During your first you can expect the following

  • Arrive at your appointment with your paperwork completed (you can download it from our website - see the paperwork or forms link).
  • You will provide us with your referral for physical therapy if you have one. If you don't have a referral, let us know when you schedule your first visit with us
  • We will copy your insurance card And ID
  • You will be seen for the initial evaluation by the therapist. The therapist will discuss the following: 
    • Your medical history
    • Your current problems/complaints
    • Pain intensity, what aggravates and eases the problem
    • How this is impacting your daily activities or your functional limitations
    • Your goals with physical therapy
      • Medications, tests, and procedures related to your health.
  • The therapist will then perform the objective evaluation which may include some of the following:
    • Palpation - Touching around the area of the pain/problem. This is done to check for the presence of tenderness, swelling, soft tissue integrity, tissue temperature, inflammation, etc.
    • Range of Motion (ROM) - the therapist will move the joint(s) to check for the quality of movement and any restrictions.
    • Muscle Testing - the therapist may check for strength and the quality of the muscle contraction. Pain and weakness may be noted. Often the muscle strength is graded. This is also part of a neurological screening.
    • Neurological Screening - the therapist may check to see how the nerves are communicating with the muscles, sensing touch, pain, vibration, or temperature. Reflexes may be assessed as well.
    • Special Tests - the therapist may perform special tests to confirm/rule out the presence of additional problems.  Posture Assessment - the positions of joints relative to ideal and each other may be assessed.


WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING WITH ME?

Make sure you bring your physical therapy referral (provided to you by your doctor) Or your authorization and your payment information. If your insurance is covering the cost of physical therapy, bring your insurance card. If you are covered by Workers' Compensation, bring your claim number and your case manager's contact information. If you are covered by auto insurance or an attorney lien, make sure you bring your attorneys information.


HOW SHOULD I DRESS

You should wear loose fitting clothing so you can expose the area that we will be evaluating and treating. For example, if you have a knee problem, it is best to wear shorts. For a shoulder problem, a tank top is a good choice, and for low back problems, wear a loose fitting shirt and pants, again so we can perform a thorough examination.


HOW LONG DOES EACH TREATMENT LAST

Initial Evaluation is one hour and follow-up treatments are 30 minutes.


WHO WILL SEE ME

You will be evaluated by one of our licensed and highly trained physical therapists and he/she will also treat you during subsequent visits. We feel it is very important to develop a one-on-one relationship with you to maintain continuity of care, so we will make our best effort to keep you with the same therapist each session. However, due to scheduling conflicts, vacations, etc you may be asked to see another therapist on occasion, but you will have the choice.


IS PHYSICAL THERAPY PAINFUL

For many patients, one of the primary objectives is pain relief. This is frequently accomplished with hands-on techniques, modalities such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and/or heat or cold therapy. Movement often provides pain relief as well. Your physical therapist will provide you with the appropriate exercises not only for pain relief but to recover range of motion, strength, and endurance. In some cases, physical therapy techniques can be painful. For example, recovering knee range of motion after total knee replacement or shoulder range of motion after shoulder surgery may be painful. Your physical therapist will utilize a variety of techniques to help maximize your treatment goals. It is important that you communicate the intensity, frequency, and duration of pain to your therapist. Without this information, it is difficult for the therapist to adjust your treatment plan.


HOW DOES THE BILLING PROCESS WORK

Billing for physical therapy services is similar to what happens at your doctor’s office. When you are seen for treatment, the following occurs: *The physical therapist bills your insurance company, Workers’ Comp, or charges you based on Common Procedure Terminology (CPT) codes. *Those codes are transferred to a billing form that is either mailed or electronically communicated to the payer. *The payer processes this information and makes payments according to an agreed upon fee schedule. *An Explanation of Benefits (EOB) is generated and sent to the patient and the physical therapy clinic with a check for payment and a balance due by the patient. *The patient is expected to make the payment on the balance if any. It is important to understand that there are many small steps (beyond the outline provided above) within the process. Exceptions are common to the above example as well. At any time along the way, information may be missing, miscommunicated, or misunderstood. This can delay the payment process. While it is common for the payment process to be completed in 60 days or less, it is not uncommon for the physical therapy clinic to receive payment as long as six months after the treatment date.


IS MY PHYSICAL THERAPIST LICENSED

Physical therapists (PTs), physical therapist assistants (PTAs), and occupational therapists (OTs) are licensed by their respective states.

Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinic

Copyright © 2021 Imperial Physical Therapy. All rights reserved.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING MY FIRST VISIT?