Physical therapy is a type of treatment meant to reduce pain and restore mobility through practices such as therapeutic exercises. In many cases, patients who undergo physical therapy have a reduced need for surgery and medication. A physical therapist is a licensed health professional who undergoes specialized undergraduate training in physical therapy and is qualified to prescribe a treatment plan for a patient. These professionals evaluate your condition and work alongside you to develop a tailored care plan to help with your injury, illness, or pain symptoms.
Physical therapy can be used for a wide variety of reasons. Patients who are struggling with any of the following can benefit from physical therapy:
There are several other reasons why a patient may seek physical therapy or why a healthcare professional may refer you to a physical therapist. At Move Empower Concierge Physical Therapy, we provide patients with one-on-one expert guidance and 60-minute sessions that are focused on a single-minded end goal: to help you get back to the best version of yourself.
Physical therapy encompasses many different exercises, tools, and techniques to get you back to feeling your best. Some of these include manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, dry needling, and IASTM. Your physical therapist will discuss treatment options with you and develop a tailor-made plan for you to feel better. Here is a look at some of the services we offer at Move Empower Concierge Physical Therapy:
Manual therapy is a hands-on physical therapy treatment for the management of orthopedic conditions. It is used by the physical therapist to diagnose and treat soft tissues and joint structures for the purpose of restoring range of motion, inducing relaxation, improving muscle power, facilitating movement, and improving function and sports performance.
Therapeutic exercises aim to give various benefits to athletes, people who have recently had surgery, people who have had an accident that restricts movement, and anyone who has issues with musculoskeletal functions.
Dry needling is a skilled intervention that uses a thin needle to penetrate the skin and stimulate underlying myofascial trigger points, muscles, and connective tissues for treatment of musculoskeletal pain and movement impairments.
Instrumented Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) is a technique that uses a wide variety of tools to detect and treat fascial restrictions due to soft tissue fibrosis, chronic inflammation, and degeneration.
Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFRT) is when light exercises are conducted with a cuff that restricts blood flow. This promotes muscle strength, range of motion, and makes it easy to receive benefits from low intensity workouts for those that are unable to complete high intensity regimens.
Post Operative Care (Post Op) is for those who have recently undergone surgery. Post Op care helps you get back to the activities you love faster after a procedure.
Great question! The two main ways we differ from other physical therapy practices in the Austin, TX area is that we are A) mobile, and B) we offer specialized one-on-one care. That means you do not have to cancel other commitments and try to squeeze in a physical therapy appointment you must drive to. We get it: no one wants to sit in Austin traffic. We save you from having to do that by providing high-quality physical therapy in the comfort of your own home or office. Essentially, we bring physical therapy to YOU!
We also offer one-on-one sessions and take the time to truly put together a specialized treatment plan for each of our patients. Most patients must go to an outpatient physical therapy center, where therapists see 2-3 patients per hour. At Move Empower, each patient receives 60 minutes of full, individualized attention to help them achieve the best outcomes for their overall well-being.
A telehealth appointment is a safe and effective mode of accessing specialist physical therapy online from the comfort of your home. We utilize encrypted HD quality technology to keep your visits secure and private while offering expert care to rid you of your pain and improve your mobility. During your telehealth appointment, you will meet with a physical therapist over a video call on a mobile device or computer.
No! You can be evaluated and treated by our physical therapists without a prescription up to 10 business days after your initial session. After the 10th business day, a signed prescription from a specified healthcare provider will need to be in your physical therapist’s possession.
The physical therapy referral or prescription can come from an MD, DO, Physician’s Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, Podiatrist, Dentist, or a Chiropractor.
Initial evaluations may last from 60-75 minutes in duration. Your follow up appointment will be 60 minutes of one-on-one care.
We accept check, credit cards, and Venmo, HSA.
Though we get this question a lot, the answer varies for each patient.
Every case is unique, and factors such as age, past medical history, and type of injury can influence recovery time. Estimates can be made over the phone; however, a full examination will provide a more accurate prognosis.
In general, patients that receive individualized one-on-one care tend to recover much quicker than those that do not!
We do not take insurance at Move Empower Physical Therapy. Here’s why: in order to give you the best care possible, we do not contract with insurance companies. Depending on your current insurance provider, you may be eligible for out of network benefits which can help cover a portion of your treatment. Physical Therapy (PT) is eligible for reimbursement with flexible spending accounts (FSA), health savings accounts (HSA), health reimbursement accounts (HRA), dependent care flexible spending accounts (DCFSA), and limited care flexible spending accounts (LCFSA).
By choosing to not contract with insurance companies, we are able to provide one-on-one care outside of a clinical setting. Typically, when insurance provides physical therapy, a patient will be sent to an outpatient physical therapy center, where therapists are meeting with 2-3 patients per hour. The result is patients feeling rushed, not tended to properly, and many decide not to come back and finish their physical therapy plan.
At Move Empower, we offer a much more personal, tailored approach with one-on-one sessions that are 60 minutes long. We also offer outstanding follow-up, and we check in with our patients — especially if they have any questions along the way!
Yes, physical therapy (PT) is eligible for reimbursement with flexible spending accounts (FSA) and health savings accounts (HSA).
For patients with high deductibles, physical therapy without insurance is a no brainer because you will pay just as much at a standard insurance-based clinic until that deductible is met. Your receipt provided by us can be submitted to your insurance and applied to your out-of-network deductible.
If you use out of network benefits, using insurance can cover a portion of your treatment, however you may not be eligible for this coverage without submitting the proper paperwork. I can assist you with this process if it is a fit for you, but you should expect an out-of-pocket cost up front and then a reimbursement from your health insurance provider on the back-end.
