Where can you find the right services when you need a physical therapy program? The right services depend on your physical condition or injury, so you need a physical therapist to address those needs and your expected goals and help you achieve them.
Here’s what to consider when choosing and where you can find the best physical therapist in Johnson City, Tennessee.
What’s Your Condition?
Physical therapy has become very focused. Today’s physical therapists address numerous acute and chronic conditions related to the musculoskeletal system, heart and lungs, balance and coordination, sports performance and injury, work-related injury, post-surgical recovery, and complex neurological conditions, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, MS, and more.
So, you need to understand the specifics of your injury or condition. This knowledge, provided by your PCP and other providers involved in your care, will help you select the physical therapist suited to distinct physical requirements.
Ask for a Referral
Your PCP should direct you toward the right physical therapist. However, you also can inquire about friends and relatives who may have used PT to recover, build strength or adapt to a new health condition. Read online reviews about therapists in your area who focus on your specific needs.
Check the Credentials
Your therapist should have these initials after his or her name: PT or DPT (doctor of physical therapy). That means this professional has the education, training, and licensure to perform a variety of treatment modalities. The clinic’s website may give additional information about the therapist’s area of expertise and if the clinic has the in-house diagnostic and treatment capabilities you need.
Verify Your Insurance
Make sure the physical therapist is in-network with your health insurance. Verify this with the insurance carrier and ask about copays and how many treatments your insurance will pay for.
Advocate for the Care You Need
This boils down to good communication between the patient and therapist. Choose a physical therapist who:
- Listens to your concerns regarding pain, ambulation, task performance, strength, endurance, coordination, and more
- Works with you to compile achievable goals
- Is patient when teaching a new skill or demonstrating the use of medical equipment or at-home exercises
- Challenges you to do your best and to be persistent
- Changes your care plan as you progress
Physical Therapy Services in Johnson City, Tennessee
At Watauga Orthopaedics in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, our physical therapy team is highly motivated to help people achieve and maintain maximum functionality, movement, and independence.
Whether you have arthritis, wish to speed healing after orthopedic surgery, need to improve your balance, or have another goal in mind, we can help with today’s most advanced services.
To know more about our services or schedule a consultation, call us today at (423)282-9011 or fill in our online appointment request form.