Finding the best physical therapy clinic to suit your issues can be a challenging task. Do you choose one based on location, staff or doctor referral? The answer is it depends on what you value to be successful. When it comes to choosing the right clinic for you, ultimately, the most important factor is getting healthy.
Although many states have direct access to physical therapy in which they can see a therapist without seeing an MD first, it still may not be an easy choice. Often, an MD will give a patient a list of therapists they prefer or use regularly. These are usually just suggestions unless the physician has specified a particular therapist for a reason. You still may want to look up the facility and see if it is a fit with your injury and your values.
Do Your Due Diligence
It is important to research the facility before you attend a session. The most common way is to look up a clinic you are considering online. Many clinics will have a mission statement as well as each physical therapist’s biography. This will help you understand if you feel their philosophy matches with what you hope to achieve from your sessions. It will also give you a look at the therapist experience, specialties and certifications.
Online reviews can also be a key aspect in helping choose a center. You want to always take these with a grain of salt. People are going to have different experiences that affect their opinion and strong view points that may not be as important to you as other aspects of the center. This is not always the case but something to keep in mind. Reviews can be helpful with the quality of the facility and how a clinic treats its patients.
Recommendations from friends is another terrific way to find a clinic. Many people often have a therapist they love and want to share their positive experience. This gives you a chance to ask about the treatment, facility and time spent with the patient as well as any other aspects that are important to your care. You may want to ask a few friends their opinions and then you can research their recommendations online to gather additional information.
Social media pages can be helpful as well. Friends may post on a page that they had a positive experience or you may be able to look at the center you are interested in through their Facebook or Instagram pages. These pages can give you further insight into how the facility operates and may even contain videos of exercise or treatments as well as reviews.
Evaluate the Staff
Once you have found a clinic that seems to work for you (whether you base it on location, philosophy or doctor recommendation), it is important to look at the therapist you may be seeing or who you would like to see. As mentioned above, reading a therapist’s biography, as well as additional information about them such as blog posts or publications, can give you a better sense of the therapist’s knowledge and philosophies.
If you’re an athlete, you may prefer someone who has an athletic background or an interest in sports. If you are in chronic pain, someone who has written articles regarding strategies to deal with pain through exercise may be a better choice for you. If you have concerns about the therapist, calling the center and asking to speak to the person who will be treating you can be helpful in gathering additional information. A therapist should be willing to talk with you before meeting you and answer any questions you may have.
We know finding the right clinic cannot always be an easy task. Here at SetPT, we are always open to help you with any questions and concerns you may have about your treatment or the facility.
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