Whether you are calling an Uber, Facetiming a friend, or utilizing Amazon Prime, chances are that you are using your phone or laptop multiple times throughout the day to meet your needs. You might not realize that you can now also use these devices for physical therapy! With the launch of Virtual Therapy, our team is able to use a video platform to provide our physical therapy services to increase the frequency of care and reduce healthcare costs. We’ve highlighted some key information that you should be aware of when it comes to our virtual physical therapy sessions and some answers to common questions that you might have regarding your next virtual therapy session.
One of the most common questions that we get regarding our Virtual Therapy program is what is virtual therapy and telehealth? Virtual Therapy and Telehealth Physical Therapy sessions are essentially the same thing as our traditional physical therapy services, but instead of asking our patients to go to an in-person clinic, they can receive personalized physical therapy services through a technology platform, device, or system.
With virtual therapy sessions, patients can connect to their physical therapist through video conferencing tools on a computer, smartphone, laptop, or tablet device. The great thing about these remote physical therapy sessions is that they give patients the ability to connect with their physical therapist wherever they might be, and patients can go through the standard physical therapy session remotely without having to worry about missing an appointment and potentially disrupting their physical therapy progress.
Virtual physical therapy or telehealth PT is a great way for patients to continue their physical therapy treatments and sessions when an in-person visit to one of our clinics isn’t feasible or they need to adjust their physical therapy sessions to meet their changing or busy schedule.
Virtual physical therapy sessions are largely the same as the in-person physical therapy sessions in one of our clinics. Instead of visiting one of our clinics and scheduling an appointment, virtual physical therapy sessions allow you to schedule an appointment for a remote PT session on your own time.
During a virtual therapy session, you will be asked to go through much of the same routine as you would in our in-person clinics. You’ll connect with your physical therapist and your physical therapist will then be able to evaluate your symptoms, modify or prescribe exercises, and provide you with additional information and instructions on how to increase your function and decrease your pain.
One of our physical therapists here at Results Physiotherapy, Amy Crouse, also put together this fantastic video which highlights some more information and details on what you can expect during your virtual therapy appointment, and how you can best prepare to make the most out of your upcoming session.
In addition, we’ve also put together this helpful guide to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions for Virtual Therapy. If we didn’t answer one of your questions on this page or how to prepare for your upcoming session, there’s a great chance that your question is covered in one of those frequently asked questions. If not, we’ll happily answer any questions you might have for your upcoming session, feel free to contact us and we’ll help you be prepared in any way we can.
Virtual physical therapy and telehealth, in general, is one of the best things to happen to the healthcare industry in recent decades. There is a multitude of reasons as to why virtual therapy is important in addition to the benefits we’ll discuss below, but perhaps the two most essential reasons that virtual physical therapy is important is that it helps patients stick to their therapy schedule and it has been proven to work.
One of the biggest reasons that many patients fail to continue their physical therapy sessions is that they have scheduling conflicts which impact their ability to get regular PT sessions. When a patient has routine disruptions in their physical therapy sessions, it can be difficult to track their progress and make meaningful progress on decreasing their pain and improving function.
Virtual physical therapy and telehealth help to solve those issues by giving patients the ability to tailor their physical therapy sessions around their own schedule. Patients no longer have to worry about whether or not they’re going to have to find a way to fit their physical therapy sessions into their busy work life. Instead, virtual therapy allows patients to schedule their physical therapy sessions around their own time and drastically decreases the number of scheduling conflicts that can arise.
Another reason why virtual physical therapy treatment is important is that it helps to ensure that patients go through their entire program and plan of care. According to WebPT, only 30% of patients typically attend all of their visits. With remote virtual physical therapy more patients can set up a schedule to receive their physical therapy sessions so they don’t have routine disruptions that prevent them from completing their entire care program. The more patients that go through the physical therapy and complete the recommended number of visits to decrease their pain and improve function, the better.
Now that we’ve outlined what virtual physical therapy is, why it’s important, and what a typical session looks like, we’re going to outline some of the key benefits associated with virtual therapy and why you should consider it when booking your next physical therapy appointment.
