Can I Answer A Question For You? (847) 257-5172 todd@modernathletept.com

Here’s some answers to the most common questions…

Is physical therapy right for my issue?

 

This is an easy question to answer…If you can check off any of the symptoms or issues listed below, then you can be confident that physical therapy is right for you:

(Important:  The symptoms and problems listed below is NOT the specific name or diagnosis of your issue…the issue is described as you see it and feel it.  See What Injuries Do You Treat?” for specific types of injury.)

  • Sports injury
  • Post-operative rehab
  • Pain or stiffness during exercise (lifting weights, jumping, running, etc)
  • Pain or stiffness during daily activity (walking, standing, sitting, driving, etc)
  • Back pain or stiffness
  • Achy pain in your leg
  • Numbness or “pins and needles” in your leg
  • Hip pain or tightness
  • Knee pain
  • Sprained knee
  • Sprained ankle
  • Ankle / Foot pain or tightness
  • Neck pain or stiffness
  • Achy pain in your arm
  • Numbness or “pins and needles” in your arm
  • Shoulder pain or tightness
  • Elbow / Wrist pain or tightness

This is a list of common problems that patients ask us to help fix. 

If your problem isn’t on the list above…or if you’re still unsure if physical therapy is right for you…then a 100% free Discovery Visit would be the best first step.

Will physical therapy cause me more pain?

If it helps reassure you, the motto “No Pain, No Gain” is NOT one of the mantra’s at Modern Athlete PT!

That being said, physical therapy will be a physical experience for you, so there may be some discomfort to the treatment process (primarily during manual treatment).  But you are in control at all times — your feedback is a key part of the treatment.

Plus, we’ll discuss helpful tips (in addition to your homework!) that will aid in keeping you as comfortable as possible as your body is making improvements.

What injuries do you treat?

Here is a list of the common diagnoses we see:

(These diagnoses may be a result of a sports injury, accident, or daily “wear and tear”)

Back

  • Sciatica
  • Low back pain
  • Spondylolisthesis
  • Disc bulge or herniation
  • Degenerative disc
  • Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain
  • Core weakness
  • Post-operative rehab

Neck

  • Muscle spasm and tension
  • Disc bulge or herniation
  • Degenerative disc
  • Post-operative rehab

Shoulder / Elbow / Wrist

  • Impingement syndrome
  • Rotator cuff tendonitis or tear
  • Labral tear
  • Lateral or Medial epicondylitis
  • Elbow / Wrist strain
  • Post-operative rehab

Hip / Knee

  • Patellofemoral pain syndrome
  • Iliotibial (IT) band syndrome
  • Meniscus tear
  • Knee sprain
  • ACL tear
  • MCL or LCL sprain
  • Groin strain
  • Hamstring strain
  • Quadriceps strain
  • Post-operative rehab

Ankle / Foot

  • Ankle sprain
  • Calf strain
  • Shin splints
  • Achilles tendonitis
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Post-operative rehab
How will physical therapy help my injury?

The human body is truly remarkable — and yours is no different.  It’s designed to “help itself” through adaptations and natural healing (part of which is the inflammation process).

We have two goals in physical therapy…First is to reduce your pain, and second is to “reset” your healing process.

The first part (reducing pain) is probably what’s most important to you right now.  We want to turn off the “alarm” signal of pain so your body can relax…both physically and emotionally!

The second part (resetting your healing process) is what makes treatment at Modern Athlete PT unique to most other PT clinics.  We target the role your nervous system has in controlling movement so you don’t hold on to the “adaptations” your body has made that keeps you at risk for another injury (or never getting over your current injury).

We use a combination of manual therapy (hands-on treatment) and exercise therapy that targets how your brain controls and produces efficient movement (WAY more effective than just strengthening or stretching your muscles).

Do I need a doctor's referral?

Nope…

Illinois is a “Direct Access” state, which means a prescription from a doctor is NOT needed in order to begin physical therapy.

Your physical therapist follows practices to ensure your safety, including knowing when seeing a doctor is needed.

