.
The purpose this section is to answer some of the
questions you may have and give you an idea of the
questions other patients have asked. However, if you
have a question of a more immediate nature that you want
answered before you arrive for your visit please ask.
1. Why choose us?
Although Infinity Fitness and Sports
Institute is a caring and compassionate rehabilitation
center, the bottom line is that we get results!
Physicians regularly send their own office staff and
family members to our facility. We are dedicated to
resolving your problems in an environment that is
welcoming and relaxed. Patients receive personalized
care, not an assembly line atmosphere.
2. Why should I choose physical therapy?
In physical therapy, the goals should be
to resolve your problem, not just temporarily relieve
it. Although medication and other forms of treatment can
be helpful in relieving symptoms, physical therapy
produces a long term result. The physician may opt to
utilize medication in conjunction with physical therapy
depending on your diagnosis. Additionally, physical
therapy treatments unlike some other forms of treatment
are not designed to be a maintenance program. We provide
home exercise programs and self-care treatment
techniques in order to extend an appropriate continuum
of care when your physical therapy has been terminated.
3. Who chooses which physical therapist
I go to?
Oftentimes, your physician will give you
a recommendation or a listing of physical therapists in
your area. Sometimes your insurance company will guide
you with regard to who is "in network" for your
insurance plan. Ultimately, however, the decision as to
where you receive your care is up to you. If you have a
specific request, you need to let your physician or
insurance company know. If we are not in network for
your insurance company we will treat you the same as if
we were. We work with all insurances.
4. Is it ok to ask my doctor about
physical therapy?
Absolutely! If you have a problem that
you think can be helped with physical therapy, feel free
to give us a call. After discussing with you the
specific problem you present with, we can give you a
better idea if it is something that is treatable with
physical therapy. You can also give your doctor a call.
If he is not sure, he is welcome to contact us as well.
In today's healthcare, if you feel physical therapy can
be helpful to you, you will need to stress your feelings
to the doctor you are seeing. (See Injury Assessment
under Services section)
5. Do I need a prescription?
No! The state of New Jersey has
become a direct access state for Physical Therapy.
"What does this mean?" Anyone, no matter
age or gender, can be treated legally by Physical
Therapist for a movement dysfunction. Please note each
insurance company and or government policies and
procedures may not pay for services, however this does
not mean one cannot see a Physical Therapist for
consultation and or treatment.
6. How long can I see a physical
therapist without one?
After 30 days of skilled Physical
Therapy, it is the law for a Therapist to stop care and
either discharge the patient and or refer out to an
appropriate medical personnel for examination.
7. How do I arrange an appointment?
If your physician gives you a referral
to physical therapy, simply call our business office at
(201) 393-9038 and they'll assist you with the pertinent
information in order to schedule your first appointment.
Our office staff will get all the necessary information
from you and assist you with an appointment.
8. Will my insurance cover physical
therapy?
Because of today's health care and the
wide variety plans available, although most insurance
companies do cover physical therapy, what they cover
specifically varies greatly. Please review our billing
and insurance participation section on this web site and
if you have additional questions regarding your specific
insurance give us a call.
9. When can I start Physical Therapy?
This depends on several questions that
need to be answered prior to answering this question.
It depends on what the
Doctor’s protocol is, however often the
doctor is focusing on the surgery and its
outcome. We encourage you to be pro-active
and inquire about Physical therapy, which
will expedite the healing process for the
most optimum outcomes, which is to return to
work, sport, and everyday life activities.
- Are you going to have surgery?
If so unless Physical
Therapy is contraindicated, We encourage
Physical Therapy prior to surgery this is
called pre- habilitation.
- Do you have loss of function, pain or wellness
concerns?
If any of these are yes then
you can immediately start and or contact a
physical therapist, for these are the only
three reasons why one should see a Physical
Therapist.
10. What to expect on the first visit?
Your first visit will encompass a
thorough examination by a licensed board certified
Physical Therapist. We take our time to listen to… and
hear your needs, limitations and goals.
Next is the practical portion, which is
to explore with our experience and professional
specialized test, which assess the impairments that
brought you into, see us. These tests are hands- on and
interactive as we proceed to discover the movement
dysfunction(s). Upon discovery, we will inform you in
full detail our findings within our scope of practice.
At the end of the examination, we discuss common goals
and a plan of care that will help achieve these
goals set forth by you and the therapist.
Physical Therapy is not a "cure- all"
however, it is a "help for all" and this is our
intension.
Please note:
- Please show up 15 minutes prior to the
appointment.
- Allow 1hour for the examination
- Bring comfortable clothing so the area can be
fully exposed for examination and treatment.
- Bring all appropriate paper work if required and
or needed
- Insurance card
- Prescription
- All minors under 18 must be present with
parent/guardian for at least the first session.
- Mostly, bring an open mind and an attitude of "I
Can" for this is the start of healing and successful
outcomes.
11. What if I have an increase in
symptoms?
If you have increased symptoms please
call your physical therapist. When you call the office,
please be sure you explain to the office staff that you
are having an increase in symptoms. The office staff
will pull your chart and contact your therapist or a
covering physical therapist. They will be able to review
the information and will give you a call back that same
day. After we discuss the case with you, we will be able
to give you guidelines as to what would be appropriate
to reduce your symptoms, whether you need to come in our
office, or if you should contact or follow- up with your
physician. It is best to call us prior to calling your
physician as if a change in symptoms has occurred, it is
important that we fax the physician a report so that he
can be up to date on your care when you see him for a
follow- up visit.
