FAQs

In general, wear comfortable clothing. If you are presenting with a problem of your cervical spine, upper back or shoulders, the therapist can provide you with a gown as needed to expose these areas. If you are coming for a lower-extremity problem, shorts are important. You can bring clothing with you if you need to change here.

Yes, all our practitioners have to be licensed in the state of New York. Licenses should be prominently displayed.

Absolutely. If you have a problem that you think can be helped by our approach, feel free to give us a call. After discussing with you the specific problem you present with, we can give you a better idea if it is something that is manageable with physical therapy. You can also give your doctor a call. If he or she is not sure, he or she is welcome to contact us as well. In today’s healthcare, if you feel a certain kind of therapy can be helpful to you, you will need to stress your feelings to the doctor you are seeing.

If you have a recurrent problem after your completed episode of care, how/if you will return to physical therapy will depend on a number of factors. It would depend if it was a re-injury of the same specific problem, how long it has been since you were last in physical therapy, how long it’s been since you saw the physician (if a physician referred you), and many other factors. In general, if you are discharged from treatment and feel the need to return, you should contact the therapist who treated you. He or she will review your chart and call back to discuss with you what should be done, depending on the problem you are having.

We offer complimentary check-ups for all our patients 6 months after their completed episode of care. This helps to avoid any problems that may arise from getting worse, and also allows us to help the patient be more independent in their condition.

Treatment should include manual hands on care, exercise and balance component and functional training and patient education. Although you may be a little sore after therapy, you should feel an improvement in your ability to perform your activities at home, work or leisure with greater ease, increased tolerance, and improved feeling of well being.

If you have increased symptoms please call our office. When you call the office, please be sure you explain to the office staff that you are having an increase in symptoms. The office staff will pull your chart and contact your therapist or a covering therapist. We will be able to review the information and will give you a call back that same day. After we discuss the case with you, we will be able to give you guidelines as to what would be appropriate to reduce your symptoms, whether you need to come in our office, or if you should contact or follow up with your physician if you were referred by one. It is best to call us prior to calling your physician as if a change in symptoms has occurred, it is important that we fax the physician a report so that she can be up-to-date on your care when you see her for a follow-up visit.

Because your therapist will perform a meticulous examination/ evaluation, quantifying and qualifying all the deficits and problems you are presenting with, re-examination to determine progress is possible. You will be re-examined based on your diagnosis as well as on the chronicity of the problem. Additionally, the physical therapist always needs to be aware of follow-up visits with your physician, if you were referred by one, as a re-examination may be performed so that the physician can be updated at that time. Re-evaluation/ progress notes are performed on all patients every 2-4 weeks, with those reports sent directly to the patient’s doctor to keep them updated on progress, and any issues.

It depends upon the diagnosis, the severity of your injury and how dedicated you are to doing your part outside of treatments. Our goal is to not only get rid of your pain but to get you to the point where the likelihood of the pain coming back is significantly reduced. Staten Island Center has an average therapy length of 12-16 visits per condition.

Children’s treatment sessions last 30 minutes to 60 minutes, depending on the age and condition of the child. Adult therapy sessions last 45 minutes to 75 minutes on average, depending on diagnosis. For massage we provide 30, 60 and 90 minute sessions.

The interventions you receive will depend on what the therapist finds in the examination/evaluation. Our intervention programs include coordination among all people involved in your care (other health care professionals, family, friends, caregivers, and others), communication to ensure a good exchange of information, thorough documentation of the care and services provided, and instruction to you and others involved in your care to promote and optimize our services. Most plans of care will include three categories of interventions: manual therapy component, exercise/ mobility / flexibility and balance component, and third- functional training including patient education. Other interventions might include manual therapy techniques; use of equipment such as supports, orthotics, or prosthetics; airway clearance techniques; skin repair and protection techniques; electrotherapeutic modalities; and mechanical modalities.

On your first visit, your therapist will perform an examination/evaluation to determine what deficits and/or problems you have that can be addressed in physical therapy. The examination/evaluation involves a thorough history, a systems review, and tests and measures that allow the physical therapist to get a more specific understanding of your condition. Your therapist will make a clinical judgment as to your diagnosis and prognosis. A treatment program will be developed aimed at resolving the problems identified as well as to attain the goals you set in conjunction with the therapist. Your evaluation will be sent to your doctor within 24 hours so that your physician is always kept up to date with your therapy progression. If any problems or concerns arise, your therapist will contact your doctor directly to work out a plan to handle it quickly for you.

Co-pays are determined by your insurance company. However, we will do all of your insurance authorization and re-authorization for you, and will be able to give you all the information about your therapy services coverage, including co-pay amounts on your first visit.

Most insurance companies cover physical therapy and massage therapy services. We will verify your exact coverage for you, however, so you will know your insurance policies guidelines when you begin your therapy sessions. If you have additional questions regarding your specific insurance give us a call.

For your first visit you will need your insurance card, and any paperwork that you downloaded from our website or forms that may have been sent to you. If you have any operative reports, MRI or X-ray results, you may bring those as well. Additionally, if you are utilizing any type of brace, splint, or crutches, those should come with you.

You are our partner in your recovery. Your physical therapist cannot do it without you! We ask that all patients and clients cooperate by following through with their home exercise programs and instructions, as this is extremely important in expediting your recovery.

Just call us directly at (708) 605-1300 to make your first appointment. New Jersey is one of 48 states that has direct access. This means you do not need to see your doctor before beginning treatment. Our clinic hours and location are explained on the location and hours page of this website. Our office staff will get all the necessary information from you and assist you with an appointment.

Often times, your physician will give you a recommendation or a listing of clinics in your area. Sometimes your insurance company will guide you with regard to who is “in network” for your insurance plan. Ultimately, however, the decision as to where you receive your care is up to you. If you have a specific request, you need to let your physician or insurance company know. If we are not in network for your insurance company most plans have out-of-network benefits that will allow you your choice in providers. We accept most every insurance plan at this time.

In almost all cases – No. “No Pain – No Gain” is not true in most cases. You might develop some more muscle soreness from working muscles that you haven’t used or that are weak.