We are here for you! We are still following CDC guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Our staff continues to wear masks and disinfect frequently used surfaces. If you’re looking for an additional way to attend physical therapy during COVID, telehealth appointments are available for patients that may not feel comfortable coming into the clinic. Telehealth uses both VIDEO and AUDIO so that we can have two-way communication during virtual visits.
- We’ll email you a link.
- You’ll join a video chat using a smartphone, laptop, or tablet.
- We’ll take you through a full therapy session with a major focus on exercises that restore joint range of motion and address tissue dysfunction. Then we’ll email you a thorough home exercise program.
While it may be tempting to stop before your treatment program has concluded, stopping too early can cost you both in terms of your health and your future goals. Here are some possible risks to stopping therapy before your body is ready:
- Risk of Re-injury
- Ending treatment before learning how to maintain your health and strength
- Result in costly tests & unnecessary appointments, even emergency room or hospital stays
- Permanent bodily damage
You wouldn’t think of skipping your heart medication or your antibiotic. Physical therapy is no different! Consider physical therapy as you would another prescription from your doctor as part of your road to full recovery.
If you’re having trouble figuring out where you are on your physical therapy journey, see below to find out where you may see yourself:
Stage 1, Protection Phase: your body’s aim at this point is to protect your injury from any further damage; gentle movement can be added to maintain mobility, treatments to help control inflammation and pain
Stage 2, Repair Phase: Your body has transitioned to repairing the injured tissues which commonly lasts up to six weeks post-injury; strengthening exercises are added as tolerated, and increased function begins
Stage 3, Remodeling Phase: the period between six weeks and three months is when your healing tissue is reasonably mature and will automatically stimulate additional new tissue to help strengthen and support the healing tissue until it meets the demands of your normal exercise or physical function
Stage 4, Ongoing Repair and Remodeling: this final stage of tissue repair can last from 3 months up to 12 months; physical therapy treatments focus on improving the quality of the new tissue and preventing reinjury
We can assure you that attending your remaining physical therapy appointments is a good investment for your health, now and in the future! Many of our physical therapists offer telehealth appointments in addition to on-site visits. Find one near you today!
