Why Don't We Compare Healthcare Providers Like We Do Everything Else? Is This the Best Treatment For Me?

My wife and I have recently experienced the complexity of buying out first home and what bank we should go through to help finance our house.  As we compared what each bank had to offer and interest rates, it got me thinking: why do we not do this in healthcare and with health care services?  When you are buying a house, you go to multiple banks and see who would give you the best offer.  When you buy a computer, you can go to multiple locations and see who can give you the best deal.  When you purchase auto insurance, you can get multiple quotes from different companies and then choose the best deal.  Even restaurants are graded now to a high standard with a letter grade outside their front door to pass an inspection.  Why don't we do this with health care providers and see who can offer the best service and the best outcomes?

For some reason we just blindly fall into the healthcare process expecting a high standard and the best outcome is given.  We don't ask questions or even question is this the best and most cost effective treatment for me.   Can someone else offer a better services and get me pain free faster?  With healthcare, we just expect an accurate and correct diagnosis, proper treatment, and then a quick and positive outcomes, right.  This is not always the case.  With some cases, a specific diagnosis is hard to confirm, there are multiple ways to treat the same diagnosis, lacking of evidenced based treatments, causing different outcomes some good and some bad.  This variability among treatments causes a problem.  Sometimes, especially physical therapy, you can have the same diagnosis and go to 3 different clinics and receive 3 different treatments!

 As healthcare begins to change and patients are going to be more financially responsible for their care (increased deductibles, increased co-pays, etc), there will be a benefit to the patient to be aware of patient outcomes.  The faster you get better, the less expensive your treatment will be!  For example, instead of having physical therapy for the standard 3x a week for 4 weeks for 12 sessions, what if you can be seen and treated 2x a week for 2-3 weeks!  This is why Pursuit Physical Therapy was started.  Focusing on better outcomes in fewer visits, and better yet, you will only see the board certified specialist with only one-on-one patient care.  This way of treatment can allow you to get out of pain quicker with less visits, thus saving you time and money.

So what should you look for when seeking a health care provider.  I put some questions that you can ask to make sure you are receiving the best care.  What are the right questions to ask?

1.  How much will each visit cost? This way, you will know exactly how much each visit will cost you before you sign up for treatment.

2.  Will I see the specialist?  If not who will be treating me?  With the changes that are coming with healthcare, more and more patients will be seen by assistants and less qualified clinicians.  If you have pain and are seeking treatment, (and better yet, paying out of pocket more money for the service!) don't you want to be seen by the specialist?

3.  Will I be double booked with another patient?  Many clinicians will be forced to see more and more patients per day causing some patients to be double booked with another patient.  No one wants this and this just leads to a decreased quality of care, increased number of visits, and a poor outcome.

4.  Look at the clinicians credentials.  You may not need to know what the credentials mean, but if a clinician has pursued special certifications and is board certified, they have probably specialized in a certain field, received extra training, and has kept up to date with the latest evidenced based treatments.  This may lead to a better outcomes.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your pain and the quality of care you are receiving, contact Pursuit Physical Therapy today at 407-494-8835 and see if physical therapy is appropriate for you.  You can also find more information at our website at www.PursuitTherapy.com.

What is the Proper Way to Sit at Work?

This would NOT be the proper posture at work, but we see it everyday.  Many of my patients complain of pain at work and their job activities is one thing that increases their pain.  Those who sit at a desk for most of their day at work usually have multiple ergonomic flaws at their workplace and desk.  For most people when your workplace is ergonomically assessed, it may look like this:

Research has shown that the majority of complaints from working at a desk with poor ergonomics are:  eye strain, shoulder, back pain, arm, wrist, and neck pain.  Do you ever experience any of these while working at your desk?  We all do.  So what can we do about it?  A thorough ergonomic assessment and patient education has been shown to help reduce neck, shoulder, and back pain at a desk workplace.  An ergonomic station assessment can be done by assessing the workstation layout, task-work methods, and correct positioning of the video display and keyboard.  This would be an example of proper posture at a desk:

General guidelines:

1.  Task - Work Methods

One simple adjustment, away for the desk, is to avoid poor lifting technique and repetitive lifting.  This can predispose you to low  back pain.  Also try to avoid prolonged awkward postures, below the waist or overhead lifting, trunk twisting, and excessive reaching.

2.  Workstation Layout

Keep items on your desk within a close work station to avoid repetitive out-stretched reaching.  Below is a picture with a general layout of what your work station should look like.

