So you’ve gotten a prescription from your doctor to try physical therapy... Now what? Finding the right physical therapist for you after a car crash or work injury is a personal decision, but some criteria just can’t be overlooked. Use these tips to find the right physical therapist for your health needs!
1. Make sure you have a referral
Yes, you need a referral or prescription to see a physical therapist in New York State. A script or referral can be provided by your primary care provider, as well as most specialists, such as an orthopedic doctor. Being prepared ahead of time will make your first appointment so much smoother, so give your primary a call today and, either in-person or through telehealth, ask them for a physical therapy referral.
2. Consider your location
Car crashes or work injuries can certainly take their toll. Sometimes, your physical therapist may recommend a few treatments per week. If you’ll be seeing a physical therapist frequently, you’ll want to make sure their location is close to your home or workplace, either so that you can drive there yourself or take the bus route. Having a location close to home offers much better flexibility and makes it that much easier to maintain your appointments. (Did you know that BC + PT offers physical therapy in two of our four locations - Lovejoy and North Buffalo?)
3. Find out who you’ll be seeing
Some physical therapy locations set you up with one physical therapist, but then you receive care through a rotation of different physical therapists or assistants. Some physical therapy locations (like ours!) schedule you with one doctor, each visit. It’s important to find out from any clinic if you’ll be seeing the same physical therapist for every visit so that you can keep a consistent schedule. Consistency is key here- you deserve an excellent physical therapy experience, and your PT should always give you their full attention and presence. The physical therapists here at BC + PT rotate between locations, so that way your appointments at a specific location week to week will always be the same days, and if you need to go to our other location, you can still see your SAME physical therapist!
4. Check if your PT accepts your insurance
Check your health plan to determine the specific details of your coverage in order to pay the least out-of-pocket expenses. Have the physical therapist’s office verify acceptance of your particular plan so that you know from the start what you’ll be paying versus what is covered by insurance. Our physical therapists at BC + PT currently accept No-Fault insurance, Workers Comp insurance, as well as a handful of private insurances.
5. Confirm the PT has experience in your specific area
Different outpatient clinics offer various kinds of specialization, such as sports medicine, back and/or neck strain and joint replacement. Their PTs may offer special skills and additional areas of certification, ranging from pediatric care to geriatric patient therapy. Calling several different clinics or visiting their websites is your right as a patient in order to get as much information as necessary for you to make an informed decision. The physical therapists at BC + PT focus on injuries such as car crash injuries, work injuries, or sports injuries, and we also offer rehabilitation for pre- and post-operative care. Each BC + PT physical therapist is knowledgeable and well-rounded and has the ability to work closely with the BC+PT chiropractic team to get you the best care possible.
With your script in hand and all your ducks in a row, you should be all set to find the right physical therapist for you. We may be biased, but we think our physical therapists here at BC + PT can check all the boxes! Give us a call today or explore the rest of our website to view more info. Stop waiting and start healing!