Life seems to be on stand still for the last two months. COVID-19 has affected every aspect of our lives and livelihoods. We, the people, have seen worse than this but nothing like this. The way the social distancing has made our social interaction so different, it is something no one has ever imagined. With this limited communication, we should not ignore our needs which may affect our quality of life in the long run. Though the face-to-face communication is limited in person but it is possible in virtual reality. Telehealth is the safest way we have to communicate our problems with healthcare providers. Problems such as chronic pain can lead to Urgent or Emergency visits if not treated promptly. Psychological and financial strains can add anxiety and fear of uncertain conditions and exacerbate these symptoms.
Patients who were receiving Physical Therapy before pandemic have either postponed their appointments or opted for a better option of Telehealth to reduce the risk of infection. Telehealth has proven to be a win-win situation for the patients and population in general. Like many other medical services, one aspect of Physical Therapy requires touching and feeling while most of the session time involves history taking, visual inspection, education, demonstration, training and making patients independent with their daily living activities at home and at work. When a patient opts for telehealth, Physical Therapist can get medical history, history of injury, pain, accident, medical/surgical procedures, occupation, medications, and hobbies. Using telehealth, patients can have their ranges of motion measured, gait analyzed, posture checked, and body mechanics assessed. Since it is the patient’s own home or work environment, that is being evaluated, patients get a real time, habit changing advice from a professional without even leaving their homes. Photos or videos of therapist demonstrating exercises can be used by patients as many times as possible. Patient then can make their own videos for feedback or to get a consultation from Physical Therapist.
Assessment, re-assessment and referral to another specialist when appropriate can be done without any issue. In fact, Telehealth makes the process faster and allows the patients to get timely care they deserve. There are many platforms such as facetime, doxy.me, zoom.us or phzio.com to help in this process.
Try a free Telehealth consult with a qualified Physical Therapist. Conditions which can be managed through Telehealth are,
Fall Risk Assessment
Stroke
Muscle strains and sprains
Parkinson’s Disease
Low back pain
Neck pain
Orthopedic disorders
Neurological disorders
Hand Therapy
TMJ disorders
Balance Testing & Scoring
Vestibular Rehab
Pain Reduction
Gait Training
Workers Compensation
Post Surgical Rehab
Joint Replacements
Transfer Training
Assistive Device Recommendations
ADL training
Women’s Health
Telehealth will be covered by your insurance company the same as if you were in an outpatient clinic setting. Dr. Muhammad Jasim, DPT is a board certified Physical Therapist in orthopedic conditions and vestibular/balance problems. Dr. Mona Mehraj, DPT is an experienced Physical Therapist in treating Women’s health and lymphedema. For those of you with new injuries or pains that you may be ignoring, don’t wait. Try a telehealth physical therapy visit today.
One of our telehealth patients recently commented, “Marvelous service. I am glad I went (Telehealth) to Revive Rehab Services for my painful arm and got great help.”
Tips to make telehealth successful,
Wear clothing that will expose your injured area. For example, if you have a knee injury, wear shorts or if you back or shoulder hurts, wear a bathing suit top (ladies).
Set up your computer or mobile device in a well-lit room with plenty of space so you can lie down if need be for certain exercises.
Have another person available at your residence during the session. If it is not possible then make sure you have provided information of your two emergency contacts.
Have any exercise equipment that you own available, such as light weights, bands or massage balls.
Write your questions and symptoms down before the visit to make better use of your time with the therapist.
Please remember to be safe and follow social distancing. We are all in this together and we all will come out of it together. Call us at (484)891-0608 or schedule online your first virtual Physical Therapy visit today.
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