What should I wear when coming to physical therapy?
- You should wear loose fitting, comfortable clothes when possible particularly for your first visit. You can change at our facility but if you are coming directly from work, work attire is acceptable. We also have shorts if needed.
How long are my appointments?
- Your evaluation is about 1 hour or longer depending on your care. Follow-up sessions will depend upon how much time your therapist thinks you need to complete your treatment program. Usually this is 30-60 minutes.
How long should I expect to be coming to physical therapy?
- Each case is different, depending on many different factors. The first visit the physical therapist will determine the estimated time you will be expected to continue your physical therapy for maximum benefit. As a very general rule, many of our patients conditions take 4-12 weeks to fully resolve with treatment. Please speak to your physical therapist once a timeframe has been determined if there are any concerns.
Do I need a referral or a prescription to be treated?
- This is the most asked question and, understandably, there is a lot of confusion about this. A prescription is the piece of paper that a healthcare provider gives you when he/she recommends physical therapy. It is the same type of form that a patient would receive for medication purchased at a pharmacy. It will state exactly what the provider is wanting you to come to physical therapy for (ex. back pain).
- A referral is required for physical therapy for certain insurance plans. Patients must check their own insurance benefits to see if your plan requires a referral from your Primary Care Physician prior to seeing us. We will contact your insurance to also check, but ultimately it is the responsibility of the patient to get that referral. If you’re having difficulty, we can often help you get a referral. If you have any further questions about this topic just give us a call.