Happy February Everybody! I hope you’re enjoying this calm winter!
We’ve been receiving some questions recently about our new water therapy. I would like to discuss two cases we have had over the last 2 weeks. The first case was an old patient of ours. She was referred to another physical therapy provider for water therapy. When she called to make an appointment, this patient was informed that they had no openings for 3 weeks. This patient informed the physical therapy scheduler that her physician wanted her in immediately, twice a week for 4 weeks to help her painful problem. The scheduler informed this patient that they would have to wait to be treated.
Since this patient had been to our clinic before for a previous back problem, which she overcame with our help, she called our office for guidance. One of our therapists informed the patient that we now have water therapy and could get her in for treatment in the next 48 hours, if she wished. The patient was hesitant to go to a different place other than where her physician had sent her. The patient actually thought, that if she came to our office, her insurance would not reimburse her because her physician wasn’t sending her to our clinic.
Her fears were typical and understandable. However, what so many patients have never been taught by most medical providers, is that they have the freedom to go to any physical therapist they choose. In Indiana, a patient can go to any physical therapist before seeing a physician for up to 42 days.
Once the patient realizes this, the next important fear comes in. Will their insurance pay for physical therapy care at their chosen physical therapy clinic? This fear can be overcome with the help of the physical therapy clinic. After calling in this case, we researched her insurance and found out we were in her insurance plan. We also found out that her water treatment was covered by her insurance. We got her in, and she is doing well with her water therapy.
The next case is much closer to home. I have 7 sisters. One of my sister’s moved from the east coast years ago. This is one of my older sisters. She is 67 years old, has worked at Walmart for over 20 years and rarely misses a day’s work. Unfortunately, since she is a single mom of 5 children and 12 or 13 grandchildren, she runs herself into the ground working and being a “mom” to many of her grandchildren. As a result, her knees, back and hips are very painful. She has little time for exercise, and most exercises she has been given are too painful to perform.
How could I be her brother and a physical therapist for over 37 years and not think of a way that physical therapy might be able to help my sister with her pain? Well, now that we have water therapy available, we can. She loves warm water, and she began exercising in our water therapy unit 3 weeks ago one time a week. She is very self-conscious of her weight and did not want to be seen in a bathing suit in front of anyone. After showing her our water therapy, which is in a private treatment room, she decided to try. (We do have 2 locker rooms right next to our water therapy room, but she wanted to come into the room and change privately.)
Long story short, my sister is now coming in twice a week. She is able to move her hips, back and knees in the warm water much more than she can out of the water. She is feeling less tight and painful when she walks and addresses stairs. She is slowly beginning to take care of herself for the first time since becoming a mom over 40 years ago.
What I have learned, as we begin our new water therapy program, after all these years of not having one, is that I need to remind our patients about our new water program. Why? Because no one in pain should be waiting 3 weeks to get help! We are pretty good at getting most patients in within 24-48 hours. But, we, as a group, have not been good at educating physicians nor patients of the new water therapy unit.
Please feel free to go to our website,
www.McDonaldpt.com, or come in to our clinic, to see our warm water Hydroworx unit. This water therapy unit is very easy to get in and out of, and there are only 42 in the country as of today. Maybe, you are waiting to get into water therapy or maybe you are having difficulty walking, standing or addressing stairs and need to exercise in warm water. If any of these challenges are relatable, please feel free to call. We will get you in within 24-48 hours.
Enjoy the journey,
Fran
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How to Get the Most Out of Physical Therapy
We’ve all been there. You think that twinge is nothing to worry about. You push through. Months pass but you can’t shake the nagging pain, and Dr. Google doesn’t provide any relief. You finally admit you have a problem you can’t solve on your own.
“It blows my mind how much attention, money, and energy people put into their gear but then don’t put into the thing that uses the gear,” says
Nicole Haas
, a physical therapist based in
Boulder, Colorado
. “Everyone knows you need to tune your skis and tune your bike. PTs are quite literally the mechanics of humans.”
There are a lot of misconceptions about
physical therapy
: it’s a long and expensive process, it’s only for severe injuries, you’ll have to stop doing what you love. But often it takes just a session or two to get back on the right track, and plenty of PTs encourage their patients to keep doing their sport (with modifications) during the recovery process. The faster you seek help, the faster you’ll likely be back in action.
Deciding to see a medical professional is the first and hardest step. Once you’ve committed, follow Haas’s advice, below, on how to make the most of physical therapy.
Recognize When You Need Help
Chronic
overuse injuries
can be challenging to recognize and accept. If something has been lingering for two weeks or longer and isn’t getting better, Haas recommends seeing a medical professional for an evaluation. The discomfort doesn’t need to be consistent throughout the day, Haas adds. “If the pain shows up whenever you do a particular sport or activity, there’s a biomechanical problem,” she says.
