When to seek telehealth for physical therapy

When it comes to feeling pain or healing from an injury, it’s not uncommon for a person to grin and bear it. While it can be tempting to let your body try to naturally heal itself, the symptoms that come from a medical condition or injury can make it difficult to carry out your daily responsibilities.

Life doesn’t slow down when you’re trying to recover from pain and discomfort. That’s why it’s important to know when it’s time to seek the help of a health care professional to speed up the process and get you back on your feet. The good news is that telehealth can provide you with the physical therapy treatment you need when you’re ready to restore your body’s mobility. But how do you know it’s time to take that step? That’s what we’re here to help you find out.

We’ll talk about the basics of telehealth for physical therapy, when it’s time to explore telehealth physical therapy as an option and the benefits that it can offer.

What it means to get telehealth for physical therapy

Let’s break down the basics of telehealth for physical therapy by discussing each part on its own.

Telehealth refers to health-related services that are provided to patients online through telecommunications technology. Telehealth can refer to several avenues of remote health care, including online messaging and videoconferencing through webcams.

Physical therapy is a type of health care that helps reduce pain and improve the body’s mobility, strength and function that’s been impacted by an injury or medical condition. 

When you put the two together, telehealth for physical therapy allows patients to manage their pain and improve the overall quality of their affected areas through online health services.

How to know when it’s time to explore telehealth for physical therapy

While there are some types of pain and injuries that can improve on their own, others will often require physical therapy techniques to heal. With telehealth for physical therapy, you can learn safe and effective exercises through remote virtual sessions and tutorials that will help you work toward a healthier future.

Here are a few signs that it’s time for you to seek telehealth for physical therapy:

• You have limited mobility that’s interfering with your quality of life.
• You’re experiencing persistent or worsening pain.
• Your injury or surgery recovery process isn’t progressing.
• You’re an athlete who has been impacted by pain or injury.
• You have a desire to improve your body’s overall functionality.
• You don’t have time for in-person physical therapy.

The benefits of seeking telehealth for physical therapy

Telehealth for physical therapy can be an effective option for many people. It’s important to learn about the benefits that you can gain by participating in virtual physical therapy sessions.

Here are a few reasons why you should explore telehealth for physical therapy:

• Flexibility — Many people put off getting physical therapy because they don’t have the time in their schedule to commute to a clinic. If you require more than one appointment a week, it can be even harder to squeeze into your schedule. Physical therapy through telehealth is a flexible option for your schedule; you don’t have to leave your home to get the treatment you need. 
• Learning home exercises — While many people assume that physical therapy can only be completed within a clinic with hands-on assistance, telehealth for physical therapy helps you learn exercises that you can safely perform from home between sessions. You can also keep them in mind after you’ve healed and as you continue on your wellness journey.
• Accessibility — It’s not always possible to find a physical therapy practice in your area. Telehealth allows people in nearly any location to improve their mobility if they have access to Wi-Fi. It can also help to foster independence for those who have a disability or severely impacted mobility that make it difficult to get around. 

Agile Virtual PT is here to help when you’re ready to try telehealth for physical therapy

Deciding to explore telehealth as an option for physical therapy is a significant step in your health and wellness journey. Whether you’re looking for exercises that will increase your range of motion or you’re trying to regain your strength after undergoing a surgical procedure, telehealth for physical therapy is here to help.

At Agile, we provide customized physical therapy care through telehealth. We help everything from common conditions, like back pain, to speciality conditions, like oncology issues. Our data shows that 93% of our patients experience a decrease in pain.

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.