Peanut butter and jelly. Ice cream and hot fudge sauce. These are just a few great food combinations, and people often associate one food with the other. Such food combinations are also an excellent analogy for how in-person physical therapy near you and virtual physical therapy fit together.
In a word, these two types of physical therapy can be complementary. Often, patients will be more comfortable doing one or the other, but there are others who may get the most benefits by doing a combination of in-person physical therapy at a clinic near them and virtual physical therapy. However, doing virtual physical therapy on its own can also offer benefits over the in-person physical therapy you can find near you.
Three benefits virtual PT can offer over the in-person physical therapy you can find near you
- It doesn’t have to be near you.
Do you live in a rural area? If you do, then the odds are good that the in-person physical therapy that you have access to isn’t near you at all. You may have to drive one or more hours just to meet with a physical therapist in person. One benefit of virtual physical therapy is that it is as near as the closest stable internet connection. If you have this and a device with a microphone and camera, i.e., a smartphone, tablet or laptop, then you can get help from a certified physical therapist.
- It can be a time and money saver.
There’s an old saying that claims, “Time is money.” In many cases, that’s literally true for people who need physical therapy. For one thing, they may have an injury that’s keeping them out of work. That means the injury is also costing them money. Even if they are still working, they likely have to take time off to go to in-person physical therapy.
Virtual physical therapy can help you save both time and money. One study found that patients who used virtual physical therapy after a total knee replacement saved $2,745 on rehab costs on average. Additionally, you could save money on transportation costs and spend less time out of work by using virtual physical therapy.
- People adhere to their recovery plans better.
There is only so much time you can spend in a physical therapy clinic, which is why most physical therapists prescribe at-home exercise programs. Yet research shows that up to 65% of people with a musculoskeletal condition don’t adhere to these at-home programs. At least, that’s true unless they are working with a physical therapist virtually. Why? A research study on virtual physical therapy found that 85% of patients who used this service did their at-home exercises the recommended five times per week.
Find virtual PT to complement the in-person physical therapy near you at Agile Virtual PT
Are you looking for virtual physical therapy that can complement or even replace the in-person physical therapy near you? Then Agile Virtual Physical Therapy has a team of physical therapists that can help you. You can even sign up for a free virtual screening with us to learn more about how we can help you.
Contact our team today for more information about the services we offer or to schedule an initial appointment.