Choose Physical Therapy FIRST!
Choose Physical Therapy First!
Here’s an important question - be honest with yourself about it!
When you have had an injury or pain/weakness that you know needs to be addressed by a professional, is the next thing that pops into your head to go see a physical therapist first?
Most likely, the answer is no. This question has been asked to many people, and at most, a handful have said yes.
Why is this?? That is a great question and one that is worth the discussion for sure!
Who pops in your head when you think of who to see first? Your doctor is most likely one thought.
So, let’s talk this through.
You go see a doctor — they talk to you for a short time period (there are some exceptions) — maybe look at the area that’s hurting and actually put their hands on you — and then a variety of things can happen.
The doctor will — tell you to rest and ice (eye roll) — prescribe you medication (bigger eye roll) — and/or a majority of the time they will send you to get imaging (even bigger eye roll- because majority of the time, it is not warranted) — they may send you to a physical therapist, but honestly this doesn’t happen as much as you think it does.
First things first, by the time you schedule to get in to see a doctor (which could be weeks or months) and they suggest taking time to rest or send you for imaging, much time has passed. This is sacred time that could be used to start healing correctly with your physical therapist as your guide.
This whole process usually requires a large amount of money as well. The insurance discussion is another conversation in itself. Check out our blog about why we are a self-pay model for more information! But between the costs of going to the doctor, imaging, or other options first, it adds up.
Meanwhile, you can go straight to physical therapy at Refuge Physiotherapy without a doctor’s referral. What does this allow?
You get to skip all of the other unnecessary (most of the time) steps
Get straight to physical therapy and start healing
You get to save money in the process
AND you also save time, which is very valuable
Win win, right?
How do we begin to change the stigma of going every other direction besides PT first? Education! It is important to know what your options are and that physical therapy first is an option. I think one more important thing to note is that physical therapists are DEFINITELY qualified to be the first medical provider that you see.
At Refuge Physiotherapy, we pride ourselves on our education and training. Dr. Maggie Thompson received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy and also completed a post-Doctorate fellowship. The majority of the time, she is the ONLY provider that her patients see. She is very honest about the need to refer patients out if they do need imaging or to see a physician or other medical provider.
So, with all of that being said, here are a few questions to ask yourself:
How much do you value your health?
Do you want to get better results and faster?
How important are your time and money to you?
Let’s change the stigma of physical therapy from being a last resort to being the first option to getting you back to the lifestyle you desire to live and the goals you want to achieve.
Trust that you will be taken care of at Refuge Physiotherapy with our awesome providers! We will be there every step of the way to make sure you have the best care possible. Spread the word about how amazing physical therapy can be and definitely start making it your “go-to” move when it comes to addressing your pain or limitations!
