Whether you recently had surgery, are dealing with an injury or have suffered chronic pain for years, a physical therapist, might recommend physical therapy. As an important step in recovery, you need to attend every appointment so your body will receive the therapy it needs. If this is your first time seeing a physical therapist, you might have some questions.
1. What Will the First Appointment Be Like?
A typical first appointment will consist of the physical therapist understanding your ailment and your health history. You’ll probably have some paperwork to fill out, and the therapist will then discuss it with you. There may be some manual, visual and clinical tests performed so the therapist can truly understand what you’re dealing with.
2. What Types of Exercises Are Performed During Therapy?
Physical therapy is a mixture of exercises that work together for your overall health. Everybody is different and every ailment will require different exercises. Your physical therapist will determine a course of action based on the initial examination. Some exercises that you might perform include:
- Pain Relief Exercises – This includes targeting certain areas where the pain resides.
- Strengthening Exercises – This includes lifting weights, using resistance bands, doing pushups and other similar movements.
- Stretching Exercises – This includes gentle movements that will warm your muscles so you can participate in other exercises and keep your body agile.
3. Is Physical Therapy Painful?
If you’ve never had physical therapy before, it’s understandable you want to know whether it’s painful. The good news is when done correctly, it shouldn’t be painful. If you do feel pain, you should let the therapist know immediately so he or she can reassess the situation. There’s a chance you’ll feel a good pain, like what you feel after a nice workout, but that should be all, and it shouldn’t linger past that day.
4. Does Insurance Cover Physical Therapy?
In many cases, physical therapy is medically necessary, so a lot of insurers will include it as a covered benefit. If therapy isn’t recommended by your primary care physician or surgeon, there’s a chance it won’t be covered. You should speak with your insurer to understand what benefits you have for physical therapy.
Ask Your Physical Therapist Today
This is a start that gives you some information about physical therapy, but you might have more questions you need answers to. Contact a physical therapist today to get those answers and to get your initial appointment scheduled.