Four mistakes to avoid when preparing for online physical therapy

There has been a meteoric rise in the number of people using online physical therapy services since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. One reason for this is that many physical therapy clinics were forced to cancel in-person appointments. However, telehealth physical therapy was and is an option to consider if you need physical therapy.

Telehealth physical therapy, tele PT and virtual PT are all other ways of saying online physical therapy. These services take place over a piece of technology like a laptop or smartphone. They also tend to use online video feeds to help you meet with your physical therapist.

When using virtual PT for the first time, most people want their session to go as smoothly as possible. There are some mistakes that you’ll want to avoid when preparing for a tele PT session; avoiding these mistakes can help your session go more smoothly.

Avoid these four mistakes when preparing for an online physical therapy session:

1. Not checking your email — Checking your email prior to an online physical therapy session is vital. Typically, your PT provider will send you emails that contain information you’ll need for your session, including:

• Login information.
• Info about how to download any apps you’ll need for your session.
• Info about how to create an account on the platform your physical therapist will be using.

2. Not choosing a big enough space — You may think that you don’t need much space for a virtual PT session. Yet you’re likely to be moving around quite a bit during such sessions. After all, your physical therapist may ask you to do various movements and exercises to diagnose and treat your issue. This means that you’ll need enough space to move around comfortably.

3. Not checking your technology — There are several pieces of technology that will need to be working prior to your tele PT session. Your internet connection needs to be stable. Your device’s microphone and camera need to be working properly. An issue with one of these things can cut down on the time you spend working with your physical therapist.

4. Not having adequate lighting — Your physical therapist will need to be able to see you well during your virtual session. However, they won’t be able to if the lighting in your space is poor. That’s why you should be sure to check that the space you’re using has adequate lighting prior to your session.

Find effective online physical therapy at Agile Virtual PT

Feeling more prepared than ever for online physical therapy? At Agile Virtual PT, our team is ready and willing to start helping you treat your injuries and medical conditions. We offer one-on-one virtual PT sessions with licensed clinicians, and you can even work with the same clinician for each session. One easy way to begin working with our team is to use the free online screening that we offer.

Contact our team today for more information about the issues we can help you address or to schedule your initial appointment.