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Setting the Physical Therapy Franchise Bar at PT NOW

As a prospective franchisee, you already possess business skills and knowledge. You know what makes a company successful, and you probably have a solid plan in place on how to run a profitable business. But do you know what sets Physical Therapy NOW apart from the rest of the pack? Do you know why our business model is so successful? Or how we set the bar so high for every other physical therapy business?

Convenience Is Key

First, let’s start with our locations. If you live in southern Florida, it’s pretty easy to find a Physical Therapy NOW location within just a few minute’s drive. The Miami-Fort Lauderdale area alone has 22 locations nearby. We also have franchises located farther north, more near Tampa and Orlando, and one in Tallahassee. Not to mention the Dallas-Forth Worth Texas area conveniently located in Irving. The bottom line is, the more locations we have, the more convenient it is for patients to access everything we have to offer.

The Little Things Matter

Of course, convenience isn’t worth a thing if it’s not followed by the highest quality of care, knowledgeable and friendly staff, and exceptional customer service. Physical Therapy NOW offers all of that…and more.

Sometimes it’s the little things that people notice, such as:

These types of conveniences and services may not grab headlines, but they make a difference. And it’s these types of things that our most franchisees are happy to offer to keep raising that bar.

Marketing Matters

In addition to all of the above, Physical Therapy NOW franchisees also have full access to a digital marketing team that focuses heavily on SEO (search engine optimization) so each location can compete with other physical therapists in their areas. This is critical because if you search for physical therapy on Google and can’t find Physical Therapy NOW, you won’t have a franchise. Period.

Marketing is such an important aspect when it comes to running a successful business. What good are all of the incredible services you offer if no one knows about them? With the help of our digital marketing team, franchisees can get the Physical Therapy NOW name out there and attract clients to our services and care.

The Physical Therapy Franchise For You

If you agree with everything you just read and you think you can continue setting that PT franchise bar higher and higher, Physical Therapy NOW might be the right franchise for you. Check out our franchise page if you’re interested and fill out our pre-qualification questionnaire. If we think you’ve got what it takes to be a Physical Therapy NOW franchisee, we’ll be in touch! Or call us today at (800) 481-4582 for more information.

Most of us take our shoulders for granted. After all, who sits and thinks about their shoulders? Probably no one…that is until it’s injured and requires surgery. We use our shoulders for just about every type of motion on a daily basis. Whether it’s a task as simple as brushing our teeth, washing our hair, or reaching for a fork at dinner, or something more strenuous like swinging a golf club, throwing a frisbee, or shooting a basketball, our shoulders are integral to everyday living.

The Anatomy of the Shoulder

The shoulder is one of the body’s most complex mechanisms. It consists of three bones–the upper arm bone (humerus), the shoulder blade (scapula), and the collarbone (clavicle)–that fit into the joint areas of the shoulder and are supported by tendons and muscles. Over time and use, shoulders may develop pain and inflammation, or certain conditions such as:

Common Shoulder Injuries and Causes

The conditions listed above are generally treatable through a combination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medication as well as heat and ice treatment. However, when you sustain a more serious injury to the shoulder, it generally requires more aggressive treatment, including surgery and physical therapy.

One very common shoulder injury–or area of injury–is the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is composed of muscles and tendons that connect the shoulder to the socket, which allows the shoulder to move in a circular motion. You use it hundreds of times per day without even realizing it. Sometimes rotator cuffs can become inflamed–surgery isn’t necessary for that. However, a torn rotator cuff is usually the result of an injury and often requires surgical repair.

Fractures are the other main culprit when it comes to shoulder surgeries. Any of the shoulder bones can break due to a fall, car accident, sports, or other violent jolts to the area. Depending on the severity and area of the fracture, surgery may be necessary for the shoulder to heal properly.