3.  Video Display

Make sure the video screen is at eye level and within a close distance from your eyes.  The screen should also be directly in front of you so there is no need to constantly turn head.

4.  Keyboard and Mouse

The keyboard should be on a stable surface at the appropriate height allowing your wrist to be in a neutral position.  Elbows and forearms should not be in contact with a hard edged surface.  Your wrist position for the mouse should be in a neutral position.

5.  Chair

Your chair should have proper lumbar and spine suppport.  The arm rest should allow your shoulders and forearms to rest and aligned you wrist properly with your keyboard.  The seat height should be proper so the seat is not pushing into the back of your knees and your feet are resting on the ground.

6.  Phone

If you notice that your phone is on the right side of your desk and you constantly are experiencing right sided neck pain, this may be due to the phone.  To solve this problem many companies are going to a head set to avoid the awkward positions the telephone is causing.

Summary:

Having a workplace ergonomic assessment may help you get out of pain that your desk and work posture is causing you.  Ergonomic corrections, physical therapy, and patient education should resolve you pain.  Remember, you can get all of the treatment you want for your neck, should and back pain, but if the cause of it is never addressed, then your symptoms will continue to return.  Contact Pursuit Physical Therapy for an ergonomic assessment at 407-494-8835 and we can help you get out of pain and make sure it never returns.

New Pursuit Physical Therapy Website Layout!

Visit www.PursuitTherapy.com and see our new website layout.  New design, new picutres and updated information.  Don't for get to see the Top 10 Reasons to go to Pursuit Physical Therapy!  Let us know what you think?

Top 10 Reasons to go to Pursuit Physical Therapy: BONUS: Better Outcomes, Faster Results, Period!

BONUS:  Better Outcomes, Faster Results, Period!

Perhaps the most essential and significant reason for any patient to not hesitate in seeking out therapy at Pursuit Physical Therapy is quite straight forward and unpretentious—Patients see better outcomes, exponentially quicker results, and most important to the patient, Pursuit Physical Therapy adapts and customizes to each individual to ensure they get back to their activities and passions faster, pain free!  We get results!

For example, here is a case:  A patient complains of left Achilles pain after Cross Fit training.  Patient was pain free after one treatment session and home exercise program by the end of the 1st week.  After the second treatment session, the patient was pain free with exercise, and returned to Cross Fit workouts and running pain free at the end of the 2nd week.  Pain free and back to training in 2 weeks!  Visit www.PursuitTherapy.com for more information and call us at 407-494-8835 to schedule today!

  

Top 10 Reasons to go to Pursuit Physical Therapy: 10. No Miscellaneous Bills and Fees

#10.  No miscellaneous fees and random bills

Have you ever received a random medical bill 3 months later after you received treatment for an injury saying you owe $500 more?  I know!  You thought your insurance company was going to cover it?  One of the best reasons to not hesitate to set up your first appointment with Pursuit is you know exactly what you are paying for with each and every visit and we can guarantee the patient no miscellaneous, unexplainable fees or bills months after treatment has completed as with larger, insurance-based clinics. You will never be billed for additional specialist fees, equipment charges, or ‘complex therapy’ fees—no insurance ploys, just excellent service! We look forward to seeing you soon!  Visit www.PursuitTherapy.com today for more information or call 407-494-8835 to schedule today!

Top 10 Reasons to go to Pursuit Physical Therapy: 9. Flexible Scheduling

9.  Flexible Scheduling

We offer extremely flexible hours of care for all patients. Pursuit Physical Therapy offers tailored schedules based on patients needs and their availability, first and foremost. Furthermore, our specialists can even accommodate weekend sessions if needed.

Top 10 Reasons to go to Pursuit Physical Therapy: 8. We Save You Time and Money

8.  We Will Save You Money and Time

Here at Pursuit Physical Therapy, we are dedicated to saving our patients their valuable time and money.   If you compare our private pay model vs an insurance based model, you still save money and time with our treatment approach.  Remember, there are no co-pays, unmet deductibles, and no miscellaneous bills with us.  Just one flat rate and you get better results in fewer visits.  If there is a possible way to use insurance benefits—such as flexible spending accounts—or for possible reimbursements, we will assist you to the absolute fullest ability. We can provide you with detailed paperwork for submitting claims to insurance companies. Also, there are applications available to apply your physical therapy sessions to your insurance deductible.  Call 407-494-8835 or visit www.PursuitTherapy.com to schedule today!

