Physical therapists are some of the most caring people on the planet. They often deal with patients who have gone through traumatic injuries or have debilitating conditions. And they know very well how hard it is to go through something like that. That’s why a good physical therapist will do everything in their power to lift some weight off your shoulders.
If you’re seeking help, but don’t quite know what makes a good physical therapist, follow our guide so we can help bring you some clarity.
What is Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy is a form of care that mainly focuses on rehabilitation and prevention. Through consistent therapy, your physical therapist will help you regain function in areas affected by a serious injury. Physical therapists can also help do the same for patients suffering from chronic conditions such as arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Furthermore, patients recovering from hip-replacement surgeries may also find physical therapy (PT) beneficial. Some specialists can also help patients regain neurological function.
How do I Find a Good Physical Therapist?
Finding a good physical therapist may be challenging, especially when there’s so many different aspects to consider. Down below, we’ll create a list of things to think about when searching for a good physical therapist.
#1: Your Healthcare Plan
The number one thing to consider when searching for a good physical therapist is your healthcare plan. Your first step in this process should be to call your local therapy clinics to see if they accept your healthcare plan. However, if they don’t accept it, most physical therapy clinics will gladly accept payments outside of your insurance provider and often have discounted plans for out of network patients, like this physical therapist in Brick, NJ.
#2: Certification
Finding a physical therapist with the right certifications is of the utmost importance. To ensure this, ask to view their license and then do some research. You can verify the integrity of their license through your state’s licensing board. Following through with this step will guarantee you’re receiving the most professional care.
#3: Service Inquiry
Once you have a specific therapy clinic in mind, call them to inquire on what services they offer. All licensed physical therapists are broadly trained for a variety of complications and injuries. However, there’s a chance that a physical therapy clinic may specialize in a specific field. If that’s the case, ask them if they can refer you to someone with experience on treating a patient like yourself.
#4: Specializations
When searching for a good physical therapist, you’ll want one with specified knowledge on your type of case. And as we’ve stated above, many physical therapists have chosen to specialize in a certain field. These specializations include: Oncology, neurology, pediatrics, geriatrics, women’s health, wound management, sports, orthopedics, clinical electrophysiology, cardiovascular & pulmonary.
If one of these specialized fields lines up with your case, be sure to ask the clinic if they have a specialist on site.
#5: Have a Sit-Down
Before making your final decision and hiring a physical therapist, request a meeting with them. This really helps get a good feel on who they are as a person and physical therapist. Great questions to ask include:
- “Have you treated someone like me before?”
- “Why do you like being a physical therapist?”
- “How many patients have you treated?”
- “Do your patients ever affect you personally?”
During your meeting, pay attention to how they treat you. A great physical therapist will always treat you like a human or a friend, instead of just something they have to do for their job.
