In the article of the same name from NBCnews.com (read it here), they suggest 4 things that a physical therapist is more able to address than your physician. They are:
1) Assess your risk of injury.
2) Recommend the best workout for your body.
3) Speed your recovery.
4) Correct postural and alignment problems.
Physical therapists are movement experts. Our entire education is dedicated to the body's anatomy, musculoskeletal and biomechanical mechanics, how injuries and disease processes effect these mechanics, and how to restore mechanics. MDs receive very little, if any, education in these areas. DOs do receive more, but regardless of the amount of education, physicians simply do not have the time to fully address these issues. Due to insurance restrictions, the typical physician office visit is 5-15 minutes. That's hardly enough time to tell the doctor what's bothering you!
At Integrate 360 Physical Therapy, we spend 60-90 minutes with new patients which allow us to obtain a detailed medical and mechanics history, perform a thurough and global (PRI) assessment, educate you on what the "problems" are and work with you on fixing the underlying issues that are causing your pain, not just addressing the symptoms. Because of our extensive data collection and time spent with our patients, we are able to address the 4 listed items above better than any health professional, physical therapist or otherwise.
Ready to schedule an appointment? Want more information? Call us at 314-733-5000 or email Lesley@Integrate360PT.com or Nancy@Integrate360PT.com
Written by Lesley Callaham, MPT November 14, 2017