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Why
are people referred to physical
therapy?
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What
should I expect with physical
therapy?
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How
long will I need physical therapy?
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Who will see
me?
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Who pays for
it?
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Do I
need a referral?
You and
others may be referred to physical
therapy because of a movement
dysfunction associated with pain. Your
difficulty with moving part(s) of your
body (like bending at the low back or
difficulty sleeping on your shoulder,
etc.) very likely results in limitations
with your daily activities (e.g.
difficulty getting out of a chair, an
inability to play sports, or trouble
with walking, etc.). Physical
therapists treat these movement
dysfunctions and their associated pains
and restore your body's ability to move
in a normal manner.
STEP 1: EVALUATION
AND ASSESSMENT
The Key to successful rehabilitation and
recovery is a complete evaluation and
assessment. The physical therapist's
evaluation will include the following:
Assessment of which muscles are lacking
strength.
Testing of joint biomechanics for
dysfunction.
Breakdown of your injury or symptoms
step by step.
STEP 2: HANDS
ON MANUAL THERAPY
A Physical Therapist's greatest asset is
their hands.
A Physical Therapist's hands can
mobilize dysfunctional tissue and
joints. This will assist you in a
speedier, more complete recovery.
Through the use of manual therapy, the
physical therapist is able to provide
pressure and resistance when and where
it is needed most. This technique is
used throughout the movement for
functional strengthening and optimal
muscle control.
STEP 3: MUSCLE
RE-EDUCATION
Once the areas that require the most
help have been identified, the therapist
will design a personalized comprehensive
exercise regime.
The goal of the program is to re-educate
and restore the muscles involved.
The exercise program will be specific to
the muscles which support and protect
your injury or dysfunction.
STEP 4:
MAINTENANCE AND PREVENTION
The key to a complete and successful
restoration of function, is learning how
to prevent an injury or dysfunction from
reoccurring.
This is
not an easy question to answer. You may
need one visit or you may need several
months of treatment depending upon your
condition. Your physical therapist and
your doctor will help you decide how
long you will be treated.
In most
cases, you will be evaluated by one of
our staff and he/she will also treat you
during subsequent visits. . Unlike
some clinics where you see someone
different each visit, we feel it is very
important to develop a one-on-one
relationships with you to maintain
continuity of care. Since only one
physical therapist knows your problems
best, he/she is the one that will be
working closely with you to speed your
recovery.
In most
cases, health insurance will cover your
treatment. Click on our insurance link
above for a summary of insurances we
accept and make sure you talk to our
receptionist so we can help you clarify
your insurance coverage.
In
California, you do not need a referral
to be evaluated by a physical
therapist. However, in order for a
physical therapist to deliver treatment,
an established diagnosis must be
obtained from a doctor or chiropractor.
If you don't have a doctor, call us. We
work with some of the best in town.
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