BFRT, or Blood Flow Restriction Training, is where a cuff is placed on your arm or thigh to create pressure and restrict blood flow. You then complete low intensity exercises with the cuff in place to trick your muscles into working as they would in a high intensity workout.
BFRT is beneficial for those that are unable to complete high intensity exercises due to injuries. Working with low intensity exercises and restricted blood flow, you will notice an increase in your muscle mass, strength, and endurance!
No! You may notice that your body feels different during these workouts or that your arms/legs change color a bit, but it does not hurt.
Your skin will return to its normal color once the cuffs are removed. However, you may see a slight increase in the size of your limb for about 24 hours and may experience some muscle weakness and soreness — just like you would after a high intensity workout!
Everyone! BFRT is for anyone and everyone, but a quick consultation with your mobile physical therapist will determine if Blood Flow Restriction Training is right for you.
Yes! The only thing they really have in common is that they use a needle. Acupuncture uses what’s known as meridians that are energy paths in the body. Dry needling uses trigger points to guide treatment; trigger points like sore places on muscles.
One of our physical therapists will figure out your trigger points — also known as pain points — and then insert a sterile, stainless steel needling into the muscle that’s causing you problems. It’s pretty normal for your muscle to twitch a bit here, and that might cause some mild discomfort, but it passes quickly. Patients tend to experience rapid symptom relief and increased mobility after appointments; there might be some initial soreness after your appointment, but that will subside after 24 hours.
We get it. You hear needles and don’t have a great feeling about it. Don’t worry! The needles are very thin filament needles. In fact, they are so thin that most patients don’t feel much when the needle first enters the skin. For comparison, getting a flu shot or getting blood drawn causes much more pain. When the needle hits the target muscle that’s causing you problems, there might be a sensation similar to a small muscle cramp, but that only lasts about 15-30 seconds.
Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization is the use of tools to increase your range of motion and decrease your pain/inflammation due to scar tissue from previously healed injuries.
No! It’s pain free. In fact, you can think of it more as a deep tissue massage to relax your muscles and better align scar tissue within your body. There’s no downtime after an Instrumented Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization treatment so you can get right back to your busy schedule.
IASTM is generally used in conjunction with therapeutic exercises to increase your range of motion and decrease your pain/inflammation, but this is something that one of our physical therapists will determine at your appointment.
Manual therapy is a subset of physical therapy. Many people think it’s something different, but it’s actually part of the physical therapy family!
In this kind of therapy, a physical therapist is more “hands-on” and works with their hands on the patient to help provide treatment. Several other techniques are more “hands-off,” where patients can do the exercises or movements themselves. Some “hands-off” methods require equipment or tools where most work is done by the patient and the physical therapist assists.
Our physical therapists come equipped with all these tools, so you never have to work about bringing anything except yourself to your manual therapy appointments!
Examples of manual Therapy (“hands-on techniques”) include the following:
Studies show that manual therapy is very effective. For example, one study published in Physical Therapy Effectiveness conducted by Paolo Bizzarri and Andrea Foglia states, “Manual Therapy is an extremely effective therapeutic method in managing patients with pain and musculoskeletal disorders. Manual therapy can have a very positive effect, leading to rapid and significant improvements when properly applied in accordance with the specific clinical picture and the individual patient.”
After completing your FREE discovery session phone call or virtual video chat, a physical therapist will come to you at your home or office. They will conduct a thorough evaluation to determine which course of treatment you will need. Then, you’ll set up a time for our manual physical therapist to visit you on a regular basis, and they will work with you through various exercises that are hands-on to help you work towards your pain free goals.
Physical therapy can help you recover from surgery quickly and ensure your body is working properly so that you can get back to the activities you love. We recommend post surgery rehabilitation through physical therapy so you can enjoy your active lifestyle again as soon as possible.
Everyone’s journey is different, so one of our physical therapists will evaluate where you are to determine what sort of physical therapy you will need. Your treatment plan might consist of: manual therapy, therapeutic exercises, dry needling, IASTM, or BFRT.
After surgery rehabilitation through physical therapy can help you build and strengthen muscles faster after surgery, help you heal quicker and properly, and it can help you get back to your active lifestyle faster!
A physical therapist works with you via video chat so you never have to leave your home, and no one has to physically enter your home. This is perfect for those with health concerns or those who are just very busy!
A physical therapist will complete a detailed evaluation to determine if you are a candidate for virtual physical therapy, and if you’re a good fit, you will be given an estimated number of appointments that your PT determines you will need to overcome your injury.
Via video chat, a physical therapist will walk you through exercises to strengthen your muscles and aid in mobility. You will also learn what to avoid and what to pursue to help your injury.
These are exercises prescribed by one of our physical therapists in Austin, Texas to help increase your range of motion and decrease your pain/inflammation.
During your first mobile physical therapy visit, one of our PTs will come to your home or office and conduct a quick physical exam/test to determine what the best method of treatment is for your pain.
During your first visit, a physical therapist will determine the root of your pain and create a custom treatment plan to overcome it. After that initial visit, your PT will walk you through the exercises, prescribe some exercises to do between appointments on your own, and continuously add new exercises to increase your range of motion and decrease your pain.
There are TONS, but the main benefits are to increase your range of motion, which will decrease your pain and inflammation.
Anyone that’s suffering from pain caused by movement!
Click below for a free 30-minute phone consultation with one of our mobile physical therapists to discuss your condition and how Move Empower Physical Therapy can help you.
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