Physical Therapy After Shoulder Surgery

Shoulder surgery can leave you quite sore and less mobile than you’d like to be. It’s normal, but there are ways to help you feel better in a more timely manner. Post-operative physical therapy soon after your surgery can help improve your shoulder motion and get your rehab off to a good start. Timely motion after surgery can help you avoid conditions like “frozen shoulder” and contractures, which make physical therapy more challenging to work through.

Developing a strengthening and stretching treatment plan is key in maximizing and hastening your recovery time. That’s why it’s important to call Physical Therapy Now either before your surgery or soon after, so we can create the perfect PT plan for you. Working together, and with input from your surgeon, we’ll determine the suitable types of exercises for you, both range-of-motion and strengthening routines.

Let the experts at Physical Therapy Now help you feel great faster. Call us today at 800-481-4582 to set up your first appointment.

Part I: Recovery and Healing with Physical Therapy

There’s no doubt about it: Physical therapy is a great way to recover and heal from an injury. Read on to better understand why physical therapy helps the body recover from injuries, ailments, surgery, illness, and more.

The Many Benefits of Physical Therapy

We could go on and on about the benefits of PT. For the sake of time, we’ll just discuss some of the significant benefits and why you should consider physical therapy as a primary method of injury recovery.

  1. Avoid addictive prescription pain medications: The opioid crisis in this country has been well-documented. So many people’s lives are destroyed because of an injury. No, not from the pain or disability caused by the injury, but rather, the addiction they suffer from opioid pain medication they’ve been prescribed by their doctor. While these medications are beneficial in certain situations, the bottom line is they don’t take away the pain–they simply hide it temporarily. And when you’re weighing temporary relief with the risks that include addiction, depression, overdose, and even withdrawal symptoms once you’ve stopped taking the meds, you can see that the reward dwarfs in comparison to the risk.

In fact, it’s these risks that compel the CDC to recommend safe alternatives to pain management–like physical therapy. Not only does PT allow you to avoid the potentially dangerous opioid medication route, but it also helps keep you active since physical therapists treat your pain through movement and activity. Which is actually a benefit itself…

  1. Stay active: Like we just mentioned, PT will have you moving around (this obviously depends on the type of injury you’ve sustained), which is quite beneficial in itself. Regular physical activity can benefit your physical and mental well-being; it can also help prevent or improve conditions like obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and depression.  Many people are advised to start physical therapy the day following surgery!  Whether you are to start immediately or a bit later down the line, we’re here to help.
  2. Experience personalized care: One of the best things that can be said for PT is that it is never one-size-fits-all. Physical therapists work with people of all shapes, sizes, and ages, so it’s important for a therapist to collaborate with each individual to understand their condition or injury and coordinate a plan that fits their needs–and only their needs. This also offers the opportunity for patients to have input in their own recovery. Recovery requires teamwork, and physical therapists want patients to actively partner with them on their road to wellness.
  3. Skip surgery: We’ll get this out of the way…in some cases, surgery is inevitable. There are some conditions and injuries that require surgery to recover. That said, surgery can be avoided for many pain and movement issues by going the PT route instead. After all, a physical therapist’s job involves helping people manage pain and improve movement through treatment and exercise. In fact, some conditions respond quite well to PT in place of surgery, including:

Stay tuned… next week, we’re sharing some jaw dropping physical therapy statistics.   And if you or a loved on needs physcial therapy for any reason, know that we are here to help. Call us today at (800) 481-4582 to schedule your first appointment.  NOW is your time to heal!

12 Ways to Stop Back Pain

Back pain can stop you in your tracks. No matter how you hurt, tweaked, twisted, or injured your back, the pain needs to be dealt with in one way or another. You may have chronic back pain, were injured in a fall, an auto accident, or spend too much time seated in front of a computer. Regardless, what you are looking for are ways to relieve that pain. Physical Therapy Now can help you alleviate that pain

Ask your medical professional about these 12 suggestions to see if they might provide you with some relief.

 

Rest

Believe it or not, one of the simplest ways to ease your back pain is to simply rest. Your back needs time to recover and resting allows it to do so.

