What To Expect As A New Patient

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Physical therapy is a natural and conservative effort to eliminate physical problems. It works to uncover the underlying cause of pain and limitation. Treating the cause (along with extensive patient education, training of proper habits, posture, and home exercise) results in full healing and a decreased likelihood of reoccurrence. This is usually an excellent option before giving up on physical activity, taking long-term painkillers, or undergoing surgery.

The primary purpose of physical therapy is to restore function, and this occurs on two levels. On a general level, physical therapy works to return the patient to his/her specific work, recreation, or other activities. This could be running a marathon, lifting a child, or restoring the ability to climb stairs. Accomplishing these goals required location and correcting specific dysfunctions. (i.e. muscle strains, ligament damage, joint immobility, muscle imbalances, posture/habits, etc.)

Aging Fit Physical Therapy is owned and operated by Doctors of Physical Therapy who have designed a system centered, first and foremost, on success of the patient and therapist. Initial evaluations are scheduled up to 1.5 hours and subsequent visits are up to 45 minutes - all with a licensed and trained Doctor of Physical Therapy. All physical therapy is performed in a one-on-one manner. The Doctors of Physical Therapy at Aging Fit are trained in a unique form of hands-on therapy, which uses a scientific method to determine the best approach to recovery. Patients are reevaluated several times per session to verify results and establish when and how much to progress the treatment. Also, Aging Fit has excellent hours, including early mornings and evenings.

Most insurance companies no longer require for you to acquire a prescription from your doctor to start physical therapy. If you already have a prescription for physical therapy, you are free to take it to any PT clinic of your choice. To schedule an appointment you may either call us at (269) 408-1990 or stop into our location at 2800 Niles Road in Saint Joseph, MI.

Most of the time, physical therapy is a covered benefit, and we do participate with most insurance companies. We do verify your benefits as a courtesy, However, as a general rule, it is a good idea to double check your benefits on your own. What your insurance company covers and what you are responsible for is a contract between you and your insurance company. Usually, you will have some sort of co-pay or co-insurance that will be collected each visit.

After we evaluate your condition on the first appointment, we will have a better idea of your expected duration. We usually get the best results when we see you consistently at 2-3 times per week and when you comply with your home exercise program. Adherence to these factor will help get you better as quickly as possible.

We schedule up to 1.5 hours on the initial evaluation and will use it if we need it, but often your evaluation and first treatment will be completed in around an hour. Subsequent visits usually average between 35-45 minutes, depending on your needs.

Our typical business hours are as follows:

Monday-Friday: 8:00am-6:00pm

Additional times available by appointment.

Loose fitting, comfortable clothes are recommended. Shorts are helpful for working on knees and ankles, and sleeveless shirts for shoulders.

To initiate physical therapy, the physical therapist will fully examine the patient. This includes obtaining a patient history and performing a full physical evaluation to the relevant body parts. Usually, the first treatment will be administered immediately following the evaluation.

Please bring your doctor's orders, insurance card, ID, MRI/X-ray results, and any other appropriate billing information.

Your treatment will be specifically tailored to your individual dysfunctions as well as your goals. It will likely include some of all of the following:

• Manual therapy techniques, including joint, soft tissue and spinal mobilizations
• Patient education
• Therapeutic exercise involving stretching, strengthening, and endurance training
• Biomechanical and postural re-training
• Gait evaluation and training for walking or running
• Neuromuscular re-eduction and balance re-training
• Return to work or sport training
• Physical agents, mechanical, electrotherapeutic, and/or thermal modalities
• Home exercise program

In a private clinic it is easier to provide more personalized care delivered with consistent one-on-one treatments. A private clinic is not tied down with corporate rules and regulations allowing each therapist to use their best judgement in providing care.