Finding the best physical therapist for you is dependent on a number of factors, how long are appointments, what expertise does the therapist have, where is the clinic located, what is the cost, and how hard is it to get an appointment.
Here are a few questions you might consider when choosing a physical therapist:
- How long are appointments?
- How much one-on-one time with a licensed therapist do you receive?
- What expertise does your physical therapist have?
- Does your physical therapist have a private treatment room?
- What is the office environment like?
- How does the waitlist work?
- Does the clinic take insurance? If so, do they file for you; or do they expect you to pay up front and then get reimbursed by your insurance company, and is that something you want to do?
- Should you go out of network or pay cash for your appointment?
- Does the clinic teach you how to treat yourself so that you need less appointments?
- Is the physical therapy clinic reasonably accessible for you with the DC metro traffic, parking, etc.? And directly related to this question: how often will you need an appointment?
If you look around the internet for the best physical therapist, everyone in the physical therapy and rehabilitation field is marketing themselves as “best”. It can get even more confusing when you include professions that are related to physical therapy, like the best chiropractor or the best massage therapist.
We have also from time to time said the same thing: come to us because we’re the best at what we do. We believe in our one-on-one appointments with a licensed therapist. We believe in our therapists having more training than anyone else in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, or Maryland areas. And we believe we make our appointments affordable by working with your health insurance to submit claims so that you don’t have to deal with it. We also try to make our offices accessible by locating them in popular areas with parking and transportation options, and creating a relaxing environment that feels like home. Although we strive for comfort, we know you are busy and the biggest expense of physical therapy is lost time at work, so we strive to make our appointments as valuable as possible so that we reduce the amount of times you have to come in.
But no matter what we or anyone else says, “best physical therapist” is a subjective measure that should be personalized. At the end of the day it’s you who has to make a certain number of visits, pay a certain amount, and take time off of work. So we encourage you to be your own advocate and ask the questions that are important to you.