Top 10 Reasons to go to Pursuit Physical Therapy: 6. Better Outcomes in Fewer Visits

6.  Better Outcomes in Fewer Visits

It’s simple—Pursuit believes and strives for better patient outcomes with as few visits as necessary! Our therapists are standing by to begin your road to wellness!  Don’t settle for the standard 3x a week for 4 weeks.  Get out of pain now and get back to doing your favorite activities pain free.  Visit www.PursuitTherapy.com for more information.

Top 10 Reasons to go to Pursuit Physical Therapy! 2. One-on-One Patient Care

2.  One-on-One Patient Care

How often do patients pay—whether it is a copayment, deductible, or both—for only one-on-one physical therapy with a board certified specialist?  Never.  Many people usually rely on their commercialized, insurance-based coverage,  to spend half the actual session taking a computer survey or being ‘reevaluated’, and the other half of the time waiting between your repetitions for your ‘individual care’ to resume because your therapist is scrambling and overbooked, helping two other patient’s finish their routine all at the same time.  Too often, patients are misled to believe physical therapy through their insurance is the only solution and inevitably get stuck prolonging their rehabilitation process by “going with my coverage”. One thing is for sure—you no longer have to ‘go with the flow’, you can take charge of your recovery today and be on your way to pain-free living and back to your extracurricular activities as soon as possible with Pursuit Physical Therapy. Ron Miller, DPT, OCS, will always customize each session, with One-on-One treatment, tailoring the routines to individual needs to optimize your quality of care and never lengthen or prolong any recovery due to insurance-restraints or time limitations.

Don't settle for paying for poor healthcare and for being double booked with other patients, with sub optimal results!  Visit Pursuit Physical Therapy now at www.PursuitTherapy.com!

Top 10 Reasons To Go to Pursuit Physical Therapy! 1. New Treatment Approach

This week, each day we will go over the TOP 10 reasons people should go to Pursuit Physical Therapy for their treatment.  Feel free to visit www.PursuitTherapy.com for more information about the TOP 10 and see what sets Pursuit Physical Therapy above the standard!

1.  New Treatment Approach

Pursuit Physical Therapy offers an innovative and customized approach to the management and treatment of the patient’s pain and discomforts.  We apply specialized, tailored routines and personalized one-on-one care to fully optimize patient’s ability to not only understand where and why their pain is persistent, but also the correct remedy for staying pain-free with proper technique.

Early Physical Therapy Treatment for Low Back Pain: Better Outcome and Cheaper?

When you have low back pain (LBP) who should you go see to receive great patient care, to resolve your LBP, and how much will it cost you?  Well, a recent research study showed when experiencing LBP, early physical therapy treatment shows a good outcome and it is more cost effective thus reducing medical costs.  It also showed a decrease in surgery rates, injections, number of physician visits, and a decrease in opioid medication usage.

This sounds good to me!  If you have LBP, consult your physical therapist to see what is the best treatment option and to help get you out of pain now!  Pursuit Physical Therapy will get you in to see a specialist as soon as possible and you will see a board certified specialist.  Call us at 407-494-8835 or visit www.PursuitTherapy.com for more information.

Do You Suffer from Headaches? Can Physical Therapy Help?

Do you suffer from headaches?  The International Headache Society states there are over 14 different kinds of headaches and there are many causes of headaches.  One type of headache that can be treated by physical therapy is a cervicogenic headache.  A cervicogenic headache is one of the most common types of headaches and account for 15-20% of chronic headaches.    A cervicogenic headache is considered to be a headache with referred pain from a source in the neck that is perceived in one or more areas of the head and face.  This is an example below:

In this is an example of the "X" are active trigger points in a neck muscle (sternocleidomastoid muscle or SCM for short) in the neck and the red is the referred pain patterns that may be associated with this case to the head and facial areas.  It is also very common to see dysfunction is the upper cervical spine that is associated with a cervicogenic headache.  Usually the headache is on one side of the head (unilateral), is increased with neck motions, and can be reproduced with palpation of certain neck muscles.  The referred pain may follow this pathway, which some call it "like a ram horn":

The colors in the above photo show the most common referral areas for a cervicogenic headache.  Research shows that manual therapy in combination with exercise shows the best outcome for a cervicogenic headache and reducing your symptoms.  So this is something that CAN be treated with physical therapy.  Do you have a headache like this?  Are your symptoms similar?  Consult with your physical therapist and see if your have a cervicogenic headache and what interventions are best for you.  Please visit www.pursuittherapy.com or call us at 407-494-8835 for more information.