Exercises

A trained professional can take you through a series of exercises that will work to lessen your back pain. They will even provide you instructions on how to continue to do those exercises at home.

New Pillow/New Mattress

Sometimes the best medicine is changing out those old pillows that can leave you with neck and back pain. Or tossing that old mattress and replacing it with a better one can offer you the type of support your body requires.

Leg Elevation

Get those legs up! To alleviate pressure and pain on your back, grab a few pillows, lay down, and elevate those legs.

Stretching

Like with exercises, a trained professional can guide you through a series of stretches aimed at alleviating pain in specific areas of your back. They will show you how to perform these stretches at home and direct you on how often you should stretch.

Massage

Back rub, anyone? A professional massage – or even a self-massage – can help to relieve pain in your back muscles and joints.

Adjustments

Visiting a chiropractor and getting regular adjustments can help your alignment, with the end goal of relieving any pain and discomfort you may have in your back.

Hot/Cold Packs

There’s a reason that doctors, chiropractors, and physical therapists all recommend using heat or ice when you have an injury… it works! They help to lessen swelling and inflammation, and as a result, your pain.

Physical Therapy

Visiting a physical therapist can also help to alleviate your back pain. They will take you through stretches, exercises, and even spinal traction, while working to have you feeling your best by the end of your sessions.

Medication: OTC and Prescription

Guess what? Sometimes the best medicine is… medicine. Whether it’s an over-the-counter pain reliever or a prescription, medications can stop your pain. At least temporarily.

Surgery

When all else fails, and you feel as though you are suffering a great deal from back pain, it may be best to get surgery and deal with the issue head-on. This is the last resort. If you can avoid surgery, do so, but this may be the course of action you need to take if nothing else works.

 

Make the Call Today

Now is the time to take the first step in alleviating your back pain and getting on the road to recovery and to finding pain relief. Call Physical Therapy NOW today at 800.481.4582.

Spinal pain can have many causes. The good news is there are treatments available to help relieve your pain, your discomfort, and put you on the path to feeling better. One of the treatments available is spinal traction therapy.

If you are interested in spinal traction therapy, what should you do first? The first thing you are going to want to do is call the office at (800) 481-4582 – or schedule an appointment on the Physical Therapy NOW website.

What is Spinal Traction?

Spinal traction is a type of decompression therapy. It relieves pressure on the spine. There are two types of treatment that can be administered: manual spinal traction and mechanical spinal traction. It is used to treat pinched nerves, degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, sciatica, and other back conditions.

What does spinal traction do? It stretches your spine with the goal of taking pressure off compressed discs. It straightens the spine and helps your body’s ability to heal itself.

Who is a Good Candidate for Spinal Traction?

People who have slipped discs, bone spurs, degenerative disc diseases, herniated discs, facet disease, sciatica, foramina stenosis, or pinched nerves are, in most cases, excellent candidates for spinal traction therapy.

What makes people with spinal conditions such as these good candidates for spinal traction? The traction reverses the force of gravity, relieving pressure and pain associated with the injury or ailment.

Types of Spinal Traction Therapy

There are two types of spinal traction: manual and mechanical.

During manual spinal traction, your physical therapist will use their hands to put you in a state of traction. Manual force is used on the joints and muscles.

During mechanical spinal traction, you will be treated on a table with tools specially used to stretch the spine. Your PT will attach ropes, slings, and pulleys to mechanically relieve pain and pressure on the spine.

Are There Side Effects?

There are some side effects that come along with spinal traction therapy. In very rare cases, it can cause pain that is worse than the original pain and can cause muscle spasms. With that being said, doctors are aware of these side effects during or after therapy, and only prescribe this form of therapy to patients that can truly benefit.

What Are the Expected Results?

So, you’ve finished going through spinal traction, how should you be feeling? You can expect to have pain relief, your spine properly aligned, and decompressed joints. While the muscles and bones in the back are stretched, they combat the effects of gravity.

