Is Your Physical Therapist Right For You?
Written by: Kelsie Mazur, DPT
Unfortunately, I hear so many of my patients say that the physical therapy they’ve had in the past was poor, did not work, was too saturated with home exercises and that their pain or ailment came back. We shouldn’t be quick to judge physical therapists and their outcomes with patients, because physical therapy is essentially a tool or roadmap that patients are supposed to use to guide them towards recovery. Physical therapy is a team effort: where the physical therapist is in charge of 90% and the patient is responsible for the other 10%, a crucial 10% however! It’s also important to remember that progress in physical therapy, whether post-operative or just a nagging injury, is never linear. There will always be setbacks, but today I want to talk about qualities you should look for when searching for a physical therapist.
Did you know to currently attain a physical therapist license, you must acquire a doctorate of physical therapy degree? This means that a physical therapist candidate applied to school, most likely interviewed to get into school and then attended school for 3 years with 3 years of didactic work (book work) and usually 4-5 clinical experiences throughout their school journey. After all is said and done, physical therapists sit for a 6 hour board certified exam that they must pass in order to get licensed. This brings me to my first point, the foundation of a substantial physical therapist starts with them holding a doctorate degree. The proof is in the pudding! They're equipped with the education and foundation to treat orthopedic injuries, neurologic injuries/disabilities, have expertise in geriatrics and wound care, and that’s just to name a few. Doctors of physical therapy will usually attend school for 6-7 years with their combined bachelors degree and doctorate!
Let’s get into some detail on how exactly to choose a doctor of physical therapy.
Best practice, treatment plans and clinical practice guidelines are constantly evolving. A quality physical therapist reads, stays up to date, and implements best practice from the most recent evidence based practice and research. A great physical therapist is constantly evaluating and staying up to date on advancements and best practices in the field.
Have you ever had a terrible experience with a healthcare provider? We call that poor bedside manners, my friends. This means either the healthcare provider was rude, rushed the visit, spit out nonsense medical jargon without making sure you understand, and/or a combination of all of these things. A quality physical therapist pays close attention to detail, gets down to their patient’s level, maintains a positive and thoughtful attitude, and educates their patients with integrity about the plan of care and potential outcomes.
Choose a physical therapist who provides a total body diagnostic exam- this means the therapist considers and examines the WHOLE person. In other words, choose a physical therapist that isn't going to just fill the holes of the leaky damn, and instead rebuild it. This means looking beyond the aches and pains, and looking beyond the injury. DPTs who provide in network services and bill insurance may have a harder time looking at the whole person, since insurance companies dictate the number of billable units for physical therapy and WILL not reimburse for certain treatments… but more about this in a later blog post. An excellent physical therapist will assess and reassess throughout your appointment, take substantial time to be hands on, and help you through your exercises to maximize your time in the clinic.
What sets physical therapy at Wattage apart from your basic conventional physical therapy model (we won’t name names…) is the level of excellence your therapist will provide. What do I mean by this? Tailored, private, physical therapy with an experienced doctor of physical therapy who provides more than your typical cookie cutter exercises (although there may be a time and place for some of these). You’ve learned before that mediocre movement does not create lasting changes in the nervous system and body. An excellent physical therapist is able to progress or regress exercise/movement patterns, tailor your programming based on symptoms, load management, and response, and finally, re-introduce exercises or movement patterns you were doing prior to your injury and progress you further.
Research shows that people are less interested in getting the correct diagnosis and more concerned about the amount of care from their provider. If you learn anything from this week’s blog post, let it be that the best physical therapists aren’t those who promise you’ll be pain free, rather the best physical therapists are determined, resilient, authentic, compassionate, and knowledgeable people who set appropriate goals and checks in with you!
Wattage Physical Therapy will take an in depth look at your ergonomics, posture, muscle tone, muscle weaknesses, and movement patterns to create a plan for YOU. If this article intrigues you, you can directly email me, Kelsie at Kelsie@wattagept.com. I would be happy to help you start the process of living a life free from pain.