HOW DO I FIND THE RIGHT PHYSICAL THERAPIST

Let’s face it, injuries happen.  Try as we may to train smart, eat well, rest properly, and manage other stressors it’s inevitable that we will have aches and pains at some point in our lives that slow us down.  

So what do you do next?  Well, if the statistics are accurate you’re probably going to pop some Advil or Tylenol, rest for a couple days, and then call your doctor who is likely going to prescribe you more potent pain medication and tell you to rest a little longer.  If you’re lucky (and by lucky we mean the 5-10% depending on what you’re dealing with) you’ll get a referral to go to physical therapy...but only after you’ve rested.  

Fortunately in the state of Oregon we have what is called Direct Access.  This is basically a patient right that removes state mandates that require doctor’s prescriptions to see physical therapists.  In other words, when you have an injury you no longer need to go to your doctor for help and you can come straight to the physical therapist first.

While this is exciting for some, this may also lead to more questions and confusion for many.  

What if my physical therapist doesn’t know what’s wrong with me?

What if my physical therapist doesn’t know how to help me?

What if physical therapy is too painful?

Hopefully this article will clear up some questions for you and give you a framework for how to find the right physical therapist near you.

1. Does your physical therapist give you an idea of what is going on with a rationale of how they came to that conclusion?

For the record, this is not advocating for labeling you with a “diagnosis”.  We understand that having an official diagnosis label can be comforting in some ways because it gives patients a sense of resolution that a problem has been discovered and can therefore be solved.  However, we feel it is important to be upfront about the fact that many diagnoses given to patients are mere guesses or fancy ways to say “pain”. For example, Lumbago is a diagnosis that means back pain.  Cervicalgia means...neck pain.

Rather than focusing on the terms used, we believe that a quality physical therapist should not only be able to give you an evidence based idea of what is going on but also some ideas of what isn’t wrong.  And if they are unable to then they should be confident and comfortable saying, “I just don’t know”. 

2. Does your physical therapist lay out a plan or a course of action and do they indicate alternative routes if things are not going as planned?

It’s unfortunate that so many in our field feel that they need to provide black and white solutions to issues when the reality is that much of what we do really exists in the gray.  As much as we can, and should, try to provide concrete timelines with clearly marked paths for the road to recovery, we feel that the right physical therapist will also be confident and comfortable with giving various possibilities, landmarks to identify progress, and a backup plan if things start to go awry. 

The most important aspect of this plan is that it should align with your goals as the patient.  Not every patient cares to be a high-level athlete and not every patient is satisfied with just being pain-free.  Wherever you land on that spectrum, your physical therapist should be able to guide you there.

3. Does your physical therapist provide you with a better understanding of pain and its role in your rehabilitative process? 

Wherever you look you’re sure to find equally as many physical therapists that advocate for a completely pain free plan of care as therapists that live by the “no pain no gain” mantra.  The truth is that neither of those philosophies are ideal. Remember that just as the concept of a diagnosis lives in the gray so do our pain experiences. Pain is a completely subjective and individual experience and a more accurate understanding of pain can be incredibly helpful in a patient getting the most out of their care.  

While the list could go on we feel that these questions can provide a good starting point in how to determine who is the best physical therapist near you.  If you feel like you have more questions that have not been answered here we would love to help you in any way. At Headquarters Physical Therapy we offer a free discovery visit to any inquiring patient.  During those visits, whether they are in person or on the phone, you will have the opportunity to speak directly to a physical therapist and ask any questions that you feel will help make your decision a bit easier.  Sometimes these visits even result in us telling you that you likely don’t need physical therapy at this time and you should be completely back to normal in a few days. Our aim is not to sell therapy but to provide value to the community.  If you have any questions please do not hesitate to fill out one of our contact forms below.