The Park Press Release!

Don't forget to grab a The Park Press June 2013 issue and look at our local Winter Park, Baldwin Park, Maitland, and College Park Press Release!  You can also view it online here.  Visit our Testimonial Page to find out what our patients are saying about their experience at Pursuit Physical Therapy.  Feel free to call us at 407-494-8835 or visit www.pursuittherapy.com for more information.

New You Tube Layout for Pursuit Physical Therapy!

Check out the new look of the Pursuit Physical Therapy You Tube Channel!  More videos to come and please contact Pursuit Physical Therapy at 407-494-8835 or visit www.pursuittherapy.com for more information.

Elevator speech on Pursuit Physical Therapy

I was asked to give my "elevator speech" today for Pursuit Physical Therapy.  It should roughly be 8-10 seconds so here it is:

Pursuit Physical Therapy is a new brand of therapy that is based on treatment outcomes and what is best for the patient, and not guided by insurance companies or strict guidelines.  Patients will receive One-on-One, high quality evidence-based care, by a board certified specialist, doctor of physical therapy, showing better outcomes than other standard health care.

What do you think?

What is Physical Therapy and is it Appropriate for Me?

As our country struggles with economic hardship and the cost of healthcare continues to climb, the cost-benefit of direct access physical therapy services is more evident.  Direct access refers to the ability of a patient to access physical therapy services without a physician's referral.  Thus, patients with pain and musculoskeletal deficits do not have to report to their primary care provider in order to receive a prescription for physical therapy.  Instead, they can report directly to a physical therapist, an expert in biomechanics and musculoskeletal injuries, without any major restrictions or physician referrals.   Florida is one of the few states that allow direct access to a physical therapist without any major restrictions.  Clearly, physical therapy is by no means the cure for every condition, but it can provide quick, effective results at a minimal cost for many musculoskeletal problems. 

It is also critically important to address medical conditions as early as possible in order to avoid chronic pain and to optimize therapeutic outcomes.  A recent physical therapypublication found that “less than 5% of shoulder rotator cuff tears are due to traumatic and single-injury mechanisms, whereas 95% of all tears are due to gradual wear.”  For example, addressing the biomechanics of the shoulder at the earliest signs of pain through physical therapy will help to prevent a full muscle tear; thereby optimizing successful treatment, preventing further injuries, and ensuring independent, long-term management of the condition.  Physical therapists are the experts in biomechanics and motion, and we help patients to function by using latest techniques to treat and prevent musculoskeletal injuries, thus improving your quality of life.

The physical therapy profession continues to grow, advance and adapt to modern health care needs into the 21^st century.  The purpose of this post is to make people aware of ALL options when seeking medical care, and that physical therapy is easily accessible, cost effective, and a clinically powerful alternative for many orthopedic conditions.  Just ask any of the individuals that have already been treated at Pursuit Physical Therapy.  The Pursuit Physical Therapy staff has unmatched academic credentials and experience treating a variety of orthopedic conditions, chronic pain, back pain, sport-specific rehabilitation, and golf swing analysis.  Moreover, Pursuit Physical Therapy prides itself on promoting only the very best evidence-based practice with optimal patient care, and patient satisfaction.  Pursuit Physical Therapy promotes the vision of the future of physical therapy, which is physical therapy provided by doctors of physical therapy, recognized by consumers and other health care professionals as the practitioners of choice to of which consumers have direct access for the diagnosis of, interventions for, and prevention of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities related to movement, function, and health.  Visit www.pursuittherapy.com or Pursuit Physical Therapy at 407-494-8835 for more information regarding physical therapy and how we can help you get out of pain!

Exercise is medicine!

Common Cross Fit Injuries?

What are some of the most common Cross Fit Injuries?  We really want to get involved in some of the local Cross Fit gyms around Central Florida. Injury prevention, training with proper biomechanics with the squat, deadlift, clean, and jerk lifts, and assisting with evidenced based treatments may help prevent an injury from occurring and, if injured, we can help you to get you back to Cross Fit pain free faster than the standard.  Feel free to comment on this blog, on the Pursuit Physical Therapy facebook page, or via email at pursuittherapy@gmail.com.   Visit our website at pursuittherapy.com for more information!

What is Evidenced-Based Medicine and What Does it Mean to Me?