Thanks to the work of spinal traction, you should have significantly improved movement and feel much better throughout the day.

Make the Call Today

Now is the time to take the first step in your recovery and to pain-relief. Call Physical Therapy NOW today at 800.481.4582 to learn more about spinal traction therapy and our many other forms of natural, medication free back pain relief.

TBI Symptom Relief Therapy

A traumatic brain injury can be devastating for anyone who has incurred one. Just ask former star of The Hills Lo Bosworth. She recently went public about an incident two years ago where she suffered a TBI while sitting in a banquet when a swinging kitchen door fell off its hinges and landed on her head. She had a long road to recovery and informed her followers about her struggles with a concussion and post-concussion syndrome.

If you watch or play any sport, you know that concussions are no joke. If concussions go undiagnosed and then go untreated, it can lead to dangerous consequences. There is no such thing as a “mild” concussion, despite this term being used by even the most skilled medical professionals… every concussion can cause damage to the brain.

Concussion Symptoms

Many symptoms are prevalent for those who have suffered a concussion, including dizziness or imbalance, headache, confusion, double or vision blurry, memory loss, nausea or vomiting, ringing ears, trouble falling asleep, difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light, and loss of smell or taste.

The good news is that many of these symptoms be relieved or lessened with customized physical therapy treatment.

Evaluating and Treating Concussions

If you think you’ve sustained a concussion, it’s best to get tested and evaluated. There are many different ways to determine if you have a concussion, including a physical or neurological exam.

At Physical Therapy Now, we have a videonystamography machine that will test central motor functions and the inner ear through infrared technology. This can be used to diagnose dizziness, motion sickness, and central motor and inner ear issues.

TBI Symptom Relief

Once cleared for physical therapy, your PT will build a plan for treatment tailored to your injury, which can include hydrotherapy, acupuncture, and even therapeutic massage. These treatments won’t rid you of your concussion and the symptoms associated with it, but they can help relieve some of your symptoms and allow you to start to feel better and more normal. They will also help decrease the chances of long-term symptoms.

Make the Call Today

Now is the time to take the first step in your concussion treatment and recovery. Call Physical Therapy NOW today at 800.481.4582 to schedule your first appointment.  Each session will take approximately 30 minutes to one hour, and there is a Physical Therapy Now location within 5 miles of your Miami home or office. Our team of physical therapists is kind, professional, and most importantly, experienced in treating concussions successfully. We’re here to help… let’s get started today.

If there was any positive that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that businesses learned to operate in new ways. Companies and businesses that didn’t adopt a virtual/remote mentality were the ones hit hardest over the past several months.

But here at Physical Therapy Now, we already had in home physical therapy services up and running.

PT Now in Your Home

While many of our Physical Therapy Now locations remained open (with several safety and distancing measures in place) throughout the pandemic, plenty of our customers were understandably hesitant to come into our facilities. We get it!  

How Does In-Home PT Work?

Physical Therapy Now offers two types of in-home PT:

In-Home Physical Therapy

As we mentioned, physical therapy had to adapt to the pandemic restrictions just as many other businesses had to do. By doing so, not only were we able to create the safest in-person experience for you at our many convenient locations, but we also identified a way to bring our services to you for your safety and convenience.

After all, at Physical Therapy Now, we want you to be as safe and comfortable as possible when you’re receiving physical therapy. Whether you prefer to stay at home due to COVID-19 precautions or the inconvenience or inability to make it into one of our facilities, we know the importance of staying on your PT schedule and ensuring you get your treatment promptly.

Since it’s critical to your health and well-being, we’re happy to provide these in-home options for your convenience. To learn more about our in-home physical therapy or to set up a virtual or in-person session, call us today at (800) 481-4582.

Physical therapy every day…sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it? Imagine what kind of shape we’d all be in if we had PT every single day! Except…that’s not how it works. Much like almost everything else in life, too much isn’t usually a good thing. Let’s discuss why.

