People were not used to doing much work online before the pandemic of COVID-19. The reason might be that they might not have much knowledge of how to use it or might be comfortable doing it traditionally, or maybe too lazy to try new things. But, the pandemic has changed every habit. After the pandemic, people had to change their habits. People have begun to do much of their work online. In this blog, we are going to talk about one of those things that people usually do offline. But now, people do it online, which is physical therapy. We call it telehealth physical therapy.
In this blog, we will show how telehealth is helpful in physical therapy. Let’s start.
Physical therapy through telehealth solutions is a fantastic way to receive the help you require online. In order to serve patients with varying demands and comfort levels, licensed physical therapists are using digital technology. If virtual physical therapy is right for you, find out.
What is telehealth Physical therapy?
Telehealth physical therapy is Similar to in-person sessions, where you will work with a professional physical therapist with the help of telecommunications to evaluate your injury and develop a rehabilitation plan.
In telehealth physical therapy, the only difference is that it will be done virtually. You can do these sessions as per your comfort. You can do it from your home, office, or any place where you feel comfortable. It also offers you to do as per your time. You can fix the time, the time you like.
The services of telehealth physical therapy were received by many people before the pandemic, and also, many people don’t have an idea about telehealth physical therapy. But now, the world is shifting towards a digital world, and people slowly get to know what they can do digitally. Well! It is not easy for therapists to do their job online, but now, they have adapted to these changes.
Now, it’s time to see the advantages and disadvantages of telehealth physical therapy.
Advantages of telehealth physical therapy
Whether there is a pandemic or not, there are several reasons why virtual physical therapy can be an excellent option. Let’s look at some of the most popular causes for patients to choose virtual care.
The followings are some advantages of telehealth physical therapy-
1. Comfort for patients at high risk
The risk at home is always the smallest, despite the fact that we take every step possible inside of our clinics to keep patients secure. Staying at home relieves the burden of having to leave home and allows our high-risk patients to receive the care they require.
2. More affordable
For virtual care, insurance monthly premiums are frequently substantially lower and perhaps even nonexistent! Virtual PT can be a fantastic choice if money is an issue for your care.
3. Shorter scheduled times
A significant portion of online physical therapy depends on you finishing your at-home workout regimen outside of your appointment time. Your appointment times will therefore be shorter and simpler to fit within the workplace.
Let’s see some disadvantages of telehealth physical therapy.
Disadvantages of telehealth physical therapy
Despite being a fantastic alternative to in-person therapy, virtual physical therapy has a few drawbacks.
The followings are some disadvantages of telehealth physical therapy-
1. Difficult diagnosis
There are many things we can accomplish electronically. But, getting an initial diagnosis is the most challenging. There is merit in being able to experience how your body functions firsthand.
2. Fewer alternatives for treatment
Physical therapy uses exercises to strengthen and improve mobility in order to cure and prevent injuries, but there are many beneficial additions to your exercises that you can’t do electronically, like cupping, manual therapy, scraping, and trigger point dry needling.
3. Working alone for longer
The time spent performing your exercises with a technician or helper in the clinic is cut short by digital physical therapy. As an alternative, you spend more time performing exercises on your own and talking to your therapist to ensure your form is sound. It does not provide the same immediate improvements that you get at the clinic.
We have seen the pros and cons of telehealth physical therapy. Now it’s time to see, does it work? Let’s find out.
Does telehealth physical therapy work?
We can’t say that it will work for everyone. If we say so, it will be a lie. It depends on the situation. If a person doesn’t have a major problem, he can attend the session online. If a person needs proper therapy, he has to go the traditional way. In short, we can say that everyone or every type of session is not a perfect match for digital sessions.
You must have a question in your mind: what type of person is eligible for telehealth physical therapy? Let’s see.
Ideal Candidates for Telehealth Physical Therapy
The followings are some ideal candidates for telehealth physical therapy-
1. Athletes
not only experts! Any active person with enhanced bodily awareness is considered to be an athlete. You are more likely to attain full recovery, virtually speaking, the more in tune you are with your body.
2. Patients with a lot of passion and drive
Patients who actively participate in their recovery consistently show the best results, according to our observations. That becomes even more crucial if you have to rely solely on your commitment to your at-home workout regimen and on your ability to follow your therapist’s advice in the absence of manual therapy.
3. Patients that are technologically aware
You don’t need to be a tech expert to use it. Any person who knows how to use Google Meet, Zoom, FaceTime, or other video conferencing apps can attend telehealth physical therapy.
4. Existing patients
In most circumstances, moving your appointments to virtual care is fairly simple and successful if you’ve already been working with a physical therapist.
5. Patients who comeback
The transition to virtual care may also be made easier if the therapist has already worked with you and is familiar with your body.
Now, you know the ideal candidates for telehealth physical therapy. Let’s see some conditions which are ideal for telehealth physical therapy.
Ideal situations for telehealth physical therapy
Some illnesses and injuries are simpler to cure digitally. The following recommendations to be successful in a digital session-
● New injuries
It means that you haven’t been suffering from this discomfort for years without receiving treatment.
● Common athletic injuries
The injuries that are common in athletes like plantar fasciitis, IT band dysfunction, Achilles tendinitis, etc.
Conclusion
In this blog, we have discussed how telehealth is helpful in physical therapy. We have discussed what telehealth physical therapy is. We have also mentioned the pros & cons of telehealth physical therapy, ideal conditions, and ideal candidates. We hope that the blog will be useful for you.