Physical Therapy: A Cost-Effective Solution for Your Pain

Navigating healthcare is no easy feat. Insurance complicates matters, meaning you have to research provider networks and other requirements. It’s often unclear what insurance covers and what it doesn’t, so you may wind up with an unexpected bill three months after your appointment. And that’s not even getting into the issue of medication access!

We get it. In fact, we’re just as frustrated as you are by the complexities of insurance companies. That’s why we want to make sure you know just how effective physical therapy can be at helping you reduce costs, particularly when it comes to pain management.

Consider the typical journey many people experience when trying to address pain:

• You injure yourself and make an appointment with your primary care physician, as your insurance requires referrals to see a specialist.
• They refer you to a specialist — who can’t see you for a month. In the meantime, you’re still suffering.
• The specialist prescribes expensive medication and suggests you may need surgery to repair the problem if it isn’t resolved.
• You’re still in pain!

At Ellis Physical Therapy, we want to help you cut through the mess so you can feel better fast. If you’re struggling with musculoskeletal pain, you can skip most, if not all, of these steps by scheduling an appointment at our clinic first. 

Furthermore, physical therapy is a cost-effective treatment option, so we can also help you save money in the long term. Want more information? Our friendly staff will be happy to walk you through it!

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Our Patients Get Great Results

“Dr. Jason Bailey worked on me and knew exactly how to relieve my pain. I’ve had chronic muscle pain right around my shoulder blade for years and have never had great luck in relieving it. I’ve tried several solutions but only ever seen temporary results. Massaging feels good in the moment but the pain returns. When I saw Dr. Bailey, he took a look at my shoulder and knew exactly where the pain was. He could pinpoint it on the first try. I constantly ask my wife to massage it and she can never even find the painful spots consistently. I can’t believe Dr. Bailey was able to know right away what was causing the pain. He recommended dry needling. I was hesitant at first because it was new to me and I was in disbelief that it would do anything. He took the time to explain to me the benefits of dry needling, and how it will restart those muscle groups that are locked up and not receiving adequate blood flow. I conceded and he stuck me with a few needles. They weren’t painful in the least. Like not even a prick. I’ve hurt worse getting a haircut! He knew exactly where to stick the needles, and he’d even tell me as he’s doing it that I’ll feel this one more or that one less, etc. I don’t even know how he knew, but he was spot on. I’m a big fan of his and of the dry needling process. I highly recommend you pay him a visit and get yourself the pain relief your body needs!”

– J.M.

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Five Reasons Why Physical Therapy Can Save You Money

1. We can help you avoid surgery. Orthopedic surgery is expensive and scary. And while there are situations where it’s unavoidable, many others are not. In fact, physical therapy is a frontline treatment for conditions like arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and mild to moderate soft tissue injuries.
2. We take the time to evaluate. Most physicians only spend a few moments on your examination. We’ll spend between 30 and 60 minutes assessing your strength, mobility, balance, and more, ensuring we have a complete picture of your condition to provide optimal treatment.
3. We aim to treat the cause of your pain. Those in-depth assessments we love have another benefit: they help us know how to treat the cause of your pain rather than merely masking symptoms. We’ll pinpoint why you’re hurting so you can resolve the problem entirely — saving money in the long run.
4. We offer preventative techniques. Many musculoskeletal injuries develop over time due to repetitive motions, awkward postures, or a sedentary lifestyle. If you don’t address those background causes, you’ll likely injure yourself again. In addition to resolving a current injury, we’ll provide personalized techniques for preventing new ones.
5. We can help you avoid drug medications. Even setting aside potential side effects, pharmaceuticals are expensive! We offer drug-free pain management techniques such as manual therapy and therapeutic exercise that can provide both immediate and long-term relief.

Physical Therapy and Health Insurance

There’s no denying physical therapy offers a wealth of benefits for those looking to save money. Unfortunately, health insurance adds another layer of complication. Insurance is generally complicated, and it doesn’t help that everyone’s plan is different. 

Here are some common questions people have about physical therapy and health insurance. If yours isn’t answered, give us a call!

Do I need a doctor’s referral to access physical therapy? 

It depends on your provider. You’ll need to check your documentation to know for sure. You can also skip the process by utilizing our cash-based services.

What are cash-based services?

Physical therapy services in which you pay cash without using health insurance.  For many patients, cash-based physical therapy saves money in the long term, as we can provide more in-depth care and are not bound by insurance restrictions.

But you do take insurance if I need it, right?

Of course! You can see a complete list of providers on our website. Our staff is also happy to guide you on maximizing your health insurance based on your visit limits and a yearly deductible.

Exercise of the Month: Butterfly Stretch

To do this stretch, you will sit on the ground, putting the soles of your feet together. You can hold either at your ankles or at your feet. And then gently lean forward until you feel stretched to the inside of your thighs. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.

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Recipe of the Month: Veggie Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 3 cups small broccoli florets
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• Sesame seeds, for garnish

Stir Fry Sauce

• ½ cup water
• ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions:

1. Make the stir fry sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the water, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes, if using.
2. Make the stir fry. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, snap peas, and carrots and toss. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables soften slightly.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the stir fry sauce. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the vegetables are crisp-tender. Season to taste. Top with the green onions and sesame seeds and serve.

Insurance Terms Explained: A Quick Primer

One thing we do at Ellis Physical Therapy is help you make the most of your health insurance plan. We know how confusing they can be and want to ensure you get the care you need (for as little money as possible). We’ve found that many people struggle with common insurance terminology, so here’s a quick primer:

• Copay: Also known as a copayment, this refers to the amount of money you may have to pay before receiving a medical service (such as seeing a physician). 
• Deductible: A deductible is a fixed amount of money you’ll need to pay out of pocket before insurance will cover your medical expenses. It generally resets each year.
• Coinsurance: Coinsurance refers to the cost you split between your insurance provider, often after you’ve met your deductible.

What These Terms Mean in Practice

Mary’s insurance plan has a deductible of $1500, 80/20 coinsurance, and a doctor’s copay of $10. 

• Any time Mary visits her doctor, regardless of whether or not her deductible has been met, she pays $10.
• However, she has to pay for other services 100% out-of-pocket until the costs accrue to $1500.
• At that point, any additional services are split between Mary and her insurance: she pays 20% of costs, and they pay 80%.
• When the new year rolls over, Mary’s deductible resets.

We know it can be confusing. If you have any questions about how your insurance impacts your access to physical therapy, we’re here to help!