Taking on Physical Therapy can be confusing. To help with that here are some of the most frequently asked Physical Therapy questions we encounter at Ruidoso Physical Therapy Clinic.
Physical Therapy is performed by a licensed health care professional that specializes in the treatment of musculoskeletal as well as neurological conditions. Treatment includes therapeutic exercise, manual therapy/massage, as well as the use of modalities (heat, cold, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, etc.). Treatment is focused on returning the patient to their prior level of function.
Most musculoskeletal and neurological conditions can be treated through physical therapy. This can range from pain, fractures, total joint replacements, sprains, and strains and even, incontinence. If you have a question, please do not hesitate to call the office to see how we can help your particular condition.
Yes and no. New Mexico is a direct access state which means that with certain insurance companies a referral is not required. However, some insurance companies do require a referral before services will be authorized. Medicare does not require a referral from a physician. If you are unsure you can call your insurance and ask them or you can give us a call.
Yes. As a patient you have the right to request the physical therapy clinic of your choice. If your physician is unfamiliar with our facility, please recommend that they contact our facility and familiarize themselves with the services we provide.
The Ruidoso Physical Therapy Clinic is a preferred provider for the following insurance plans: Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Presbyterian Health Plan, Lovelace, NM Self Insurer’s Fund, Workers Compensation, Medicare/Medicaid/Centennial, United Health Care, and the Indigent Fund (and more, please call to verify if we are in network).
Before your first visit at RPTC, we will call your insurance carrier to verify your benefits. Your insurance will, in some cases, authorize a certain amount of visits and inform us if there is a co-pay associated with your plan.
But we also encourage patients to come to our clinic directly. We will accept patients without a doctor’s referral and we offer reasonable rates to self-paying clients. If you have any further questions, please contact our Billing Department.
Just give us a call at 575-257-1800 or 575-686-2338 and we can arrange a convenient time for your initial visit.
Please remember that an appointment means that we have reserved time especially for you. If you need to cancel or re-schedule your appointment, we would appreciate at least 24 hours notice so that another patient can be treated at that time.
There is a $50 No-Show Fee if you do not keep your appointment or if you give us less than 24 hours notice of your cancellation.
For your first visit, please bring your insurance card and a picture ID/driver’s license, as well as your vaccination card if you have been vaccinated for the Corona Virus. Any post-operative, MRI, and X-ray reports will also be useful to guiding our treatment and your care. Another recommendation is that you bring a list of all your medications and supplements and that you let us know of any drug allergies. And if you have one, please don’t forget money for your your co-pay!
Wear comfortable clothing that will allow you to move around with ease. If the impairment you present with is an upper body problem (cervical, shoulder, upper back), a gown will be provided to maintain your modesty.
If the problem is low back or lower extremity, please do not wear jeans. Instead shorts or sweat pants are recommended to allow easier access to the area. We have areas here at the clinic allowing you to change clothes in privacy.
Please do NOT wear cologne/perfume and avoid smoking before your appointment if possible. We have many patients and employees who are highly sensitive to these allergens. Thank you for your understanding!
Your first visit is an initial evaluation. During this visit, your physical therapist will take a thorough history of your condition and then take specific tests and measurements to pinpoint your impairment.
Your therapist will use this data to make a clinical judgment of your diagnosis and prognosis. Then your therapist will formulate a specific treatment plan to resolve the problems identified, then proceed to set goals with your input.
Depending on your insurance plan, we will likely begin therapy during this visit, after the initial evaluation.
Your initial visit will last approximately 1½ hours. We also ask that you arrive 30 minutes prior to this appointment to complete paperwork unless you’ve already taken care of it before-hand.
Treatment sessions, after the initial evaluation, typically last anywhere from 45 minutes to 1-1/2 hours depending on the patient and the diagnosis.
The number of visits needed will be set by your therapist and insurance company with your knowledge and input. While these visits range depending on the patient’s diagnosis, typically the average number of visits is 12.
Progress will be determined by your therapist who will be evaluating you during each session to quantify your progress. It is important to inform your therapist of any physician appointments so that if a re-evaluation has occurred, the physician can be updated.
Physical therapy is billed differently than most doctor visits. Instead of billing one code for the entire visit, we must bill for each separate procedure performed, and by the amount of time that procedure necessitated. This means that on the ‘Explanation of Benefits’ (EOB), your insurance company provides you, it is possible to see 4 or 5 different lines of billed codes. This is completely normal.
As for the different charges, it is our hope that you will be progressing with each and every visit to our facilities. This means that each time you come for physical therapy we will be adjusting your treatment to align with your development and improvement.
At RPTC, we take our billing very seriously. If you feel that we have made an error with your billing, please feel free to contact our Billing Department at 575-257-1800.
Physical therapy requires a partnership between both the therapist and patient. Success is unlikely if the patient only does their exercises during their sessions here at our clinic. It is imperative that you also do your home exercise program which your therapist will teach you. The home exercise program helps speed recovery.
It is possible that you will experience some muscle soreness. Just because soreness occurs does not necessarily mean your condition has worsened;
you are simply re-awakening and strengthening the muscles. Our objective is to make your rehabilitation
as comfortable as possible. It is important to let your therapist know right away if something is causing
any pain so that the procedure can be modified or eliminated.
Schedule your appointment today at Ruidoso Physical Therapy so that you too can feel confidence in your own body.
Keep an eye out for our Physical Therapy Learning Center coming soon!
