Keep up with the latest physical therapy news and insights from the industry's trusted legal partner, Ged Lawyers. Here is an overview of what happened this month in the physical therapy field.
(Photo Courtesy of Gulfshore Business)
Jacob Nassberg, a North Naples resident, says he makes people laugh when he says he's not only the president and owner of the Southwest Florida Pelvic Health Clinic, but also a client. He was so impressed with certified pelvic floor physical therapist Lesley Jones' treatment that he formed a business partnership with her and opened the Southwest Florida Pelvic Health Clinic in Naples this year. "It's definitely a lot easier for me to talk about it now that I've had personal experience," said Nassberg, who received pelvic floor physical therapy from Jones following prostate cancer treatment nearly four years ago.
They opened the Southwest Florida Pelvic Health Clinic in office space off Airport-Pulling Road in the Wilson Professional Center, the same complex where Nassberg ran his 16-year-old business, Just Family Home Care. "It's my bread and butter, and it's allowed me to take a chance, step out a little bit, and try to fill a niche in this area that needs to be filled," he explained.
Nassberg compared the treatment to physical therapy because the relationship is measured in weeks rather than months. The treatment caters to a wide range of people, and anyone over the age of 16 can benefit from it. Pelvic floor therapy is frequently used in conjunction with physical therapy, as treatment may include posture, breathing, strength, and conditioning.
"There are only a few people in town who specialize in pelvic floor therapy, and my therapist is one of them," Lesly Jones explained. "Most people I know don't know much about pelvic floor therapy, what it is, or how it can help you, but once you understand and learn about it, it can help a lot of people."
Johns Hopkins Medicine found that early physical therapy (PT) for U.S. patients with acute lower back pain (LBP) reduced health care resource use in the first month and year after symptoms began. The research included advanced imaging, specialized appointments, epidural steroid injections, and ER visits. Early PT, defined as commencing within two weeks of symptom onset, reduced ER visits by half within 30 days of symptom onset.
The researchers used Truven MarketScan, a U.S. administrative health insurance claims database, to pick 980,000 U.S. claims instances. These de-identified individuals first presented with acute LBP between 2010 and 2014. 11% of patients got early PT. Based on the studied cases, the team assessed the usage of health care resources and the cost of LBP-related musculoskeletal services.
Researchers compared individuals who received early physical treatment to those who didn't in 30 days and a year following the presentation. In the first month and year after presenting with acute LBP, those who received early PT had fewer ER visits than those who did not.
(Photo courtesy of Yoga of Immortals)
According to a Rutgers study, people who lost urinary control and used the Yoga of Immortals smartphone app significantly reduced the frequency and severity of urine leaks after four weeks of practice. Urinary incontinence affects women more than males.
Globally, 25 to 45% of women suffer from the condition, which can impair social, psychological, and sexual functioning. App-based YOI includes breathing exercises, stimulation of the body's unique energy centers for urine control, pelvic floor engagement postures, relaxation, and muscular control, and pelvic floor alignment procedures.
The study, published in Urology, is the first to prove the efficacy of a mobile app-based Yoga of Immortals intervention for urinary incontinence on a global scale. At four and eight weeks, 258 subscribers from 23 countries between the ages of 18 and 74—mostly women between 18 and 44—reported condition improvement. After four weeks, 76% of respondents felt considerably better, and the frequency and severity of urine leak improved without in-person visits to the healthcare provider. Many reported continuing improvements after eight weeks.
Direct access laws have made direct-to-patient marketing initiatives necessary for any physical therapist. If you're not attempting to pitch your services to potential self-referring patients, you're passing up a significant portion of a business that could go elsewhere. Some of the best strategies to drive your PT referrals include:
In most cases, insurance companies will fail to cover the costs of your work of treating injured people. When such happens, you might be forced to follow a long process, sending claims to a health insurer, an auto insurance company, and a collection agency. This process will take time; even worse, you will be eligible to collect lower amounts of recovery than you are entitled to.
The good news is that Ged Lawyers can help you examine files, submit claims and win settlements on your behalf. We do not require any financial investment from medical service providers. Any costs to be incurred are paid through penalties and interests owed by the insurers under Florida Law.
At Ged Lawyers, bring you 25 years of experience in PIP claims recovery. Contact us today at 561-995-1966 or complete the contact form to schedule a free consultation.