Virgil Said:

How often does a PT or PTA integrate Massage Therapy into their treatments?

We Answered:

Massage is one of those things that can be an adjunct to physical therapy, but is never the main focus. More and more evidence mounts that passive forms of treatments such as modalities and massage are not long term solutions for recovery.

We need to empower patients to learn what they can do to help themselves recover and not foster dependence on the clinician...so you will see less and less massage being done in the clinic and less and less insurance companies paying for it.

When I use massage during treatments, it's typically not more than 10 minutes or so. Deep friction massage, trigger point release and effluerage are pretty basic techniques that aren't hard to learn and are probably the primary techniques you would use as a PT or PTA. That being said, it's typically about a week's worth of lecture and lab in PT school. It's not necessary for a PT or PTA to become a licensed massage therapist. It would also not necessarily be considered an asset either in a PT clinic. It does not change the rate of reimbursement to your facility and is never the primary reason why someone is in PT anyway. If someone really wants to have massage, I direct them to a massage therapist anyway. Yet, it certainly wouldn't hurt your application either.

Good luck in school.

Henry Said:

How much are new physical therapy grads going into outpatient making in the Nashville, TN area?

We Answered:

I don't think new graduate salary has ever been broken down by city, but national average new graduate salary is about $51,000 a year.

...I'd consider the following:
Tennessee is a considerably lower cost of living city as compared to New York, Chicago. LA, etc...and may, overall, pay lower than the national average...however, in a city where cost of living is lower, you can often live "richer."

Also, consider that Nashville is home to several top notch PT schools and the density of PTs might be higher here than it is elsewhere...making it more competitive to get a job.

Finally, that the outpatient setting is one of the lower paying settings as compared to home health and nursing homes.

...just some thoughts.

Glenda Said:

How can some of my moms pain go away?

We Answered:

Two words - second opinion.

See another doctor and get another opinion. If she feels WORSE then before surgery, something isn't right.

You are sweet to be so supportive to your mom. Good luck.

Geraldine Said:

School Occupational and Physical therapy?

We Answered:

Have you talked to the school's diagnostician? You probably have IEP meetings too,right? Voice your concerns and ask for an IEP ASAP. Do you have a Parent's Rights handbook? They ( the school) should have given you one with the first IEP that put your child in therapy in the first place. Does your child has case management? Ask the case worker to help you explain to the school their therapy plans aren't working and you want to discontinue them. Does your school has a social worker for your child? Ask for the name of this person and ask them to help, explaining your reasoning and see what they have to say. If none of these work, get a lawyer. If you can't afford one, go to Social Services and request one, explaining what steps you've taken and what has not worked and request more help. You know your child. You know what's best, trust me. I don't know what state you're in, and I would not ask, my advice ( stated above) is general practice for any state. I cannot guarantee it will work, but it's a starting place. I hope it does work, b/c the sooner the better. Sometimes you have to fight the system to get it work properly, or just get out of your way, so it can be done properly. Time for MaMa Bear to come out. Keep calling and talking to people til you find the right person or agency and tell them it's NOT working for your child. Call a local disabilities agency near you and ask them for advice.
The other option is the observe these therapy sessions, which you HAVE the right to do. Maybe you can see WHY they aren't working and have the IEP changed to make them work better. This is probably what the school will want you to do. Therapies are a delicate issue. A child with disabilities might not respond well to just anyone. I have a child with a learning disability. I feel for you. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT... keep believing you are strong enough to win.

Cheryl Said:

What is the difference between inpatient and outpatient Physical therapy Rehab Settings?

We Answered:

First, there are a couple levels of inpatient therapy: acute (ie, in the hospital), acute rehab (out of the hospital but needs an intense amount of rehab services before returning home) or sub-acute (out of the hospital, but either too weak for acute rehab, or only needs a minimal amount of services prior to returning home). In these, settings, PT is primarily focused on basic mobility: how to walk, how to get out of bed, etc. Family involvement is usually critical if they are going to assume caregiving responsibilities.

In the outpatient setting, patients are now either at a higher function, or are able to safely return home with some assistance. If they still need an intense amount of therapy, day rehab is an appropriate setting. Otherwise, they can return to an outpatient setting in a traditional manner. In outpatient settings, the variety of caseload is much different. You may see someone who is simply having back or neck pain, or you can see someone who is still recovering from a stroke. Outpatient settings usually have a more orthopedic background, but there is still a need for therapists who work with neurological patients as well. In this setting, the therapist is often concerned with showing someone how to self manage certain musculoskeletal problems or helping them regain range of motion, etc.