also licensed and highly qualified to assist you in your treatment.
You should wear loose clothes that make it easy to move. We also recommend sneakers. Workout clothes will work, but any comfortable clothing will work fine. Plan on giving your therapist access to your area of concern. The less your clothes restrict your movement and the more comfortable you are, the better. Shorts, yoga pants, or athletic/loose fitting pants and a tee shirt are all good options.
Billing
Yes, many times they do. In fact, we will verify your benefits for you. When you walk in for your first visit, your benefits will be explained to you thoroughly. This service is complimentary to you, and the purpose is that there will be no mystery surrounding your benefits. If you have a specific question about your plan please first consult our insurance list and second, give us a call if you are still wondering!
My First Visit
If we are asking you to do something that is hurting too much, let us know! Physical therapy should not be severely painful. It is not common to be so sore that patients are in pain or it affects their daily life. If this ever happens during or after an appointment, let us know and we will adapt your program.
We recommend budgeting 40-60 minutes for a typical therapy session. The only exception to this will be your first visit, which can take about 20 minutes longer due to the physical therapy evaluation your therapist will provide. We also recommend showing up about 10-15 minutes early to your first visit. This way, you can complete the paperwork before your visit time and streamline the process.
A typical order for physical therapy will ask for 2-3 visits per week for 4-6 weeks. Sometimes the order will specify something different. What generally happens is for the first 2-3 weeks, we recommend 3x per week. This is because it will be the most intensive portion of your treatment. After that, it is common to taper to 2x weekly, based on your level of function and progress.
Yes. Physical therapy works based on the science of how the body rebuilds and heals. The biggest killer of progress is inconsistency. We recommend adhering to your prescribed sessions agreed upon in your PT Eval to achieve desired results.
A physical therapy visit lasts about 40-60 minutes. The actual contents of the visit vary based on your diagnosis/need, but typically what happens is:
- You check in with the receptionist, make any appointments necessary, and we discuss your health insurance benefits with you.
- You go into the gym. You can change clothes if you need to, then begin therapy.
- You perform 6-8 various exercises and stretches. These can include therapeutic band exercises, light body weight exercises, or minimal weights. The stretches will promote strength, stability, improved range of motion, and pain relief.
- We can initiate other techniques to include manual work, taping, cupping, and dry needling as needed.
- The therapist makes recommendations based on your progress. These can include altering the frequency of visits, making additions/alterations to your home exercise plan, or things to do before your next visit.