Both junior high and high school students utilize the Creative Rehab sports screen programming. The 30-minute sports screening is done free of charge and looks at the ability of an athlete to control his body through a variety of movements. Athletes will often come to her clinic and state their muscles are tight. Davidson finds the reason for the tightness is often more of a strength and stability issue than a lack of flexibility.  Listen now to learn more about this innovative physical therapy sports screening program and Davidson’s outlook on the future of physical therapy.

The study, Use of Quality Indicators in Physical Therapist Practice: An Observational Study found that physical therapists may not always see themselves as providers of primary or secondary prevention services. The study also found that patient management strategies associated with preventive care for patients with diabetes or obesity were sometimes perceived as relatively unimportant or burdensome. Learn why it’s critical to play a stronger role in preventative care and health interventions by listening to the full podcast now.

Physical therapy can help athletes activate muscles that have not been used in their years of training and learn ways to use their bodies more efficiently. She aims to help athletes learn how to best use their entire body instead of just focusing on the area of an injury. Learn more about working with top-notch athletes in this informative podcast.

To build public awareness of the Illinois campaign, the IPTA has launched a website IllinoisAdapt.org. The site contains a number of ways you can get involved to help in the fight for greater access to physical therapy. To learn more about the legislative challenges in the process, listen to the full podcast now.

The understanding of the science of movement, pain and human is constantly evolving. Using a mind, body and spirit approach to physical therapy, Talyor uses the latest evidence-based findings to employ simple, practical treatments to best benefit his patients.  His method strives to gain a full understanding of each patient’s unique story and how he can help them effectively deal with it. Take a moment to listen to the full podcast now to discover how this holistic approach could benefit both you and your patients.

When WebPT was founded, 80% of physical therapists were still using pen and paper for their medical records. Over time, physical therapists are adopting EMR systems into their practice and the APTA is pushing for incentives for to make EMR implementation more affordable.  EMR systems like WebPT, can help improve compliance, speed up reimbursements, streamline workflow process, and provide a way to measure and compare patient outcomes.  To learn more about the benefits of web-based EMR systems like WebPT, listen to the full podcast now.

The comprehensive program at Apple Physical Therapy assesses medical conditions that could increase a patient’s risk of falling and gait speed. The program has been proven to help reduce a patient’s fall risk through exercise and patient education. To learn more about the benefits of a fall prevention program, listen to the full podcast now.

A practicing physical therapist and clinic owner, Richardson has spent years coming up with a complete system to help make measuring outcomes and compliance almost automatic. His book serves as a workbook with templates, checklists and tools you can use to improve patient outcomes and compliance at your clinic.  To learn more, listen to the entire podcast now.

Before starting your own practice, Steffes recommends getting involved in clinic management, accounting, and marketing. And even more important, work on building and growing relationships with the businesses in your community.

To help physical therapists gain their position as a primary provider in the future of health care she also stresses the importance of physical therapists helping patients get better, faster and longer. Schedule a follow-up appointment in 6 months – don’t wait for patients to call you.  She stresses that physical therapists and other health care providers can save 26 billion dollars a year in health care costs, if by simply keeping seniors in their home for one more year.  Learn tips for private practice success by listening to the full podcast now.

The TRX suspension trainer uses a strap suspended overhead or anchored to a door.  The system is scalable to adapt to all fitness levels, patient age and stage of rehabilitation and can be used to rehabilitate musculoskeletal injuries, enhance mobility, improve joint stability or strengthen multiple planes of motion. Whether helping individuals get in shape again or helping a patient recover after surgery, physical therapists are using the TRX suspension center to complete movements that they may not be comfortable completing otherwise.

Funk finds that patients are curious about the system and enjoy the opportunity to use it in a therapy setting.  To learn more about the TRX system, listen to the full podcast now.

With over 300 centers in 40 states, Concentra is well-recognized for their work with employers.  Since physical therapy is integrated into their clinics, many physical therapists have the luxury of seeing patients the same day they visit a physician with a complaint. This leads to faster care and better outcomes.  To learn about some of the approaches Concentra uses to help employees improve function to get back to work or interventions they’ve help implement to prevent work related injuries, listen to the full podcast now.

Recognized as experts in gait analysis and running injuries, the Running Injury Clinic at the University of Calgary has implemented a new system that is now available to physical therapists interested in marketing specifically to runners in their area.  The gait analysis system utilizes 3D technology to help clinicians to do motion analysis on site. A complete package includes software, accessories, 3D cameras and training for clinicians to become experts in diagnosing issues. Most clinics rely on a cash pay model and have a four to six week wait period for runners waiting to get a running assessment. To learn more about this system and how it can benefit your practice, listen to the full podcast now.

