Did You Know?

I am currently seeing one of our Physical Therapists after battling for a few weeks with consistent lightheadedness and neck pain.  Her combination of manual therapy treatment focused on my upper cervical spine, and an exercise plan to strengthen specific muscles in my neck and back seems to be working already (after the first two visits!) and I am hopeful that our work will eliminate my symptoms altogether. 

A few years ago, I would have never gone directly to a physical therapist for a condition like this (wouldn’t have known it was an option!), nor would I have even known that a PT could help me with these symptoms.  We tend to think of outpatient physical therapy as a good option for post-surgery rehab of a knee or hip, or maybe for back pain issues, or even for injury prevention with regard to specific athletic training.  Did you know that an outpatient PT can also treat:

• TMJ/TMD symptoms
• Women’s and Men’s health issues (incontinence, pelvic pain, pregnancy issues, urological dysfunction, sexual dysfunction)
• Orthotics fitting
• Tennis/Golfer’s elbow
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Headaches
• Office Ergonomics Assessment

This list represents just a tiny fraction of some of the more unique conditions that an outpatient PT can treat.  For many more, you can visit our website or the websites of other outpatient clinics.  And I realize that many of this blog’s readers are therapists.  Perhaps you have other interesting and unique conditions you treat or specialty programs you offer that you would like to share?  I look forward to engaging in a dialogue.

On a related note, I found this video that APTA produced to share more on what PT can do for you.  It focuses on some of the more general benefits (versus treatments of more unique conditions like I discussed above), but is interesting and well done nonetheless.  Enjoy!

What is Physical Therapy?

Do you ever get asked that question?  Do you have a quick and easy way to respond?  How about this – “A physical therapist can help you achieve and maintain mobility and quality of life without surgery or prescription medication”?  Or “Physical therapists apply research and proven techniques to help people get back in motion”?  What do you typically say? 

Our Marketing Director has often suggested that if you poll a dozen people on the street about what a chiropractor or podiatrist or massage therapist does, you’ll probably get pretty consistent – and relatively accurate – responses.  But if you ask them what a Physical Therapist does, you’ll likely get very different and oftentimes incorrect answers.  Our profession has a long history and has changed so many lives in so many positive ways, but is still elusive to most Americans.  The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) wants to change that.

In February, APTA rolled out a new branding Campaign called “Move Forward.”   The website and accompanying materials for the campaign not only explain what physical therapists do and how they work with patients, but also how to find a PT in your area.  It provides impressive statistics about the successes of therapy and even outlines some FAQs. 

I encourage you to use this resource – and continue to check in as the campaign is further developed in the future – to help educate your patients and the general public on our profession.  As we work toward fulfilling APTA’s Vision 2020, we all need resources to be comprehensive, clear, and consistent in our message about who we are and what we do.  If we are truly autonomous practitioners and expect patients to think of us as a first point of contact for musculoskeletal issues, we need to educate our population and make the definitions of “physical therapy” not only common in the world of healthcare but also in our greater cultural conversations. 

 

Treatment Times

I am often asked about our company philosophy on the amount of time a therapist works one-on-one with a patient.  My answer?  It depends…and for good reason.

TAI prides itself on putting most of the operational decisions for each clinic in the hands of the location’s Director and staff.  Thus, each practice shapes itself to maximize the needs of its community and patients and the strengths and interests of its team.  Treatment times are among those decisions made at the clinic level.  The majority of our clinics follow the 1-hour initial eval and 30-minute follow-up visit timeframe (direct therapist-to-patient care).  Not only does this seem to satisfy the needs of the therapists and patients, but it’s also found to be pretty common for most outpatient settings.   

That being said, I am compelled to mention that we also pride ourselves on treating each therapist and each patient as an individual.  If you’re a new grad you may need more time initially as you cultivate your personal practice.  If you have a patient with multiple or complex diagnoses, or for whom English is a second language, or who has never been to physical therapy before and holds apprehension, you may need more time.  Maybe the staffing at your clinic reflects a diverse set of specialty skills and you want to treat collaboratively.  We are real human beings dealing with other human beings and that requires flexibility and care.  While each therapist may follow a structure, the first priority for anyone is to meet the needs of the patient – and the other clinic team members.

Let’s Talk About Compensation

So you’re going to graduate soon and you are just starting (or starting to think about) interviewing for your first PT position.  Your professors have encouraged you to ask about mentorship and treatment times and patient care philosophies (we can get into these in future posts ), but what about the compensation package?  For many of you, this is your first full-time career and you may not have ever been in a position to consider medical benefits, a 401k, or even the concept of negotating a package.

Therapeutic Associates is not unlike many employers in that it has a standard compensation package for all benefits-eligible employees.  For us, that package includes:

• Salary
• Medical/dental health insurance
• Vacation, Sick Leave, Holidays and Personal Days plus Con Ed Days
• 401k program
• Workers Comp, Liability, Life, Long Term Disability Insurances
• Continuing Education Stipend (company standard minimum is $1,200 annually)

The following are negotiable additions to a standard package:

• Sign On Bonus
• Student Loan Reimbursement Program
• Productivity-Based Bonuses

Therapists have asked me if we support national or state association fees.  Yes, sometimes (it’s another one of those negotiated line items).  Some clinics have even been creative and offered an annual bus pass, gym membership or other benefit. 

Do your research.  Find out what the market is like in the area where you want to work.  Be careful of websites that give generic (and oftentimes inflated) pay ranges – compare apples to apples.  If you want to work in outpatient, compare offers for that setting only, because there tends to be a difference in pay ranges and packages for different settings.  

Ask questions.  My philosophy is that it’s better to discuss these issues upfront so that everyone knows the needs and expectations. 

Negotiate.  While on rare occasion you will be presented with an offer that is non-negotiable, most employers are willing to hear your desires and work with you on them.  Use your research and be reasonable.

Most importantly when looking at an offer…remember what’s really important to you!  It may be these line items on a spreadsheet and it might be something else.  Don’t let yourself get too caught up in numbers.  Don’t forget to consider future growth with a company and not just your first paycheck.  Rely on heart, gut and feeling.