If you have questions then our 100% free 45-minute Discovery Visit is a great first step!  Getting questions answered can save you from wasted time, money, and energy with a treatment plan you aren’t “on board” with…

Will physical therapy help me improve performance during sport or exercise?

At Modern Athlete PT, there are two services that will help you: Physical Therapy or Movement Performance.

Physical therapy services are geared towards resolving pain and putting the body in a better state of function in order to reduce the likelihood of re-injury.  Ensuring you move pain free and without restriction will improve performance in the gym, on the field, and on the court.

Movement Performance services are geared towards people who aren’t in pain but still want their body to perform better.  This service helps you get greater benefit from a traditional strength and conditioning program or team-based training.

Plus, Modern Athlete PT is in the same facility as the wonderful trainers of KG Strength and Performance.  They offer top-notch personal training or semi-private training to maximize your body’s performance. 

We can make your decision easier by assessing your specific needs.  The best starting point for you may be a 100% free Discovery Visit to point you in the right direction.

What should I wear?

If at all possible, wear “exercise” clothes.  The more layers the better (especially in colder months).

When hands-on treatment is performed, it is more effective when your skin can be accessed.  This means that tightness of a thigh muscle can be better treated if you’re wearing shorts or loose-fitting pants that can be rolled up. 

You’ll never be asked to remove any clothing that you aren’t comfortable removing!  You’ll always be asked first if an area of your skin can be exposed — you are free to make the decision that makes you most comfortable.

What should I bring with me to the first session?

Other than the appropriate clothing mentioned above, it will depend upon what kind of questions you have.

Many people have questions about shoes…So feel free to bring any and all that you’d like to discuss.

Others have questions about a particular brace or gadget.  It’s fine to bring them in as well.

Writing down the questions you want to make sure get answered is always helpful.  And it can save some “brain power” to jot down the previous injuries and boo-boos you’ve had in the past because I’ll be asking about them!

What time should I arrive?

I don’t have a fancy waiting room…So plan on arriving right at the start of your scheduled session.

I block out extra time into the schedule for each and every one of your sessions, so if we need a bit of extra time then we have it.  That means there’s no need to show up early.  All that I ask is that you arrive on time so YOU aren’t frazzled!

For your first session, I have paperwork that typically takes less than 5 minutes. 

If you’re running late, please give me a call so I don’t worry about you.  Of course, understand that it may affect how much we get done in that session if you arrive well after the start time.

Can I bring someone with me?
 

Absolutely!  In fact, we encourage it.  An extra set of eyes and ears will be beneficial in helping make sure questions get answered and understood.

We are big proponents of providing information (as much as you desire to learn).  We strongly feel that an informed patient is in an ideal position to make confident decisions of what’s best for them.

On occasion, there are some basic hands-on techniques that you may benefit from that a family member or friend can learn and help you with, too!

It’s always your decision if the person accompanying you joins us in the treatment room or not.

When do I pay?

If we are submitting the charges to your health insurance, then payment will not be required until after the health insurance company has processed the claim. That can be anywhere between 1-3 weeks.

If we are NOT submitting charges to your health insurance, then payment is expected at the time of service…at the end of the session

Modern Athlete PT has a Risk-Free Guarantee — if you aren’t satisfied with the level of care or course of treatment then you aren’t charged. (Yes, you could say we’re confident in what we’re doing!)

Payments can be made with cash, check, credit card, debit card, or card associated with a Health Savings Account (physical therapy services only).

How often will I need treatment?

That’s always dependent upon the nature of your injury (and the extent of your goals)!  Our aim is to return you to your full level of activity as quickly and safely as possible.  Todd will be in a better position to provide that answer following your initial assessment.

In general, pain that is impacting your daily life may require more sessions in a shorter period of time to get your life back to a manageable situation.  If pain is only dependent on certain activities, then treatment sessions are usually spaced out in a way that makes most sense to you being able to meet your goals — that may mean once a week or even once every several weeks.

Would you like to get a specific answer without having to shell out money first?  You may find it helpful to sit down with Todd to discuss your concerns…

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