12. What types of treatment may I
receive?
The treatment you receive in physical
therapy will depend upon what the physical therapist
finds in the evaluation. Our treatment programs are
movement oriented with an emphasis on active patient
participation. We emphasize mobilization,
self-treatment, and therapeutic exercise to pinpoint the
affected structure and resolve the problem. We do not
stress "feel good" modalities, such as massage,
ultrasound, heat, electrical stimulation, etc., which do
little to address the underlying pathology and can cause
patient dependence. We do, however, utilize modalities
as needed, to assist us with anti-inflammatory effects,
pain etc.
13. How long will my visit last?
Treatment time will vary according to
what the physical therapist finds in the evaluation.
Whatever is found to be appropriate during the
evaluation will become part of the patient's program and
the program will be updated as appropriate as the
patient improves. In general, physical therapy
treatments last anywhere 1/2 hour to 1 hour with
somewhat longer time being necessary for this first
visit because of the evaluation.
14. How is my progress measured?
Because your physical therapist will
perform a meticulous evaluation, quantifying and
qualifying all the deficits and problems you are
presenting with, re-evaluation, and re-measurement to
determine progress are possible. You will be
re-evaluated on a periodic basis the frequency of which
will depend upon your diagnosis as well as the severity
of the problem. In general, patients are re-evaluated
anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks. Additionally, the therapist
always needs to be aware of follow-up visits with your
physician as a re-evaluation will be performed so that
the physician can be updated at that time.
15. How will you communicate with my
physician?
The physical therapist will communicate
with you physician most commonly by written report. The
physical therapist will send a complete written report
outlining the findings of their initial evaluation as
well as their assessment of the problem and an outline
of the general treatment and frequency with which they
intend to see you. The physical therapist will continue
to update your physician with written reports each time
you are re-evaluated and most specifically prior to your
return to the physician. This is why it is so important
that you let your therapist know if you have an
appointment with your physician. Additionally, the
therapist will, as they feel appropriate, contact the
physician by phone if they have a specific concern or
question. At the end of your treatment the physical
therapist will send a follow- up report to your
physician with final information as to your status at
the time of discharge from physical therapy.
16. Will I need follow-up or maintenance
care?
Our goal at this physical therapy
facility is to resolve your problem completely so that
you don't require continual follow-up or maintenance
care. There are some patients who do require follow-up
care or re-assessment on a periodic basis but that will
be discussed with you once you are in physical therapy
or at discharge. This is generally not the case.
17. What if I need to return to physical
therapy?
If you have a recurrent problem after
your discharge from physical therapy, your return to
physical therapy will depend on a number of factors. It
would depend if it was a re-injury of the same specific
problem, how long it has been since you were last in
physical therapy, how long it's been since you saw the
physician, and many other factors. In general, if you
are discharged from physical therapy and feel the need
to return, you should contact the physical therapist who
treated you. They will review your chart and call back
to discuss with you what should be done, depending on
the problem you are having.
18. What is Physical Therapy?
It is a professional medical career that
has been formally around since 1920. The career has
progressively changed from a certificate position to an
autonomously practicing doctor with no
prescription/referral needed. The doctoring Physical
Therapist has a broad scope of education from the basic
anatomy and physiology to the dissection of cadaver. The
profession has made a grand scale para dyne shift that
entails research out - come base application. Physical
Therapy is a profession that takes care of the life span
of all humanity in treatment, prevention of injury,
fitness and wellness. We have come a long way and much
more to come.
19. What is the difference between a
Physical Therapist and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy?
The profession has changed since its
birth in 1921 headed by Mary McMillan. Physical
Therapist traditionally worked in a hospital setting
migrating into independent proprietors. The entire
education requirements has gone from an awarded
certificate to obtaining a Bachelor’s degree which both
no longer exist, to the Master prepared Physical
Therapist which is becoming obsolete to the present
Doctoring Physical Therapist. The American Physical
Therapy Association vision is for all Physical Therapist
to become a doctor in the field by year of 2020.
The difference is obviously education,
but more than credits it is the "new" role the Doctor of
Physical Therapy has among the communities we serve.
Whether it is a dependent patient on a feeding tube to
the multi- million dollar contract professional Athlete,
we look beyond the pathology at hand. Our new
responsibilities are of a primary care giver, not
needing a prescription to exam, diagnose and treat any
movement dysfunction one may have. Among the people we
serve, we are more proactive in injury and disease
prevention while promoting optimum health, fitness and
wellness.
We as doctors listen to… the needs of
the patient having the patient - center.
We as doctors explore… for the problems
that cause the impairments, functional limitations and
disabilities.
We also explore…for resolutions and
recognize and guide when it is out of our scope of
practice.
We as doctors discover… movement
dysfunction problems and potential ones. We also at
times discover when we have to refer to another medical
person who is more qualified and resourceful.
We as doctors execute…a healing and or
preventive pathway that is research based with optimum
outcomes for the patients who entrust in a healing ways
and the communities who are open minded to listen to our
preventive ways for injury and disease prevention
through wellness and fitness and good health practice.