Evidenced-Based Medicine

Evidenced Based Practice has different meanings for medical clinicians vs for patients, that is probably beyond the scope of this blog post.   Regarding quality of healthcare, patients should be asking themselves "Am I receiving the best care, that is supported by evidence, that correctly diagnosed my symptoms and pain, that will lead me to the best outcome?"  For example, the treatment for low back pain (LBP) isn’t as easy as just being diagnosed as “low back pain”  Acute LBP has been shown to spontaneously resolve in 4-6 weeks, so if your treatment takes 4 weeks to get better, did the treatment really do anything?  So you can be treated with the standard care for your LBP with the normal 3x a week for 4 weeks with a (for example) $20 co-pay each visit, (and you may even better pay for the whole treatment if your insurance deductible is not met), receive exercise intervention only, slap on some E-stim that makes you feel good but does nothing to solve the problem, and at the end the treatment you received may not have even done anything. 

This is when evidence based practice comes in and can lead to a more accurate diagnosis, show better outcomes quicker, with less visits, and overall cost less money, getting you better in 4-6 visits instead of the standard 12.  Pursuit Physical Therapy offers one on one care, using evidenced based interventions, showing better outcomes than the standard.   Also Pursuit Physical Therapy is incentive based so if you only need a 30 minute treatment, that is what you get.  30-60 minute treatments for 4 visits and you are done.  The standard is insurance based and the longer you stay and the more times you are seen, the more productive they are.  The standard is usually 3 x a week for 4 weeks.   If a clinician has an intervention that can get you better quicker with better outcomes, don’t they owe it to you to provide this treatment? YES!   If you have pain that is stopping you from doing something you love to do, don’t wait for the pain to go away.  Call Pursuit Physical Therapy to see if physical therapy is appropriate for you, can get pain free sooner!

Why is Pursuit Physical Therapy Cash Based?

There is no doubt that reimbursement for medical services regardless of whether the patient is insured by Medicare or other insurance companies will continue to decrease.  The needs for healthcare services will continue to increase, especially with the baby boomers coming through, but reimbursement will continue to decrease.  This presents a major problem that is quickly becoming reality for many private practices.  Healthcare providers will be forced to see more patients a day, double and triple booking patients, placing patients with assistants that are less qualified, having decreased one-on-one patient care, that all lead to poor outcomes and a decreased quality of care.  Many clinicians already find it difficult to provide the desired quality of care when treating multiple patients at once, and it is even harder with the constraints and guidelines placed on by insurance companies.  

The reason Pursuit Physical Therapy is a cash-based service is because there is no way to treat patients the way that we feel is most effective and accept insurance, without going bankrupt.  Insurance companies only reimburse about half what is billed.  In order to make a profit, clinics that handle insurance have their patients be seen by assistants and less qualified clinicians.  They are also forced to see multiple patients at the same time, so if you would go to an insurance based clinic, you will be double or triple booked with another patient.  We spend 30 or 60 minutes of one-on-one time with each one of my patients, primarily using manual therapy that has been shown to show superior outcomes and better results than standard care. No physician script is required so we can treat you now, and you do not have to wait weeks to be seen or treated.  While you are being treated here, you will not be charged for exercises that you can easily do at home on your own.  With this approach, we feel confident that we can get you better in less than half of the number of visits they would need at an insurance based clinic.  With the time savings of fewer clinic visits, and the value of feeling better sooner, most patients feel the out-of-pocket expense is more than worth it. We can also provide receipts with codes needed to send self claims to your insurance company.  Depending on your insurance plan, many of my patients receive some level of reimbursement or have the cost of their treatment applied to their deductible.

The Importance of a Pre-sport Screening

This is a perfect example of the importance of pre-sport functional screening to help prevent or decrease injury rates in sports.  This appears to be a picture of RG III during the NFL combine last year.  Notice the genu valgus (when the knee point inward) of both knees when attempting a vertical high jump.  Genu valgus, along with other factors, has been associated with increased injury risk to ACL injuries, patellar-femoral pain, and other knee injuries.  RG III went on to have a great rookie season but tore his ACL later throughout the year causing him to basically miss the rest of the season and his team was eliminated in the 1st round of playoffs.  After surgery, many athletes eventually return to 100% prior level of function and will return to sport the next year after 6-12 months of rehabilitation.  But, imagine what could have happened if this impairment was addressed prior to the season?  It may have prevented the injury from even occurring!  Pursuit Physical Therapy offers pre-sport functional screening to identify any impairments, provide treatment to correct the problem, and may prevent injuries from occurring in your sport.  Don't wait for the injury to occur! Get a pre-sport screen done now in one visit