Whether you should see a PT or your primary-care physician first is another consideration. The
direct access
law allows patients in all 50 states to see a licensed PT without a prescription or referral from a physician, according to the American Physical Therapy Association. However, there are limitations in
certain states
. If you think your injury is biomechanical and doesn’t stem from any underlying medical issues, going directly to a PT can save you valuable time, not to mention co-pays. If your PT has any concerns, they can always refer you back to your doctor.
You might be inclined to just take a few weeks off, but passive rest won’t correct the underlying issues that led to the injury in the first place. Early intervention means quicker recovery, potentially fewer visits, and higher odds that you’ll be able to continue doing your sport (with modifications) during the recovery period.
Choose the Right PT
Physical therapists span a broad spectrum
of approaches, training, philosophies, and experience. Research a PT’s education, specialization, and experience, and ask around for recommendations. Physical therapists who work with athletes frequently—and, ideally, are athletes themselves—will better understand your passion and goals.
If your PT is part of a larger practice, ensure you’ll get to see the same person each time, rather than a rotating cast. It’s useful to ask how much face-to-face time you’ll get during each session, too. If the PT keeps an open line of communication between visits, responding to calls, texts, or emails, you may see faster progress and more personalized care.
Be a Good Historian
Your PT is a detective. During your initial evaluation, they need as much information as possible to create a treatment plan. Create a timeline of your injury in advance, including how it has progressed or changed over time, what aggravates the pain, and what makes it feel better. Note when the pain showed up and whether anything in particular provoked it, like a crash or a tweaky movement. If there wasn’t a specific incident, think about when you first started to feel symptoms. What else was going on? Did you increase or change your training? Even simple things like
new running shoes
or ski boots or
long hours at your desk
can trigger a problem.
Use Physical Therapy as an Educational Opportunity
Haas sees two types of patients: those who treat their appointment like an obligation and move disinterestedly through a laundry list of exercises, and those who show up curious to learn about their body and how to care for it. “The success of therapy isn’t just about doing the exercises but understanding the issue and the things that can be done throughout one’s daily life,” says Haas. Come with an open mind, and ask questions.
Overcommunicate
Tell your PT what you’re feeling throughout your appointment, whether you think it’s important information or not. “If I have you move in a certain way, I’m not just looking for pain, I might be looking for tightness or other sensations.” Haas says.
Be honest throughout the whole process. “If you’re given a program that’s not achievable, either because of motivation or time, communicate that,” says Haas. “In an ideal world, everyone would have time every day to take care of themselves, but that’s not reality.” If you suspect the program isn’t working for you, be open about that, too.
Finally, have clear goals, and make sure your PT is aware of them, especially if you have upcoming events on the calendar. Your recovery program might look very different if you have an important competition in six weeks.
Actively Participate
“Instead of being upset about your injury or frustrated you can’t participate, harness that mental and physical energy, and move in a forward direction,” says Haas. “If you convert negative feelings into productive energy, you can get back to the thing you want to be doing faster.”
Do your exercises, of course, but remember that recovery involves many factors—there are likely changes you can make in your daily life, too. Be mindful of what feeds the problem, and develop ways to prevent that with your PT. This could include correcting your posture, finding new footwear, or adjusting your sleeping position. “Injuries are like a scab,” says Haas, “If you keep picking at it all day long with little things here and there, it won’t have the opportunity to heal.”
Be Patient
Going too hard too fast can set you back dramatically. Ask for a general recovery timeline, including when you should expect to feel certain changes and when you can reintroduce activities (and at what intensity). While you’re easing back in, communicate about any tweaks or twinges. Your PT should be able to tell you what type of pain and soreness to expect and when to rest.
Don’t Get Hurt Again
If you’re susceptible to a particular injury pattern, whether that’s due to your physiology, lifestyle, or the general wear and tear of a demanding sport, you need to actively protect your body. Your PT should provide you with an injury-prevention plan, which could be as simple as a handful of exercises to do once or twice a week for maintenance. “If you’re coming back for round two for the same body part, it’s one of our faults,” Haas says.
Don’t ignore early signs of stress. If you feel an injury sneaking up on you, contact your PT right away. They may be able to offer advice remotely, so you can nip it in the bud without needing to come back in.
Article by Hayden Carpenter in Outside Magazine
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Join the MPT Team Feb 16th and support St Margaret's Winter Walk
Winter Walk is a fundraising walk to support the work of St. Margaret’s House. Scheduled in the middle of the winter, the community joins together for a one mile walk in solidarity with the women and children of St. Margaret’s House whose everyday means of transportation is their feet. Regardless of the weather – sun, rain, snow or sleet.
REGISTER HERE
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McDonald Physical Therapy
(574) 233-5754
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