Be as picky with your PT as you are with your mate!
So you read my last post and bought into the concept of physical therapy… Perfect! But now you want to ensure that you choose the clinic or even therapist who will work best with and for you. Because who wants to go to PT 2-3 times a week to work with someone who is only there to get a paycheck and go home. I personally made this website because I want you to have a good source to help you determine who/where you will get the best results. Remember that this is all my personal opinion and you can take it or leave it at your own discretion. But my directory is hand-picked for a reason!!!
Let’s make this easy and break it down into different categories:
1. Certifications – Ever wonder what all those letters after a healthcare professional’s name means? Yeah me too. And honestly there are so many that I couldn’t tell you what all of them stand for. I mean there are people out there with the whole alphabet listed after their name. The majority of those abbreviations are certifications that those individuals have achieved so that you know their area of focus. It helps them market themselves to patients who they have a particular interest in treating.
For example, if you read my about me page (which you need to go look at if you haven’t, I’m just saying) you will notice the abbreviations DPT and SCS. DPT stands for Doctor of Physical Therapy, which lets you know that I have graduated from an accredited physical therapy program and am indeed an actual board certified Physical Therapist. Don’t let this be confused with personal trainers! When searching for a physical therapist look for abbreviations like PT and DPT, don’t be fooled by personal trainers calling themselves PT’s. THEY ARE NOT PT’s. Their technical abbreviation is CPT (Certified Personal Trainer). The SCS stands for Sports Certified Specialist, which is a part of the APTA’s American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.
It tells you that I am board certified in the treatment of athletes and sports injuries, which is the population that I personally have an interest in treating. Certifications show a dedication to the profession through advancement of clinical skills in physical therapy specialty areas. So research those letters after their name, make sure you know where their specialties lie.
2. Continuing education – In order to renew your license and continue practicing, all therapist have to take continuing education courses. These courses are to help keep therapist updated on current treatment techniques with evidence based research and to help them continue learning and growing as a therapist. Healthcare is ever changing and treatment techniques and diagnostic measures are being improved daily, so why not have a therapist who is advancing their skill set as well with the improvements that are being noted in healthcare?
Remember way way back in the day when doctors used things like cigarettes and cocaine to treat conditions because they honestly had no idea what would actually work. Yeah, continuing education prevents stuff like that from happening again. A professional athlete who just suffered an ACL tear and underwent reconstruction would probably opt for the therapist who is proficient with rehabbing this injury. They would want a therapist who has possibly taken a few ACL courses and is up to date on the rehab protocol that has shown the best results. Especially when playing a sport is your livelihood as opposed to the sedentary typist who tore her ACL walking down the steps and doesn’t necessarily need the same rehab focus as an athlete who has to get back to improving their speed, power and strength.
3. Attentiveness – Probably my favorite category of them all. When you talk, is your therapist actively listening and making eye contact with you? If they’ve been treating you for several weeks and things aren’t getting better, are they trying new things and changing up your treatment program? Or are they content with continuing to do the same things over and over again despite the fact that nothing has changed over the last few months? Do you feel like you get adequate one on one time? Or do they have 5 other patients they are treating at the same time as you? And lastly, do you spend majority of the time going through your exercises alone or with a tech? Or are they right there with you cuing you for proper technique and assessing your tolerance to your current treatment?
I have worked in many clinics as a travel therapist and some of these are my biggest pet peeves. I personally prefer to work in an environment that does not make my patients feel like they are just merchandise in a factory. I like the quality one on one care approach because I want my patients to not only get better faster, but feel like I truly care about them. I understand that this isn’t always practical and companies need to see a certain amount of patients in order to get reimbursed enough to keep their doors open. Although that’s fine and dandy, I personally find patients do better when they get quality time with the therapist. I typically will not take a job if it means I have to treat 3 or more patients at once. Not only does it make my patients feel like they are at a factory, but I get burnt out as a clinician myself.
4. Consistency – This topic can go different ways. Depending on your therapist’s schedule and your personal availability, sometimes you may float between therapists in order to get the appointment time you need. There may be situations where switching between therapists is unavoidable and that’s understandable. However if you CAN, I suggest trying to stay with the same therapist throughout your rehabilitation. Every therapist treats differently and everyone has a different background. The therapist who did your evaluation may be thinking one thing in terms of where your treatment will be focused, but then your next visit may be with someone else who either thinks you should go a different way, or a therapist who may not be trained in the same treatment techniques as the evaluating therapist. Inconsistency with treatments may possibly lead to a patient not seeing the results they should be.
In a perfect world, therapist would always talk to each other about patients they may have to share to ensure consistency with treatments. But what world is perfect? Although some therapist do talk to each other about these things, not every environment gives therapists that opportunity. Some clinics are so busy that their therapists don’t necessarily have the time to discuss every single patient. If you can stay with the same therapist, or even the same two therapists, that is highly recommended over jumping from therapist to therapist and seeing 4-5 different people.
Be as picky with your healthcare provider as you are with every other aspect of your life. Typically we know if we are going to be a good match with another person after the 2nd or 3rd date right? Sometimes even after the 1st, so why not with the people in charge of the direction of your care?
Okay that’s my rant for the day… Now go check out the Find PT section and get back to living!
Want to learn more about the American Physical Therapy Association’s Board certification specialties? Check out the ABPTS website…
