Injuries and illnesses happen all the time. They can be disheartening but you just have to deal with them. For many people the treatments for their injuries do not stop when they are discharged from the hospitals. Many serious injuries require a lot of time to heal completely. For these kinds of people outpatient physical therapy is required.
Do I Need Physical Therapist?
If you just had a major surgery or suffering from chronic back pain, arthritis, joint pain, fracture, or other musculoskeletal problem you are most likely in need of a physical therapist.
Many patients and their families are greatly under informed regarding the proper treatment methods. Many are also clueless about the things they shouldn’t do and the things that will make their conditions worse.
Yes, you can easily find various treatments, exercises, and other health information online but that information is no replacement for skilled therapist. These people actually have hands-on experience tending to various patients with different conditions.
Choosing Your Physical Therapist
Good physical therapists are not only there to give you instructions on various exercises, stretches, dos, and don’ts. They also help you perform various passive stretches and other therapy techniques to improve your mobility and speed up recovery.
Many patients are still unable to actively perform stretches and exercises after they got out of the hospital. It is up to the physical therapists to help the patients move their body and limbs.
Furthermore they also help and educate you and your family on how to prevent future injuries and illnesses.
To ensure you get the best out of your therapy sessions you should look for Board Certified Specialists. Proper certification ensures the therapies are up-to-date with the most current and best treatment practices. These therapists also experienced and have undergone various trainings in many clinical areas.
Certification, though, is not the only measurement.
For instance, women who experience specific women’s health issues such as vaginal prolapse may prefer a female therapist. A Hispanic elder who cannot speak English may choose someone who is fluent in Spanish to avoid communication problems.
How Much Will It Cost?
The cost depends on what kind of therapy you require and also the services that you get. Some therapists bill by the hour or sessions. However, for some procedure such as therapeutic exercises you will be billed by quarter hour.
Basic therapy sessions will cost around $100-$150 per session. Therapeutic exercises can cost you $120 every quarter hour or more. It is costly but there are some things you can do to cut the costs down.
One way is to ask your therapist is he/she is willing to teach your family on how to perform exercises and treatments. Therefore you won’t need as many therapy sessions. So if you need four sessions a week the therapist will only need to come twice and your family can cover for the other two.
The next method is pretty much window shopping. Check your area for available outpatient physical therapy services. There may be places that offer discounts or have negotiable rates. Ask people with similar conditions as you and check how much they pay for the service, compare them with your window shopping result, and see which one is the most affordable.
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