Can You Overdo Physical Therapy?

Absolutely. As much as we love to see your smiling faces come through our doors each and every day, it’s probably not a great plan. Part of physical therapy and rehab is planning and recovery. Your injury or condition might require more PT than someone else’s, but in most cases, the human body needs time to rest and recover. Maybe we schedule you for three days of challenging, rigorous PT–those other four days of the week, your body should be resting. After all, overdoing it can actually make your injury worse or even cause another injury.

Our incredibly skilled and knowledgeable physical therapists know what’s suitable for your injury. Together, you will both come up with a plan that works for your specific injury and body. Our PTs understand when you need to step it back and allow your body the time it needs to recover. So, yes, you certainly can overdo physical therapy. But we won’t let you!

How Many Times a Week Should You Have PT?

It all depends on the circumstances–your injury, your body, your recovery time. Everyone is different, and every injury is different. Some people may have the same type of injury, but one might be served better with four days of PT a week, and the other might respond well to three days a week. Others might actually need daily physical therapy! And we now offer daily treatments at Physical Therapy Now. Again, this will only apply to certain situations–you and your physical therapist will figure that out as your circumstances and progress are evaluated.

There is no set number of days you should or should not have physical therapy. Plenty of factors will determine whether you’d be better off with one day of PT or six!

How Many Times Per Day Should You Perform Your PT Exercises?

Similar question with a similar answer. It really all depends on your situation. Again, we want to make sure you’re not overdoing it because it could put you right back where you started. Your physical therapist will give you specific instructions regarding which exercises should be performed and how often. We recommend you either write down some notes or set a reminder on your phone and stick to those recommendations. We can monitor your activity while you’re in one of our convenient locations, but we can’t watch you at home–we’ll have to rely on the honor system!

Daily Physical Therapy: Is It Right For You?

While most people do not require physical therapy on a daily basis, it may be warranted in certain situations–but only if it benefits the patient. If your injury requires daily PT, give Physical Therapy Now a call at 800-481-4582 to set up your initial appointment and evaluation. If you don’t need daily PT, call us anyway, and we’ll get you on the schedule and cadence that works for your particular injury.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anywhere between 1.8 million and 3.6 million sports and recreation-related concussions are diagnosed each year in the United States. Keep in mind, those figures don’t even include concussions caused by car accidents, assaults, or falls. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) like concussions are a growing problem–and we’re not even talking about the ones that go undiagnosed.

The Importance of Concussion Evaluation

One reason concussions have become increasingly dangerous is that many go undiagnosed, which means they also go untreated. There are way too many occasions when people suffer a blow (to the head or even the body) and, unless they lose consciousness, they brush it off as just a minor inconvenience. Except it isn’t.

There is no such thing as a “mild” concussion. Every concussion is a big deal, and that’s why it’s so important to be evaluated for a concussion even if you’re not immediately experiencing some, or any, of the following concussion symptoms:

Why is it so important to be evaluated even without any signs or symptoms of a concussion? Because untreated and undiagnosed concussions can present some significant problems.

The Dangers of Untreated Concussions

Here is why it’s critical to detect a concussion and treat it: gone untreated, concussions can result in several long-term complications, including:

Being diagnosed and treated for a concussion is so important because the chances of sustaining a second are three to six times greater than someone who has never sustained one.

The more concussions that are layered on top of one another, the more dangerous they become–this scenario exponentially increases the likelihood of unconsciousness, reduced memory, and confusion anytime a new concussion is sustained.

All you need to do is Google names like Junior Seau, Justin Strzelczyk, Dave Duerson, Andre Waters, Aaron Hernandez, and others. These are all former NFL players who suffered so many concussions that they led to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, better known as CTE. This is a degenerative brain disease caused by multiple blows to the head and concussions, and along with all the symptoms listed above, CTE also causes depression, irritability, anxiety, and aggression.

