What is NOT Physical Therapy. What consumers need to know before deciding on a physical therapist!

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By David Bertone, PT, DPT, OCS, and Owner of db Orthopedic Physical Therapy

Over the past few decades, the benefits of physical therapy have been even more supported by medical research as well as utilized by consumers directly.The medical model 25 years ago required you to see a physician first for common musculoskeletal problems and then to be referred to physical therapy.That changed in 2003 when Direct Access to physical therapy became law in NJ.

During this time, the number of physical therapy clinics have exploded for two reasons: the cost saving benefits of comprehensive physical therapy in a patient’s recovery from disease, injury or illness and the influx of private equity firms on wall street buying and expanding locations.Wall street involvement has created an opportunity for investors looking for recurrent revenue to feed their profit margins.This has created situations where potential patients must be aware of what is NOT physical therapy, even though they are in a physical therapy facility.

Here is a list of potential situations that should raise your level of concern when getting physical therapy in any practice.Several are not illegal, but should make you seek out another facility:

1. Being asked to prepay for visits/packages.
2. Your financial obligation MUST be given to you in writing, at the time of your initial visit.There should be no surprises for your out of pocket cost for services.
3. You have a right to see the fee schedule being charged to your insurance company.Be aware of excessive/unreasonable fees.
4. Not being asked to pay deductibles, co-insurance or co-pay amounts because the company is charging your insurance company exorbitant fees, is considered insurance fraud.
5. The physical therapist that performs your evaluation should be your treating physical therapist.Being shared among physical therapists will have “too many cooks in the kitchen” and potentially delay your recovery.
6. Being asked to perform unsupervised exercises, especially those that can be performed at home, is not considered skilled physical therapy.
7. Unlicensed aides/techs should NOT be providing treatment!
8. Therapeutic exercise only is not considered comprehensive physical therapy.While supervised, skilled therapeutic exercise prescription is important part of any rehabilitation program, it is not the only component.Your physical therapist should be putting their hands on you for various manual therapy procedures. In addition, educational components and the use of therapeutic modalities for healing and pain control are also an important part of recovering faster.

What should you do if you experience any of these situations and you are not receiving skilled physical therapy?Seek out another physical therapy practice that has 5 star reviews, lists all their physical therapists with credentials on their website, have PT’s with advanced certifications and the practice owner is onsite.You should also file a complaint with the NJ Board of Physical Therapy Examiners (www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/) so others do not experience what is NOT physical therapy.

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