Physical Therapy
What is physical therapy?
Physical therapy (PT) is a form of healthcare that helps you:
- build or regain strength
- improve mobility if you have a chronic illness, disease, injury, or disability
- increase fitness through exercise
- learn about how to protect your joints, conserve your energy, and use assistive devices such as crutches, walkers, or grab bars
- perform daily living activities by helping you increase, restore, or maintain range of motion, strength, flexibility, coordination, balance, and endurance
- prevent injuries
- relieve pain.
When may physical therapy be needed?
A doctor orders PT when you do not have the strength or endurance to do the things that you were able to do before being sick or injured. The therapy helps to restore normal function or to keep you from getting weaker or from getting complications. Your doctor may order PT if you have:
- Alzheimer's Disease
- an amputation
- arthritis
- back problems
- broken bones
- burns
- heart or lung diseases
- coordination and balance disorders
- general weakness
- head injury
- injury from car accidents or falls
- osteoporosis
- Parkinson's disease
- some types of cancer
- stroke or other type of paralysis
- surgeries such as hip or knee replacement.
What does a physical therapist do to help me?
Physical therapists use heat, cold, exercise, electrical stimulation, massage, and ultrasound. You will probably learn special exercises for certain muscles. The therapist will teach you how to do the exercises or to use equipment for the exercises. In any therapy you will start slowly and build up to what your body can handle.
Where do I get physical therapy?
You can get these services as an outpatient of a hospital or skilled nursing facility, or from a home health agency, rehab agency, or public health agency. Also, you can get services from a Medicare-approved physical therapist in his or her office or in your home.
To find a physical therapist, call your local hospital, look in the yellow pages, or ask people you know for recommendations. To help select a physical therapist, ask:
- Are you a licensed physical therapist in my state?
- How much experience do you have treating people with my condition?
- Do you have specialized equipment, if needed, to treat my condition?
- Will you accept Medicare and what are your payment policies?
What is the Medicare coverage for physical therapy?
Medicare helps pay for medically necessary outpatient physical therapy when:
- Your doctor or therapist sets up the plan of treatment.
- Your doctor periodically reviews the plan to see how long you will get therapy.
Part B pays for physical therapy. You must pay an annual $100 deductible for Part B services and supplies before Medicare begins to pay its share. You pay 20% of Medicare-approved amounts. Actual amounts you must pay may be higher if a doctor or physical therapist does not accept assignment.