CTE played a major part in all of the deaths of these football players–each committed suicide between the ages of 27 and 50. One could argue that Strzelczyk’s death wasn’t suicide, but when you crash your vehicle driving 90 mph against traffic, you start to understand that his mind was not functioning properly.

While CTE may be the most extreme result of multiple undiagnosed and untreated concussions, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s real, and it can happen to anyone.

Evaluating and Treating Concussions

If you’ve sustained a blow to the head or even the body, and something simply doesn’t feel right, you must get yourself examined by a physician. There are many ways to evaluate a concussion–through a physical or neurological exam, with tests such as CT scans, and also with videonystamography. This process tests central motor functions and the inner ear through infrared technology to help accurately diagnose dizziness, motion sickness, and other central motor and inner ear functionality problems through eye movements.

This device is sometimes referred to as a VNG machine, and many medical professionals use it to diagnose concussions, vertigo, sensory disorders, and other neurological conditions reliably and accurately. The great news is, Physical Therapy Now has a VNG machine that can easily be transported from location to location–this means that we can evaluate you for a concussion right in our facility, without you having to make an extra doctor’s appointment or go to another physical therapy now location.

Once evaluated, the next step is to let your brain heal. The most common treatment for concussions is rest. Avoiding strenuous activity and allowing your brain time to heal are generally the most recommended courses of action. Physical Therapy Now does, however, offer treatment for symptoms of concussions, including hydrotherapy, acupuncture, and therapeutic massage. These therapies can help alleviate some of the issues you might be experiencing and decrease your chances of long-term symptoms.

Where Can I Get A Concussion Evaluation?

Visit an emergency room or your doctor if you suspect you’ve sustained a concussion. Or call Physical Therapy Now to be evaluated with our VNG machine. No matter where you prefer to be assessed, it’s critical that you are evaluated by a professional.

If you are diagnosed with a concussion, come see us for treatment at any one of our convenient, state-of-the-art locations. Call Physical Therapy Now at 800-481-4582 to make your appointment today. We’re ready to help.

The casual observer might read the title of this article and wonder…why? After all, golf isn’t exactly a high-impact, physical, or violent sport. So why would any golfer ever need physical therapy? It couldn’t possibly be from a golf-related injury, right? How does one even get injured playing golf?

Let’s put these stereotypes and myths to bed right now. Golf is a physically demanding sport that puts quite a bit of stress on the body–even if it doesn’t come in the form of a bone-crunching tackle, home plate collision, or sprained ankle.

Common Golf Injuries

Anyone who believes that a golf swing is part of a body’s natural motion has never taken a golf swing. The fact of the matter is that a golf swing–though it may appear fluid and smooth to the eye–actually puts a lot of stress on the body.

While not every golf injury is related to the swing, many injuries are, in fact, caused by the swing. There are many possible contributing factors–poor mechanics, overswinging, incorrect grip on the club, and insufficient stretching or warmup before playing, to name a few. These factors can lead to injuries to the following:

Of course, other injuries are relatively common in golf as well–feet, ankles, neck, and hands, for example. But the injuries above tend to afflict golfers more than any others.

How Physical Therapy Can Help Golf Injuries

Fortunately for golfers, the injuries we discussed are all generally treatable through physical therapy. At Physical Therapy Now, we help golfers feel their best so they can get back on the links again. We see injuries such as inflammation, sprains, and strains, and we know just the right treatment to alleviate the pain and help prevent the injuries from recurring in the future.

Whether it’s massage therapy, aqua therapy, muscle strain/sprain therapy, or exercise therapy, our highly skilled and experienced physical therapists will work with you safely and effectively to reduce your discomfort, get past your injuries, and enjoy pain-free golfing.

Physical Therapy for Golf

If you love to golf but feel nagging aches and pains whenever you play (or if you have a more severe injury affecting your game), call Physical Therapy Now at (800) 481-4582 to set up your first appointment. We know you want to be out there playing in this beautiful weather, and we can help get you there through high-quality physical therapy at your neighborhood PT Now location.

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