What is Physical Therapy and Why Would I Need It? |
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Physical therapy is a series of treatments ordered by your physician to restore health to patients who have lost mobility due to illness or injury. Treatment provides specific targeted therapy that will include exercises to reduce the patient’s functional limitation and to improve endurance, strength and flexibility. Physical therapists use passive motion machines (which lift the extremity for you), active exercise machines, massage therapy, electrical stimulation and more. Many physical therapy centers also provide occupational and speech therapy.
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Patients who have had open heart surgery, hip or knee replacement or a stroke typically benefit from physical therapy. Sports Medicine, a growing segment of physical therapy providers, focuses on treatments to prevent or alleviate injuries occurring from exercise or sports.
Patients can receive physical therapy in many settings from clinics to the comfort of their home. A physician will recommend an appropriate setting depending on a patient’s needs and condition. Use the searches on this page to find physical therapy in the setting you require.
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How Do You Choose the Best Physical Therapy? |
With over 20,000 physical therapy offices nationwide, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. The key is to research your choices so you find a physical therapy provider that fits your needs and provides quality care. Below is a list of factors to consider when selecting physical therapy:
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1. Location
Physical therapy can be conducted in many settings, from clinics and offices, inpatient
rehabilitation facilities, to private homes. Speak with your physician; he will
recommend an appropriate setting depending on your needs and condition. Physical
therapy can often be conducted several times a week, so if you are commuting to
your physical therapy sessions, you should pick a location close to your home or
work. If you decide upon an inpatient rehabilitation center, be sure to choose a
location close to family and friends. You can obtain a list of providers in a specific
area by using our Find a Provider tool. If you enter physical therapy for facility
type and a zip code, you are given a list of providers and the distance in miles
from the zip code. If you use our advanced search, you can narrow down the list
by providing a radius limit.
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Sample results from our Find a Provider tool
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2. QualityQuality is often overlooked but extremely important. WhereToFindCare.com is the only place that gives you a quality score to assist you in choosing physical therapy provider: the WTFC Quality Score. |
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The WTFC Quality Score is the percentage of people who rated the physical therapy center on WhereToFindCare.com and said they received quality care. This experience-based physical therapy satisfaction score cannot be found elsewhere today except by word of mouth.
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3. Recommendations |
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Word of mouth recommendations are very important. Recommendations can tell us whether we can get along with providers on a personal level. Ask friends, family, and other associates if they have had experiences with the physical therapy providers on your list. You can also use WhereToFindCare.com to find word of mouth recommendations.
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We ask patients, visitors, and caregivers to rate providers by taking a short review. You can read other people’s experience by going to a provider’s page on WhereToFindCare.com and clicking on the Reviews tab. There you see how others answered questions, and any comments made about the provider. Also look for CareStars™ recognition. People may have left comments on WhereToFindCare.com about exceptional caregivers at physical therapy center. CareStars™ comments give you a sense that the physical therapy center employs caring individuals that will provide the service you need. And once you selected a physical therapy provider, please revisit WhereToFindCare.com and share your experience by rating your provider. Your recommendation will help others make their decision.
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4. License
Verify the physical therapy provider is licensed. Licenses are regulated by each state individually. Physical therapy can be administered by the physical therapist (PT) or a physical therapist assistant (PTA) under the PT’s direction.
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5. Consider What Each Physical Therapy Provider Offers
Once you’ve narrowed down the list of physical therapy providers, you should consider all the other things each facility has to offer. In your search results, click on the name of a provider to see more information. Review the hours of operations to see if it fits your schedule. See if they specialize in any specific areas of physical therapy. Check out the types of equipment they have available. Review insurance information and costs. Be sure to check out photos, video tours, amenities, contact information and much more.
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What are the Next Steps?
If you have any questions, you should contact the provider. If possible, tour the facility. Please visit the provider page on WheretoFindCare.com to find address and contact information, and to get driving directions. Some providers have contact forms on their provider page, so it may be possible to email your questions to them. When contacting the provider, please be sure to mention you saw them on WhereToFindCare.com.
Information on WheretoFindCare.com is for informational purposes only. See the disclaimer on the Terms of Service page. |