About Coastal Rehab

The State of North Carolina is one of forty-seven states in the country who do not require a referral from a physician to receive a physical therapy evaluation or treatment. There are some exceptions; Medicare requires a referral be obtained prior to receiving physical therapy services. This referral may come from a medical doctor, physician’s assistant, or clinical nurse practitioner. Some insurance companies require a referral to provide insurance coverage. Please contact your insurance company to see whether or not a referral is required.

North Carolina Blue Cross Blue Shield does NOT require a referral for physical therapy.

Physical therapists are trained experts in evaluation and treatment of neuromusculo-skeletal dysfunction.  Many of you are familiar with physical therapists helping people with orthopedic problems back and knee pain or surgeries to reduce pain and restore function.  Many are also aware that physical therapists treat patients that have had strokes, Parkinson’s Disease, or amputations to restore them to the maximum level of function in their homes and communities.  Physical therapists treat movement dysfunctions after performing a comprehensive analysis of movement during your evaluation.  A large part of the physical therapy program is directed at preventing injuries and even surgery.  Physical therapists work as consultants in industrial screening settings to improve the workplace function and reduce the risk of injuries.  Therapists also provide special services to athletic programs such as screening for potential injuries and problems and instituting preventive exercise programs.  Sports therapy programs are specifically designed for athletes of all ages and ability levels including the weekend warrior. Physical therapists are experts in movement analysis and are able to identify joint dysfunction, tissue limitations, muscular imbalances, and structural pathologies. Physical therapists use a variety of treatment methods to cause changes in tissue and movement patterns to restore function. Physical Therapists work in many areas involving overall health and wellness. In any situations where you need your body to move and function at it’s best, a physical therapist can help!

Physical Therapists are licensed health care professionals. Physical Therapists have graduated from an accredited post-baccalaureate program and have passed their state board exam to achieve a license to practice physical therapy. Depending on the university, the physical therapy program is either a masters or doctorate level degree.

Accredited programs provide extensive training in anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, neurological sciences, disease and injury patholophysiology in addition to skilled therapeutic treatment application. Physical Therapists attend continuing education courses to stay up to date on the most current and advance treatment protocols and latest medical developments and treatment approaches.

Physical Therapy Assistants have graduated from an accredited program and passes a state board exam to receive their license for practicing as a physical therapy assistant. Physical therapy assistants receive an associate degree at graduation and complete continuing educations each year.

On your first visit your therapist will perform a thorough evaluation.  This evaluation will involve a history as well as certain tests and measurements including postural and movement analysis.  If appropriate, balance will be assessed, as well as hands-on palpitation to determine muscular and joint involvement.  Following your evaluation the therapist will discuss the treatment plan with you, and it is quite possible you will start your treatment during this first session as well as being educated about your condition.  

We understand that your time is valuable. To save time at your first appointment, please download the patient forms and fill each form out. Being prepared with the completed forms, your picture ID and insurance cards will save you time.

FORMS

• Unless you have previously filled out our new patient forms, you will need to arrive 10-15 minutes early to fill out our paperwork.
  
• Your insurance card
  
• Picture ID
  
• Prescription for therapy
  
• List of all medications you are taking
  
• You should wear or bring your glasses and hearing aids.
  
• If you have had any tests please bring the results/reports (i.e. X-ray, MRI CT scan, EMG/NCV).
  
• In the case of an automobile accident or worker’s compensation claim, please bring any contact names, phone numbers and your claim number.

Dress comfortably. Please wear loose, relaxed clothes that you can exercise in. If needed, we will provide a hospital gown for assessment and treatment.

Each visit is typically about 1 hour; however, the duration of your treatment will depend on the type of problem we are treating and your response to therapy. If you have time constraints due to work or other appointments, please let your treating therapist know and we will do everything we can to accommodate your schedule.

Most definitely.  If you have a concern or problem that you think may be helped by therapy, ask your doctor, or you can feel free to give us a call to discuss your situation with us.  More than likely we know your medical doctor as we have been in this area for over 30 years, and we will be happy to follow up with your doctor for you.

You can also download a referral form and take it to your doctor and request a referral to physical therapy.

REFERRAL FORM

We participate in most insurance plans.  We recommend you contact your insurance provider to check therapy benefits. If you have specific questions you can call our office location closest to you; we will be happy to assist you in answering any questions you have and determining your coverage based on your individual policy. The vast majority of insurance plans cover physical therapy services; some insurance policies may require a referral in order to cover services.

Your co-pay will depend on the type of insurance you carry. We will confirm your benefits once you provide your insurance information and we will advise you of what your benefits for physical therapy include as well as your co-pay or co-insurance.

We accept cash, check and credit card (Master card, Visa, American Express, Discover) payments. If you have financial hardship, we can discuss a payment plan option as well.

All of our facilities have treadmills, bikes, recumbent steppers, stair steppers, and a variety of weight machines and free weights for a total body workout. Many offices also have a variety of other equipment for training and exercise, please ask at the office you would like to attend to determine what equipment they have.

There is no simple, one answer to this question. Each person and each injury is unique; therefore, there are many variables which can affect the length of time it takes to fully recover. After your initial evaluation, your therapist will work closely with you to set a plan of care (a road map for your recovery) with realistic goals and expectations.

The frequency of your sessions depends on your specific situations and needs. How often you will need to come to physical therapy will be determined at your initial evaluation and your physical therapist will discuss your frequency with you. 

Our ultimate goal is to help you get and stay as active as possible. Staying active allows you to remain as independent as possible for as long as possible. Being knowledgeable about your condition, prognosis and management strategies empowers you to be able to maintain the best quality of life possible with the fewest symptoms possible. The end goal as you are nearing discharge is to ensure you have the knowledge and tools to maintain the gains you made in rehab and protect your body from re-injury.

No. You should expect the typically response of light soreness, or a feeling that the treatment are is being “worked” or getting “tired”. There are very few diagnosis treated in Physical Therapy that should cause pain. As you restore mobility and strength, your pain levels may fluctuate; this is a normal response as you are changing how your body moves. Good communications with your therapist will help to minimize and discomfort. If you are concerned about pain, please discuss your concerns with your therapist and we will discuss your specific prognosis and expectation with you. 

You are the MOST important part of your rehabilitation. You will be given a home exercise program to complete; these exercises are prescribed to help you make optimal gains during and between your physical therapy sessions. A home exercise program augments the treatments during your physical therapy sessions and helps you to maintain the gains you make during each exercise. It is important that you follow the directions you are provided with for the home exercise program to recover as quickly as possible. If you have any questions about your home exercise program please ask your therapist and clarify any questions or concerns you may have.

Yes, each of our offices offers the fitness center once you have completed your therapy. You cannot become a fitness member until you have completed your therapy.

Call any of our seven offices to set up an appointment.  Let them know you want to start as a new fitness client.  We will have our staff orient you to the equipment.  After the first time you can come in during regular office hours any day of the week. 

We know many of the local and semi-local doctors. We are always in close communication with your doctor through frequent progress notes and phone calls. Please make sure you keep us informed of when you plan to return to your doctor for a follow up. We will make sure your doctor is up to date on any progress or activity in physical therapy so they are prepared for your visit.