Here are some key benefits and reasons to consider Virtual Therapy:
Virtual Therapy allows you to have one-to-one care from virtually anywhere (which is especially handy when we are all staying at home!). The biggest benefit of easy access to physical therapy care from your home is that it is simple and convenient to use. All you need is a phone, laptop, computer, or tablet to connect with your physical therapist to begin your individualized treatment plan.
As we’ve outlined above, you no longer have to wait to see when a chunk of time opens up on your calendar and then try and sync your time up with the openings with your physical therapist. Instead, you can plan ahead and schedule your physical therapy appointments when you’ve got time.
One of the greatest hurdles to many patients actually seeking and receiving physical therapy care is the intimidation factor that can creep in of actually having to locate a physical therapy location, booking an appointment, and then going to all of the treatments. With virtual physical therapy, patients no longer have to worry about those concerns and can get the treatment they need with the new easy access from Results Physiotherapy virtual therapy sessions.
Through our video chat, our patients will continue to experience the same continuity of care from their physical therapist on a continuous basis where they can assess range of motion, demonstrate exercises, observe patient response and provide education to help you stay injury-free.
Despite what you might have thought telehealth was in the past, our virtual therapy sessions ensure that our patients receive the same personalized care, instruction, guidance, and evaluations that you’d receive in our in-person clinics. You don’t have to worry about talking to a robot or connecting with a blank screen because you will be connecting with our physical therapist and receiving the same attention to detail and care you would normally if you were to visit one of our in-person clinics.
Our physical therapists take great pride in making sure that we connect with each one of our patients to provide guidance and education on how to improve function and decrease pain, and that level of attention and focus doesn’t change whether you’re attending a physical therapy session in-person or virtually.
You spend a lot of money and time seeking healthcare. With Virtual Therapy, our physical therapists come to you without the additional effort (and gas money) it takes to get to the clinic. By eliminating the need for travel, our patients can seek preventative care; so there are fewer costs and lingering pain down the road.
In addition, when you use virtual therapy PT sessions, you can build confidence in what you’re doing and the care plan you’re in. The more confident you feel in the plan, the more likely you are to go through the full program and increase the likelihood of improving function and decreasing the pain you feel. Restoring full function and getting back to the things you love will help decrease the healthcare costs that you might face when a small problem becomes an even bigger problem because you decided to skip a few PT sessions.
Virtual therapy can help you decrease your healthcare costs by giving you more options to help you stick to your care program and restore your full function.
Another fantastic benefit of virtual therapy is that it can help boost the independence and confidence of patients. Many patients can be hesitant to perform some of the exercises at home because they’re worried that they’re not doing it properly or they want to avoid potentially making their pain worse. With remote virtual therapy sessions, patients can receive the same coaching, guidance, and education they would normally receive, except in their own home. Patients will still go through the normal stretches and exercises, and receive real-time feedback on how they’re doing and be able to track the progress they’ve had up until that point.
Over time, this can help build a patient’s confidence in their physical therapy treatment program and increase their independence when doing their physical therapy homework and at-home exercises between sessions.
Patients spend a lot of time traveling back and forth between appointments and physical therapy sessions. With virtual therapy, patients no longer have to stress over what time they need to leave, the kind of traffic they might face on the way to their PT session, or the amount of time they might spend waiting in the clinic.
Instead, patients can enjoy the comfort of their own home as they wait for and attend their virtual physical therapy sessions. Being able to attend a virtual therapy session is also incredibly useful when we’re all stuck at home for one reason or another.
While we can’t always predict what the future might hold, being able to have a remote physical therapy session where you can receive a comprehensive evaluation, guidance, and education on effective at-home exercises and stretches you can do is always helpful.
Another fantastic benefit of virtual therapy and being able to use your own home for virtual physical therapy sessions is that you don’t have to worry about spending less time with your family. A quick physical therapy session at home with no travel means that you don’t have to skip out on those important family meals and moments to get your treatment.
Across the board, virtual therapy is providing easier access to assist patients with dealing with their pain and restoring function. The great news is that you don’t have to wait to get back to doing the things you love. You can request an appointment on our website without having a doctor’s referral and our team will take care of the rest.
