As I entered graduate school for Physical Therapy back in 2006, wide-eyed and confident that I’d be single-handedly restoring quality of life to the greater Philadelphia area, I had no idea what I’d be in for. At that time, I thought physical therapy was rehabilitating patients after injury or surgery. That’s it. Despite being an athlete throughout school, I had never really experienced a severe-enough injury that would land me in a PT’s office. As I went out on my clinical rotations and eventually took a position in a hospital-based outpatient clinic, my definition of PT expanded to include paperwork, insurance coverage limitations, copays, treating multiple patients at a time, and productivity quotas. PT seemed to be becoming more about money and less about the patient. As a young PT, I admit that I fell into this trap. Having a competitive, type A personality, I thought that the more money I could generate, the better therapist I would be.
Unfortunately, the way healthcare is these days, many clinics rely on insurance reimbursement for payment. The more people you can treat at a time increases the amount of money coming in, but all at the expense of quality care. In many cases, it has become an assembly line of patients essentially running themselves through the same six exercises for several weeks, passively laying on a hot pack, or riding a stationary bike to nowhere while their therapist eagerly catches up on their slew of notes. This has often changed people’s perceptions of PT, and not for the better. I always thought that part of our responsibility as a PT was to promote our profession, not turn people off of it.
The older I became, the more I realized that PT is not all about productivity and beating the insurance game. The best way I could escape continually getting sucked into the game was to open my own cash-based clinic, void of insurance contracts, copays, and visit limitations. Now PT is whatever my clients need it to be. PT is about becoming the best YOU possible. It’s about being able to do what you want to do, when you want to do it. It is about enhancing the entire person physically, psychologically, emotionally, and socially. It IS about quality of life.
I challenge you to think about what your current perception of PT is based on your past experiences, comments from friends and family, or from other healthcare providers. Then consider that PT is about promotion of health, prevention of illness/injury, treatment and intervention, habilitation, and rehabilitation. Yes, PT can help you recover from that rotator cuff repair, but it could have also prevented the need for that repair had you sought treatment when you first noticed an issue. PT is pain management, performance improvement, and education. The ultimate goal of physical therapy should always be to educate the client on how to move better, treat themselves, and live healthfully.
My advice to you is that when choosing a therapist, go to one who practices what they preach. All too often I hear therapists say to their patients, “Oh, I can’t do that. I don’t really exercise.” Trust a therapist who is able to do each of the challenges they pose to you. If it’s good enough for you, it should be good enough for them! You should also feel comfortable with your therapist, feeling free to contribute to your plan of care, because It is YOUR plan of care. If you are invested in your plan, you are more likely to benefit. Seek a therapist who sets realistic time frames for your recovery. Understand that 3 visits per week for 8 weeks is a business strategy, not a time frame that reflects the truth. Your therapist should also be comfortable trying and using different treatment techniques. Don’t choose one that is happy with the status quo. They should be growing with the times and keeping up with the evidence. Lastly, make sure that your therapist encourages you to participate in your plan. You are the consumer and should have input into your treatment. PT works best when it is a joint effort.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences regarding physical therapy. You can email me at anne@thumannpt.com, send me a message on Instagram @thumannphysical, or simply call me at 570.470.6662.