How Do I Find the Right PT for Me?
High-functioning people and their physical therapists go together like peanut butter and jelly. Like eggs and bacon. Like marshmallows and cocoa. Look at Tom Brady and his (not licensed, but honorary) PT Alex Guerrero. Jennifer Aniston stays in perpetually perfect shape and also has a personal physical therapist, Dr. Karen Joubert. Tom Cruise uses physical therapy aggressively to stay in shape for his insane stunt work. Every professional sports team keeps a staff of highly skilled physical therapists. So how can you find your future physical therapist sidekick (and why is it Elite Care PT)?
I was in the Navy for 6 years and lived all over the country working both as a PT and as a barre instructor. I have a lot of friends in a lot of different places that reach out to me as a trusted source when they need good physical therapy. When I’m looking for the best options, there are a lot of things that I take into account.
As with different types of exercise, the best PT is one that you’ll stick with and commit to. If that means you want to see the therapist that rehabilitated your uncle because you know he got better, great! Mission accomplished. If you’re a ballet dancer, skier, or you’re looking for your 4 year old child, it’s important to dive a little bit deeper into your search.
How to find a specialist…
If you want to find someone a little bit more tailored to your specific needs, here’s how I usually start:
The American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists, ABPTS, is the governing body for specialty certifications in the world of PT. There are 10 different areas of specialization, each requiring significant time practicing in that field and a nationally administered board certification exam. The specialty areas include: orthopedics, sports, cardiovascular & pulmonary, geriatrics, pediatrics, clinical electrophysiology (these guys perform actual nerve conduction testing), neurology, oncology, women’s health, and wound management. Often, these specialty designations are associated with residency programs, either in person or online and require solid mentorship to ensure each applicant represents excellence in their field.
Are there PTs out there who are fantastic and don’t have specialty certification? Absolutely. But it’s impossible to tell without knowing them whether they’ll be great at what they do. Are there lousy PTs who’ve achieved specialization? I don’t know, probably. But it’s a lot less likely that a bad PT made it through that level of screening, so I tend to trust that process.
When I have a friend who needs solid PT, I first ask what they have going on. If it’s musculoskeletal, I lean towards orthopedics. If it’s musculoskeletal but they’re a serious athlete or trying to return to sports, I lean more towards a sports specialist (which is far more rare and difficult to find). Most of the rest of the areas of specialty are self-explanatory.
The American Physical Therapy Association, APTA, has published a directory for the end-user (you) to find someone close by. This site allows you to enter your location and the type of specialist you’re looking for. It then links to contact information which is often enough to get you started. There is also information there about what specialists are nearby based on state.
Should I find someone with a doctorate?
Other things I often look for are what kind of degree a PT has. A physical therapy degree initially started as a Bachelors program. As the field and practice area has expanded, the degree required advanced to a Masters degree, then a Doctorate program starting in 1996.
As direct access providers, the doctorate program delves deeper into screening for other injuries that might mask as musculoskeletal pain and learning how to counsel on medications and radiology.
The way I look at bachelors vs masters vs doctorate as it relates to finding the best PT for you? This one is a little bit tricky. It’s a bit like how I view the specialty certifications… at this point, the people who did not initially get a doctorate have had plenty of time to do a “bridge” program which just covers the material not included in their original education and gets them that same DPT, so I do like to see a DPT after someone’s name. With that being said, someone with a Bachelors or Masters has been in the field for a long time, which means they have a wealth of experience. I’ll often weigh that experience against area of specialty, convenience, etcetera. All of that is to say, there isn’t a simple answer as to whether you should seek someone with a doctorate or not. Hopefully this explanation gives you some background so that you feel comfortable using your judgment.
Where can I find a Pelvic Floor PT?
If you’re looking for a pelvic floor physical therapist, there are a few different routes you can take. Often a prescribing physician will provide you with a list of local options. I know that I’ve had patients before tell me that the lists they were given just weren’t current. The best advice I can give is, use the national databases that are available! When PTs complete advanced pelvic floor training, they register with www.pelvicrehab.com. Another registry out there that’s a bit newer is www.pelvicptrising.com.
It’s important to stress that not all physical therapists are created equal. If you’ve dealt with your symptoms for a long time, or have tried PT in the past without improvement, shop around. Find someone whose experience and area of expertise seems to suit you and what you’re trying to get back to. Never, ever settle for feeling like you aren’t heard or respected in your care.
Happy hunting, friends. I hope you find your perfect PT!
