Sometimes ergonomic factors combine with other things going on, in your body or your life, or both. This can either intitiate or exacerbate musculoskeletal conditons you may experience.
What kind of person are you? Do you love to hike and bike on weekends? Do you sit at a computer all day at work? Are you a couch potato? Does your job require heavy lifting or repetitive motion? Do you suffer from a chronic illness or condition? Do you play a musical instrument?
If you answered �yes� to any of these questions, it is possible that you may, at some point encounter the need for Physical Therapy.
Physical Therapists are in the business of restoring normal motion, and therefore normal function. Our work habits, along with the other activities we do, can set us up for injury.
Whatever the source, the body has its own patterns of function. When they are disrupted, the cause of injury has begun. Main underlying causes of injuries include:
- Weak muscles
- Tight muscles
- Strength imbalance between muscle groups
- Overexertion
- Repetitive motion
- Incidents such as falls and accidents.
Beginning Physical Therapy
In most cases, and certainly in the past, a patient has an incident or a growing, nagging pain that lands them in a doctor�s office. The doctor, upon making a diagnosis, and where appropriate, prescribes Physical Therapy. In that case, the patient�s insurance covers most or all of the cost of PT.
Physical Therapy Codes
Services rendered by a physical Therapist and paid by insurance companies are billed in increments of 15 minutes. Each code has a price tag associated with it that will be the amount the Physical Therapy business will be paid. There are codes for the different types of treatments. Below will serve as an example only:
- Therapeutic exercise 97110 $17.46
- Aquatic exercises/therapy 97113 $19.95
- Manual therapy, 97140 $16.10
- Ultrasound 97035 $7.48
Codes Don�t Mean a Free Ride, Though
Physical Therapist�s offices have to be sure the insurance company will pay for the specific code before they give the treatment, or they risk not being paid for that particular therapy. Sometimes insurance companies don�t think a therapy is warranted for a particular treatment plan. A good example of this would be massage therapy services. While sometimes massage therapy is appropriate, insurance companies have stringent guidelines for the use of this modality in a clinical setting.
Direct Access
A growing number of states (39, according to the American Physical Therapy Association) now have Direct Access. Direct Access means that a doctor�s referral is not necessary to get into see a Physical Therapist. With Direct Access, insurance will still pay for Physical Therapy services. This is change in state legislature that reflects the regard for Physical Therapists as professionals capable of evaluating and recognizing the conditions they treat.
Options for Cash Patients
If a patient feels the need for PT, but has or will not see the doctor, almost always it is possible to make an appointment to be a cash patient. Additionally, many outpatient clinics put on programs for community members. Participants in these types of programs need not be referred by their physicians.
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