The Top 3 Physical Therapy Myths
First of all, let’s review what Physical Therapy is!
Physical Therapy (PT) is a form of healthcare that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders related to the body's various body systems such as cardiovascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal.
It helps to restore movement and function of the body through various rehabilitation exercises and treatments, and can also work to promote optimal levels of fitness for prevention of certain diseases and illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol, etc.
Now that we have a better idea of what PT is, let’s dive in to some of the most common PT myths!
Physical Therapy Myth #1: Physical Therapy is Only For Injuries
Yes, Physical therapists do treat a wide array of injuries, but that is not all that we do!
Physical therapists are also trained to help prevent physical injury and manage pain. Physical therapy can be used to treat a wide range of issues, from chronic pain to sports injuries to conditions caused by age or illness. It can also help improve cardiovascular fitness, balance, posture, range of motion, strength, and coordination.
My practice emphasizes a holistic approach to health and wellness and implements pain management strategies such as dry needling, cupping, manual therapies, stretching, blood flow restriction training and progressive exercises to help you become the most resilient version of yourself.
Our hope is that you will leave PT feeling even better than when you first came in, and you will have a primary Physical Therapist to go to for all of your health and wellness needs in the future.
Physical Therapy Myth #2: You Need a Referral to See a Physical Therapist
Although this varies state by state, in most states you do not need a referral from a physician to see a Physical Therapist!
For example, in Indiana where my practice is located, you can go directly to a PT for up to 42 days before you need a referral from a physician. In the majority of cases, this is plenty of time to assess and treat common musculoskeletal disorders in order to potentially avoid more invasive interventions like injections and surgery!
Physical Therapy Myth #3: All Physical Therapy is the Same
The third Physical Therapy myth is a little more complex, so let’s get after it!
I want to start off by saying all Physical Therapy is not created equal, and neither are Physical Therapists for that matter. Just like any profession, there are good providers and bad providers. Sometimes it takes some time to weed through the crowd to find a PT that you connect with and one who listens to your needs but is also qualified to help you!
When I began my career as a Physical Therapist, I quickly realized that the fast paced, see 3-4 patients per hour, hand people off to aides kind of clinic was NOT IT! I found myself hating the thing I invested most of my time and a lot of my money to do. So what did I do to change that?! I opened a cash based PT practice that I could customize to fit my personal needs as well as the needs of my clients.
This allows me to treat clients exclusively 1:1 without the use of aides, trainers or assistants. 100% of each and every session is dedicated to you in this setting, without distractions. I have found that this allows for better patient outcomes and a more authentic patient-provider relationship.
I have also had the freedom to specialize in the area of treating chronic pain with integrative dry needling and I incorporate all aspects of wellness into my practice rather than just the physical.
If this treatment model sounds like you could fit right in with it, schedule a free consult to learn more about my practice, Wildflower Physical Therapy & Wellness! If you are unable to pay out of pocket for therapy, and you have excellent insurance, I recommend doing a lot more research into the specific PT clinic itself as well as each of the providers that work there to make sure you get high quality care.
If you think you want to experience the incredible benefits of Physical Therapy, schedule a complimentary screen with one of our qualified Physical Therapists to learn how dry needling and Physical Therapy can help you!