Physical Therapy: Choosing your Therapist
Physical therapy assists the elderly, adult and children in mending and recovering from injuries, surgery and trauma. Nobody else can make sure that you get the best professional help possible, but yourself. So how can you be sure that you have the best physical therapist to help you?
The American Physical Therapy Association or (APTA) has given us some tips on how to choose a physical therapist:
1. You have the right to choose your own physical therapist. Of course, your personal doctor may recommend you to another physical therapist different from your own choice. The last decision will still be yours. Of course, you have other things to consider like your insurance policy.
There are insurance policies that require you to get a referral from the primary physician first before going to a physical therapist. You have to make sure that the physical therapist you have chosen can made transactions with your insurance company.
But most importantly, choose the physical therapist you are comfortable with. You would feel that you are at ease when the physical therapist would actually talk to you first before proceeding with the treatment.
It your doctor recommended you to a physical therapist, it would not hurt if you actually now something about that person. You can check the qualifications and get some references about the therapist that you will be going to. you can actually check with your relatives and family members because they might have gone to a physical therapist before.
2. You have to make sure that the therapist that you are going to is licensed. Physical therapists are medical professionals. Each state may have different requirements for a medical professional to get citizenship.
If you have an assistant physical therapist attending to you, it would be important to make sure that there is an overseeing licensed physical therapist.
3. Once you have visited the physical therapist of your choice, make sure that you ask questions regarding the program that he have designed for you. The physical therapist will design a development program that will help you achieve the goals that you and your physical therapist have agreed on.
The physical therapist would be providing you with instructions on how to do the exercises at home to speed up your recovery. At this point, make sure that you have a good communicative relationship with your physical therapist and feel free on asking questions about the program.
If you are looking for a treatment for the nagging pain that you feel, then understand that physical therapy is just an alternative treatment. There are other treatment options that you can use, like acupuncture, massage, prescription drugs or electric nerve stimulation.
Other things to consider when choosing the physical therapist are the facilities and the staff. Of course you would like to go to a clinic or to an office who have welcoming people and comfortable and up-to-date facilities. Aside from checking the good of state of the facilities, make sure that the services they offer match with what you need.
For example you choose to have aquatic treatment, then there should be a pool on the site. Also consider the cost and terms of payment that they accept. Consider also the office time and how they can fit with your schedule especially if you are a working.
Remember that your health is not something that you should gamble on. Deciding about your health care services should not be made easily. The same principle applies when choosing the physical therapy program and therapist that would fit your needs and improve your disposition.
