5 Reasons to Try Online Physical Therapy
Online physical therapy offers some advantages over traditional physical therapy. In a changing and busy world it is often difficult to go to physical therapy for varied reasons. I have been a physical therapist for over 30 years. I love my job, and enjoy the interactions with my clients. With rising costs and the busyness of life, there are many people I see that should have come to PT much sooner. Small issues can become much bigger if they are neglected. Online physical therapy developed programs such as www.youthfulphysicaltherapy.com, or virtual PT may be a great place to start. Here are 5 reasons why.
Cost- Even with insurance, PT can cost hundreds of dollars per visit. A lot of places are going to cash based due to more limitations on visits and difficulty with approvals. With the cost of insurances getting higher, a lot of plans offer higher deductibles. In most programs those deductibles have to be met before any money from insurance goes to your PT visit. For example if you have a $3000 deductible, you usually have to meet all of that before they start paying the 80% of your PT visit. This puts a high cost on going to PT. For online program based PT that cost is very minimal. In Virtual PT there are a lot of different options, but usually the cost is significantly less.
Time- Working with a lot of sports injuries, these athletes are busy. Which means their parents are even busier. Gone are the days you play your sport in season, and then go on to the next thing. Sports are year round, and if you happen to play more than one sport, your life is crazy. I have 4 boys who all played 2 sports. I was so happy when they could drive, but it still was a very difficult schedule to maintain. Added another thing to the schedule can be impossible. If you are the parent, your injury never gets treated. Online PT programs allow you to do your exercises whenever you have the time. Virtual visits usually have flexible times, you can do from your phone if you need to.
Convenience- This goes a long with time, but is a little different. Online PT allows you to do your exercises or visits, from the comfort of your own home. Or wherever you may be with internet, even when you are on vacation or a business trip. You don’t have to take the whole family to PT if you have young kids. You can do this anywhere and almost anytime you want. Physical Therapy has to be booked ahead of time, and isn’t always fluent with changing schedules.
Small issues- We all have aches and pains. It is hard to know what needs to be seen by a doctor. Then if we need a doctor, knowing which type of doctor is best suited. Sometimes it takes so long to get in to be seen, it is weeks of dealing with an issue that could have been easily taken care of with a few stretches or exercises. Physical therapy developed exercise programs or a quick virtual visit with a PT, is a great place to start. If there is any concern, or continued lingering pain, you should see your doctor.
Increasing Independence- I love my job and enjoy interactions with my clients, but sometimes clients want to keep coming forever. Physical Therapy can be an emotional type of healing and socialization that clients can really benefit from. That is one of the things I love so much about seeing clients in person, but sometimes the client relies on the physical therapist vs improving their own ability to perform what is needed to improve their condition. Although Virtual PT there is interaction and involvement, it encourages clients to become independent with their care.
There will always be a need for in person physical therapy. Certain conditions need hands on techniques or different surgeries need to be closely monitored. During COVID when we were all virtual, certain diagnosis and types of people thrived on virtual visits, while others we saw a decline in their status. Online programs can be a great place to start. It is always good to exercise under the care of your physician, and if you have continued pain or issues after trying an online program make sure to see your doctor. If you are looking for PT specific programs for a pain you may have try our online programs for your area of pain at www.youthfulphysicaltherapy.com. There is also an equipment area for PT home equipment or bracing recommendations. (Equipment Recommendations)
Pamela Olenchuk PT, CSCS
