Why Physical Therapy Sucks!
Hello world!
I’m writing this blog because physical therapy and healthcare in general usually sucks. Yeah, I said it- physical therapy sucks. And… I want to change it! -especially the environment- the way it’s done and the way it feels.
I hear the stories all the time: people tell me they had PT elsewhere and got “treated like a number,” “splayed out on a table” in a gym with minimal privacy, “left and forgotten in a room” with a hot pack on their back, stuck out on equipment or pulling on bands “not sure if they’re doing things right.”
I’ve worked in these clinics, seen and experienced them first hand, and the PT’s working there are GOOD PT’s. It’s just that they work in an setting that doesn’t give them the time or an optimal environment with their patients. Part of it is financial- you increase income the more patients that are treated per PT per hour, but part of it is just that it’s an old habit to organize PT offices this way- it’s just the way it’s always been done. But shoot, there has to be a better way, and there is!…and … we’re doing it.
So now that I’ve told you why I think it sucks, I’d like to share how I want it to be, and what we’re doing about it.
My name is Jordan Larson, co-founder of Active Physical Therapy, and I have a passion for creating an uplifting, healing, fun, and effective environment for people who need physical healing in Santa Maria and Orcutt.
This is what I mean by that: I want to change the feeling people have when they come in for PT. I want every interaction with us to help them, from how they feel looking at our website to the first visit to after they’re done with PT. I want to guide them in healing their bodies, yes, but also I want to uplift them in any other way I can too.
Sure, we have awesome, expert PT’s here – we are all packed full of experience, great hands-on manual skills and cutting edge techniques. We are clinically very good at what we do, if I may (so humbly) say. And that’s important. But there’s more to it than that, and that’s what I’m focusing on in writing this post.
We humans aren’t just muscle, nerve and bone- we are emotional beings, and we feel stuff. I know, deep, right? But this gets missed in healthcare these days- HOW we treat the person in front of us can be just as important and WHAT we do with them in treatment.
We strongly believe in, and are doing all we can to make all points of contact with anyone who has anything to do with Active PT to feel a certain way.
This is a big part of our vision for what to do to make PT less sucky.
When you read our website I want you to know there’s someone out there who cares about you, who has information that might help you make a great decision about the future of your health (or of someone you love)- whether you decide to get help here or not- just that you see there are some solid options available to you and that you’re not alone.
When you talk to us, I want you to be able to tell us your story, and most likely hear our stories of people just like you, with your specific body problem, that got help here. And if not, to get referred somewhere that can help you- since we’ve listened to your story we know what’s up. We’ve been doing this here in Orcutt/Santa Maria since 2003 and know a lot of medical providers here, so we can likely help you find somewhere to go that can help you.
When you enter our office, we strive to welcome you as part of our little PT family, which I know, sounds SOOOOO corny. But here we’re there for you when things are hard, we joke around with each other, we get to know a little about each other’s lives, we’ve got your back, and we want the best for you. Hm, now that I think of it, I wish my whole family was actually like that! OK so maybe we’re BETTER than family. Anyway, we’ll look you in the eye, offer you some tea or a coffee and talk to you as the human you are, not just a number.
Since you’ll be with an expert, licensed PT each and every session for the whole time, we have the ability to reassess what’s going on with you each visit, and how what we (and you) have been doing are affecting your progress. We can make tweaks as necessary and always make sure you’re comfortable with how things are going. We want to partner with you in your care, and this 100% one-on-one time really helps with this.
After you’re done with PT, we will check in with you to make sure you’re still on track and feeling good, sometimes giving small tips over the phone to make little upgrades or ease a concern. We are “your” PT practice, and you have us at your fingertips indefinitely as your resource. You’ll keep reading our (fabulous) blog posts sent to you via email, and watch our YouTube videos with regular tips and tricks to get and stay mobile, active and free from pain medication. And hopefully, you’ll stick your head in the door and say ‘Hi’ in person- you don’t HAVE to bring us cookies or anything, but ahem, we’re just saying that’s an idea 😃. Actually, what’s just as good, is you come back in, sit for a bit with us, have some tea and a little sweet goodie from us, and tell us how things are going. We’d love to chat.
So these are the things I currently know to do to make things better for our patients and anyone who comes into contact with our company. I am passionate about creating the most exceptionally positive feeling in those we interact with, and I will be continually reaching to improve, evolve and deepen the benefit of the things we do and how we do them.
Are we doing this perfectly? Probably not – there’s always something we can do better. And that’s what were working on, what we strive to do and are and are doing our very best offer you- something better than regular sucky PT.
So when I say “physical therapy sucks,” I know it typically does, if done in the typical way. But times are changing, healthcare is changing, and there is a better way to help people heal. We may not have ALL the answers, no one does, but we are here for you- online, on the phone and in person to help you any way we can, and we’re not going anywhere.
If you need to get some help for you or someone you love – fill out a chat request, give us a phone call, or request a free report. Waiting longer usually isn’t the answer – get some answers and move forward towards making excellent, well-informed decisions about the future of your health today, right now.
If you’re already seeing us as a patient, send me a comment below about how we’re doing, or message me on our Facebook page if you have anything I can help you with. Tell me how awesome everything is going or tell me a concern or need you have- I want to hear it all!
Or, here are 3 super easy ways to start feeling better today- you choose:
1) Click HERE to get a free report about what physical therapy is in detail, and how to choose the best PT for what’s going on with your situation (scroll down our website for the report button- it’s on the right).
2) Click HERE to schedule a FREE 15 minute telephone consultation with one of our best PT’s.
3) Click HERE to schedule a FREE 30 minute “Discovery Visit” to discover what’s wrong, what to do about it and by whom.
Best wishes for your health,
Jordan
