Wednesday, September 08, 2010
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First Visit

To help understand what you might expect from a TherapyWorks physical therapy visit, we will provide a likely scenario.

Mrs. Jones has pain in her shoulder. She sees her doctor and he refers her to physical therapy. He gives her a prescription.

Making the First Appointment: She then calls (805) 772-7358 or comes into TherapyWorks at 500 Quintana Road and makes an appointment for an evaluation with a Registered Physical Therapist. At that time, Mrs. Jones will be asked for her prescription and for some information helpful to the office for billing her insurance. This information will also help the therapist find out as much as possible about the patient and condition. Every effort will be made to get you an appointment within three days.

The History: Mrs. Jones comes in 10 minutes early to her appointment and signs in. We will ask for her prescriptions and insurance cards. She is soon taken to a room with the therapist who evaluates the patient. First a history of the injury is taken. We are trying to ascertain the reason for the injury, the length of time it has been present, the severity of the pain- if any, whether there has been a surgery or other medical concerns that are pertinent.

The Examination: After the history, the therapist can start looking at the problem area, checking for strength, range of motion, tenderness, loss of function, swelling, balance concerns and other factors.

The Treatment: In conjunction with the doctor's prescription we will make a treatment plan based upon what we found during the examination. We will decide if Mrs. Jones needs pain relief, stretching, strengthening, posture work, balance training or any other treatment and work out a program that appropriately addresses the problem(s) found.

Mrs. Jones will likely be given a program of exercises to perform at home. Sometimes this is all that is required, but more often she will need some ongoing appointments for further treatments. These treatments will be a combination of one-on-one treatments with the therapist, assistants and aides in our physical therapy gym and private treatment rooms. Some of the treatment modalities and procedures she is likely to receive are:
  • Mobilization/stretching
    		•
  • Therapeutic exercise
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  • Gait training, balance training
    		•
  • Soft tissue mobilization/massage
    		•
  • Strengthening exercises
    		•
  • Posture review and education
    		•
  • Stabilization exercises
    		•
  • Ultrasound
    		•
  • Electrical Stimulation
    		•
  • McConnell Taping
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  • Kinesio-Taping
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  • Ice packs/ice massage
    		•
  • Iontophoresis
    		•
  • Scar mobilization
    		•

    There are many other options and specific treatments offered by physical therapists for the benefit of their patients. The goal of the doctor and physical therapist is to intervene only as much as necessary to enhance the likelihood of recovery. A typical amount of treatment is six to twelve visits. This is determined by a combination of the patient's wishes, the doctor's recommendations, the therapist's recommendations and the limitation of insurance payment.

    		 
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