How to get the most out of your first visit
Questions to ask
What do I have?
This is the answer to your pain. What is the cause of your symptoms? Treating the underlying cause and not just the symptoms is important. This goes deeper than a diagnosis. If you do not know what you have it doesn’t matter what treatment you receive.
What can I do?
What can you do at home to assist in your recovery? Your Physical Therapist can provide you with answers as well as things you can do to speed up your recovery. These can range from changes in how you might accomplish a task, work place changes to improve your posture, or exercises to decrease your pain and improve muscle control.
What can Physical Therapy do for me?
What treatment is recommended for your problem? This is about resolving your pain and treating the cause of your problem. CornerStone Physical Therapy utilizes manipulation and other manual therapy/’hands on’ techniques to restore motion and take care of your pain. Other treatments include trigger point dry needling for muscle knots, diagnostic ultrasound to ‘see’ into your body, video oculography to track eye movement for vertigo, and movement assessments to check if there is a muscle imbalance.
How long will it take?
This is about what to expect for care and the length of time it takes to get better from an injury. Remember, the longer a problem has been going on the longer it takes to get better. Everyone is different and that is why at CornerStone Physical Therapy we utilize a team approach to speed up recovery and why we are constantly assessing your progress.Cornerstone Physical Therapy's Process
Questions you should ask
Make sure you ask any questions to your therapist concerning your condition. The more informed you are about your condition, the more likely you are to recover.
Find out how long your evaluation will be?How many patients the clinic sees per hour per therapist? Will you be treated by a therapist or an assistant?
How experienced are the therapists that work in the clinic?
Do any of them have advanced certifications?
How quickly can I get an appointment?
How to choose a Physical Therapist
Make sure your therapist is licensed in the state that they work in. To verify any therapists' license, you can call the state's Department of Regulatory Affairs (DORA). They will give you the information on the status of the therapists' license. Also, ask the Physical Therapy clinic if they participate with your insurance company and if they submit claims on your behalf to your insurance company. Cornerstone Physical Therapy will verify your insurance prior to your first visit and explain it to you upon arrival. If you wish, we can call you before your appointment to let you know of your financial responsibility.
Make sure that the Physical Therapist treating you has experience and further training in the area of your problem. Each web site you look at will state that their clinic treats every condition imaginable. Look for those that truly specialize. These professionals are those that have further training, certifications, and teach nationally and internationally in the areas of their expertise.
At Cornerstone Physical Therapy because we work as a team, combining our strengths, this allows us to treat a broader range of problems. Including problems that have not previously been successfully treated. The 'Team Approach' works!
