Why Should You See a Specialist For Your Rehab?
To all of our benefits, medicine has greatly evolved over time. From Lasik eye surgery, to joint replacements, to the numerous vaccines that have cured countless diseases, medicine continues to help us live longer lives with improved quality of life. One component of medicine that too has evolved for the better but is rarely discussed is physical therapy, and the specialists within it. Physical therapy specialists have a place within the rehab world, and it’s my opinion that one can benefit greatly from the care provided by a specialist.
PT is a fairly young medical profession as it originated in the WWI and Polio era. Previously, physical therapists were labeled technicians, then progressed to bachelors training, to masters and now doctorates. During this transition physical therapists were trained the basics to evaluate and treat the wide scope of physical limitations from people with neurological conditions (stroke, Traumatic Brain Injuries), cardiac (heart attack, Congestive Heart Failure), pediatrics (Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy), orthopedics (muscle and bone injuries) and sports.
Experience and time in a particular setting was what made certain therapists better at treating certain conditions compared to others. Like physicians, PT has now developed specialties in practice. We have specialties in Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Certified Specialist (CCS), Clinical Electrophysiologic Certified Specialist ECS), Geriatric Certified Specialist (GCS), Neurologic Certified Specialist (NCS) Orthopedic Certified Specialist (OCS), Pediatric Certified Specialist (PCS), Sports Certified Specialist (SCS), Women’s Health Certified Specialist (WCS).
So what does this all mean? Well it means now you have the option to find a physical therapist who is trained and constantly practices in the specific field of rehab that you need (aka a physical therapy specialist). Some will argue that they want someone who is well rounded and that specialization narrows the thought process of the clinician. To those individuals by all means seek out a clinician who dabbles in multiple components of rehab. Personally, if I was a pregnant women and had the choice of who to deliver my baby, I would pick an OBGYN. Not saying that a Primary Care Physician or Orthopedist could not deliver my fictious baby Trifecta, but I would rather want someone who all they do all day is bringing babies into the world to deliver mine. Same in regards of sports. You want your Quarterback throwing it deep not catching passes (poor Tom Brady). Now has Tom caught a pass or two in his career? Yes but as we all remember in Superbowl 42 he is not the best at it.
In a 2005 study by Childs et al, comparing the knowledge of medical professionals in the management of musculoskeletal conditions, physical therapists demonstrated higher levels of knowledge compared to ALL other medical professionals except for orthopedists. It also showed that “experienced physical therapists who were board-certified in orthopaedic or sports physical therapy achieved significantly higher scores and passing rates than their non board-certified colleagues.” And this study failed to test the knowledge of the highest clinically trained physical therapists or better known as Fellows of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT). Luckily for the Fecta Fam the clinicians of Trifecta are all pursuing the highest levels of physical therapy training with Dr. Hanus undergoing residency training for Orthopedic Speciality and Dr. Boyd his fellowship training in 2020.
To be labeled a physical therapy specialist requires multiple years of practicing and developing clinical hours just in the area of your specialization (at Trifecta that would be Sports and Orthopedics), mentorship from a current specialist, passing of a rigorous 7 hour Boards exam, and for the new breed of PT field specific residency training which consists of didactic coursework, hands on training, virtual rounds/mentorship and clinical outcomes critiquing. In summary, not anyone can become a specialist. It is earned not given.
Some will argue that experience alone should make someone a specialist. I would agree for those who have been in the specific field for 10+ years and are constantly progressing themselves with the latest research and techniques. Arguing that what you learned in physical therapy school is enough is weak at best. As mentioned before, this profession is a young one, but a hungry one to consistently push for knowledge on how to make our clients better and faster. So what we learn in school is amazing, but not enough for our clients. They deserve our best 100% of the time, and I believe that is achieved through becoming the best at our respective fields.
It is an exciting time for physical therapy not only for the therapists but for our clients. They now have access to a profession (without the need of a prescription) that uses research at its forefront to help their pain, avoid surgeries, improve performance and “add years to lives”. Lets keep pushing this profession forward for the sake of our amazing clients that dedicate themselves to our plan of cares in order to get back to the lives they love.
–Dr. Jeremy Boyd aka The Decent Doctor
Are you interested in our services at Trifecta Therapeutics, but live too far away from our facility? Schedule a telehealth visit!