Kicking off our APTA CSM2012 series of podcasts is Kelly Sanders, PT, DPT, ATC, President of Team Movement for Life. This private practice started with just one clinic in 1999 and over the years has grown to 17 clinics. Team Movement for Life has an aggressive growth plan with plans to open one to three clinics each year.

She credits their success to running collaborative practices with intensive training and mentorship programs. Each employee is dedicated to going above and beyond to make a difference in their customer’s life every day. Team Movement for Life is built by individuals who are passionate both personally and professionally about embedding effective movement into our own lives and those of our clients and patients. Learn more about the opportunities available to physical therapists at Team Movement for Life by listening to the full podcast now.

Privatera stresses how despite an increase in co-pays paid by patients, insurance companies are still paying physical therapists the same rate, and in some cases less. In essence, insurance companies are putting the financial burden of care on the patients. Physical therapists used to see patients 7-9 times and are now just seeing patients 2-4 times because of cost.

To address the financial constraints faced by many of his patients, Privatera finds himself spending more time educating patients and helping them learn techniques they can do at home to speed their recovery. They’ve also incorporated a fitness center into their practice that runs on a cash-pay basis where patients can get additional support.  To learn more about the efforts underway to combat ever-increasing co-payments listen to the full podcast now.

Fowler continues to see cost control as the number one issue facing physical therapy and the health care industry. In an effort to contain costs, she believes health care reform will rely upon Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).  ACOs credentials are currently underway with a few organizations.  Even if the political climate changes Fowler doesn’t believe it will impact the movement toward ACOs.

Other continuing health care trends include mergers among health care providers. She sees this as one of the first stepping stones for building ACOs as providers look to contain costs and expand their service offerings.  Fowler also advises physical therapists to pay attention to the physician fee schedule and to plan for bundled payments.

To learn more about other changes that could impact your clinic in 2012, listen to the full podcast now.

Bennett follows an evidence-based approach and works to meet the needs of each individual patient with a focus on providing outstanding customer experiences. Learn some of the secrets behind his clinic’s  success by listening to full podcast now. You can also learn more about Texas Physical Therapy Specialists by following Dr. Bennet on Twitter (@Bennettab)  or by visiting his website.

California physical therapists were victorious in defeating AB 783 which would have changed the current law and made profit for referral a reality. Had the bill passed physical therapists could work for a doctor-owned office. Although victorious, the victory was bittersweet. The law states it is illegal for a physical therapist to work for a medical corporation in California. Yet, last minute changes to the bill prevent the law from being enforced. Learn more about ongoing legislative efforts fighting for independent physical therapists by listening to the full podcast now.

Physical therapists put a great deal of time and energy into learning new treatment techniques. But today’s expert believes the best physical therapy begins with a great evaluation. Author of Movement: Functional Movement Systems, Gray Cook, MSPT, OCS, CSCS, RKC, physical therapist at Mountain  River Physical Therapy (MRPT) and founder of Functional Movement Systems shares the importance of becoming an expert at diagnosing the real issues behind a patient’s pain.

Cook’s methods and ideas are at the cutting edge of rehabilitation, fitness, and injury prevention. He encourages physical therapists to learn to evaluate better and determine the movement issue causing the problem. And believes a thorough screening prior to physical exertion can help determine a person’s risk of injury. To learn more about the techniques you can use to help achieve the best possible outcomes for your patients and new referral resources to tap into, listen to the full podcast now.

Novasic recommends physical therapists keep in mind that there’s a lot more to running your own practice than taking great care of your patients. In order to run your own practice you need to be willing to knock on doors to generate business.  You’ll also need to secure Medicare
credentials and gain a greater understanding of insurance contracts.

Novasic also notes as more patients seek physical therapy on their own, the need for a clinic to be in a convenient location is gaining in importance. Clear and visible signage is important too.  More and more patients are stopping in at physical therapy clinics just because they saw the sign. Find a few more things to think about before starting your own clinic by listening to the full podcast now.

Novasic  believes it’s a good time to own a private physical therapy practice. As long  as physical therapists work to educate patients on the benefits physical  therapy provides, he sees the demand for physical therapists growing.  With direct access, he has had more patients  seeking physical therapists out on their own without a doctor’s referral.

Before starting a private physical therapy  practice, Novasic stresses the importance of having the right mindset. Having an entrepreneurial spirit and a solid understanding of the reasons why you want  to own your own private practice is critical to your success. Once you  determine why you want to start a private practice, make sure you determine what  your overall vision is for the practice.

Other factors to consider before starting your  own physical therapy practice are your competition, location options, referral  market and market size. He also stresses the importance of marketing. You have  to be willing to knock on doors to generate business. To learn more factors to  consider before opening your own practice, listen to the full podcast.