Medical professionals all have a unique set of skills that makes them an asset when it comes to helping someone recover after an injury or surgery. Because of their education and training, many assume that a primary care physician is your best resource for health related matters, and oftentimes that is the case. However, there are plenty of things that other specialists can do better than your primary care physician.
In fact, there are a few things that your physical therapist can do that your primary care provider can’t or won’t during the course of your care. Below, we shine a spotlight on three things that your physical therapist will do that your primary care physician can’t or won’t.
Why Go To A PT Instead Of Your Primary Care Physician
Here’s a look at three reasons why you may be better off going to your physical therapist instead of your primary care physician after an injury or surgery.
- Movement Screening And Risk Assessment – Doctors are great at diagnosing conditions with physical assessments and imaging tests, but these tests are typically conducted quickly or performed by a different specialist before the doctor reviews the results. A primary care physician typically doesn’t have a half hour or more to perform a functional movement screen and really assess a number of important factors, like alignment, flexibility, strength, stability, balance and range of motion. All of these factors can help to determine a risk profile or areas of strength and weakness, which is key for improving function or targeting areas that are at an elevated risk for injury due to specific deficiencies. Your PT will be able to conduct a more comprehensive screening exam than your primary care physician will.
- Crafting An Individualized Physical Therapy Plan – If you need physical therapy, odds are your primary care physician is simply going to refer you to a physical therapist’s office. They usually aren’t the ones crafting a PT plan, and if they are, it’s usually pretty generic, which can limit your recovery. You need a highly individualized PT plan, and that’s right in our wheelhouse. You will get a one-of-a-kind therapy plan that’s tailored to your needs from a physical therapist, and you likely won’t get the same from your primary care physician. Since a referral is not needed to see a PT in Minnesota, if you suspect that physical therapy is in your future, you can skip the visit with your doctor and head right to a PT’s office to get set up with your plan.
- Really Get To Know You – Finally, your physical therapist will really get to know you and how to help you achieve your personal goals. We can do this because we can see you multiple times a week over the course of a few months to really learn how to help you make the functional gains you seek. Your primary care doctor may be booked out months, and even then you’ll find it hard to get their individualized attention for more than 30 minutes simply because of the demands of their job. Instead, you’ll be a PT’s sole focus for 30, 60, 90 minutes or more during your session. We’ll be able to get the best from you because we can really get to know you and your goals over the course of a number of individual sessions.
To learn more about what a physical therapist can provide, or to set up a session with one of our team members, give OrthoRehab Specialists a call today at (612) 339-2041.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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