7 Questions to Ask Before Selecting a Physical Therapist

If you’ve experienced an injury, loss of mobility or recent surgery, physical therapy can help you return to your normal lifestyle and the daily activities you love. But choosing a physical therapist can often be a difficult decision.

Whether you have received a recommendation from a doctor or are conducting your search on your own, you’ll want to know a bit about any potential physical therapists/physiotherapist before scheduling your first evaluation.

We recommend asking the following questions to determine if a therapist and clinic are the right fit for you and your rehabilitation needs:

1. What specialised training does the therapist have for my particular condition?

Some therapists specialise in a certain body part or injury while others are more generalist. Mainly, you’ll want to be sure to ask the therapist how many patients he or she has helped with your specific problem or injury.I have 21 years experience so although the majority of my patients have spinal problems I am very experienced with shoulder, knee, ankle and other orthopaedic issues

2. What can I expect from a typical session?

For your initial assessment, your therapist will ask questions and evaluate your range of mobility to understand your case. In many facilities, you do not receive treatment during that initial visit but at Pure Physio Albany you will.

The sessions that follow will work to treat the dysfunction with an emphasis on maximizing your recovery through a patient-focused plan.

Sessions will include techniques administered by the physiotherapist as well as exercises tailored for your condition. Your therapist will also help you progress through exercises and techniques as your healing tissue allows.

3. What do I need to bring with me to the sessions?

Not much really. If you have information from x-rays and other professionals this can be helpful. Also, you should wear comfortable clothing that is easy to move in as well as expose, if necessary.

4. How long will it take before I experience results?

Your therapist will be able to give you a more accurate timeline after completing your formal evaluation. Some patients have relief after the first session depending on the injury and treatment.

Each person’s injury and goals are vastly different, meaning the timetable is flexible to your treatment plan.

5. Will I always be seen by a physical therapist? Will it always be the same therapist?

Many patients assume they will see the same physical therapist for each visit, but at some clinics, that isn’t always the case. Some clinics will schedule your appointment with the first available therapist over the course of your treatment plan, so you end up getting treated by multiple therapists. Many clinics also use physical therapy assistants so that your actual time one-on-one with therapist is limited.

At SetPT, physical therapists are the exclusive evaluation and treatment providers for our patients, and you can schedule all your appointments with one therapist.

6. Will I be one-on-one with the physical therapist?

Some clinics will have therapists schedule two or three patients at a time or even conduct group therapy sessions.

Pure Physio believes in providing one-on-one therapy due to the many benefits it provides for you as the patient. As therapists, we can provide you with our direct attention and focus, which helps us understand your needs, challenges and goals while also getting to know you better.

We are all time poor so one to one physio is an efficient use of all of our time.

7. What is the philosophy of treatment?

There are, unfortunately, many clinics in Auckland who seem to try and treat patients as long as possible. At Pure Physio Albany we endeavor to return you to health as quickly as possible,  I tell my accountant this is good business sense because, hopefully, my clients refer their friends but really its mainly because this is what gives me the most job satisfaction.

For evidenced based treatment how do we book in with Pure Physio Albany?

To book expert physio with Pure Physio click here. To see more info from us check out Facebook here. Or to sort an appointment which suits you give us a call on 09 4481277