How To Find a Specialist Physical Therapist
Not all physical therapists are the same. I don’t just mean in personality,
either. I am talking about in their
specialty skills. Just like you would
not go to a cardiologist for an ankle sprain, you would not go to an orthopedic
physical therapist after surviving a stroke or being diagnosed with Parkinson’s
or Multiple Sclerosis.
Looking for a specialist PT in the Los Angeles area--check us out at www.reactivept.com
Perhaps this is not wide-spread knowledge yet, but there are
physical therapists that specialize in treating people with neurologic
deficits. Neurologic specialist physical
therapists help clients recover from anything from peripheral nerve injuries to
severe damage to the brain and/or spinal cord.
Examples of common diagnoses that would be included are stroke, brain
injury, spinal cord injury, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, peripheral neuropathy,
amputation, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, brain and/or spinal cord
tumors, and dystonia.
So how do you find the right PT?? A certified neurologic physical therapist
will have the initials “NCS” after his or her name, which stands for Neurologic
Certified Specialist. An NCS physical
therapist has worked in a setting with people who have neurologic deficits for
a minimum of 2 years or has gone through a credentialed neurologic residency
program. These therapists have received concentrated
training in neurology and have passed a credentialing exam given by the
American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS). You can use the ABPTS website – abpts.org –
and click on the “find a specialist” link to find an NCS in your area. You can also use the American Physical
Therapy Association’s (APTA) website – apta.org – to find a specialty physical
therapist in your area by clicking on “Find a PT” at the top of the page. Search engines and Facebook are also ways to
search for a specialty physical therapist near you. Type “NCS physical therapist” or “neurologic
physical therapy” and your city into the search box to locate some potential
therapists near you.
Because neurologic specialist physical therapists are
entrenched in the field, they are more current on the research and treatment
strategies will help you best. Why does
that matter? When you work on things
that actually get you better, you get better sooner, which saves you time and
money! NCS therapists will also arm you
with the tools necessary to be successful for a lifetime of wellness.
Maybe you are in an area where an NCS is not available. Here are some key items to ask your potential
physical therapist so you know they will efficiently lead you to successful
achievement of your goals:
1)
Have you seen someone with a neurologic
condition before? How often?
a.
Experience in one neurologic condition may
carry-over into another. Feel free to
ask if the therapist has seen someone with your specific condition, but don’t
be completely turned off if they haven’t but have experience in other
neurologic conditions.
2)
Have you taken any continuing education courses
for my condition or other neurologic conditions?
3)
What is your background or therapy approach?
a.
Some therapists may have a background in
Pilates, dance, football, etc. Knowing
your potential therapist’s background can help you decide whether they might be
a nice match for you and your preferred style of training.
4)
I have _________ problem (walking, balance,
wheelchair seating, drop foot, forward posture, nerve pain, etc), what is your
experience in treating this and what types of things would you do for it?
a.
You may not know what all of the specific
treatment strategies mean, but this will give you an idea of the breadth of
knowledge and creativity of the therapist.
You want someone who is going to problem-solve the best solutions for
you, specifically, and who is willing to work on this with you.
5)
How much one-on-one time is spent with the
therapist?
a.
This is an important question as a number of
clinics are scheduled such that the therapist sees you for only a short time
(15-30 min) at the beginning of the session, then you would see an aide for the
rest of the time. Finding a location
where you can spend the most time possible with the physical therapist is ideal
because he or she is the one trained in analyzing your movements and assessing
your needs. There are wonderful aides
out there, but they are not trained to assess you or evaluate your specific
needs. Their role is to take you through
exercises that you could often do on your own.
6)
How many visits could I get/how much does each
visit cost? And do you accept my insurance?
a.
These are always good questions to ask and good
information to get. Do not be turned off
by clinics that do not accept insurance, however. There is a growing number of specialty
clinics that are not accepting insurance due to the restrictions that shrinking
reimbursement has on a practice. By
going to a clinic that does not accept insurance but that specializes in what
you need, you may actually save time and money by getting exactly the care you
need in fewer visits.
Looking for a specialist PT in the Los Angeles area--check us out at www.reactivept.com
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