GOOD VS BAD PT

Today, I have a fun blog post for ya’ll. It’s pretty short and in list form so even the laziest reader can get through it in less time than it takes to Facebook “like” it. Here’s a summary list of what a good physical therapist is like compared to a bad physical therapist. Also, you can take out PT and insert just about any health care practitioner into the good and bad lists!

Good Physical Therapists

• Treat you like a “person” not a “condition”
• Actually treat you for more than 15 minutes, instead of pawning you off to an aid/tech worker
• Use “evidenced-based” treatments (use treatments that make PLAUSIBLE sense)
• Minimal use of “modalities” like fancy electrical equipment with long names and possibly lasers
• Talk to you in language you can understand
• Don’t try and convince you that You need Them
• Smile at you and actually LISTEN to you (if you can’t get a word in edgewise, run!!!)
• Embrace criticism
• Willing to change the course of treatment if results are not optimal
• Encourage self-management of your symptoms

Bad Physical Therapists

• Convince you to try “energy-crystal-healing treatments”
• Tell you they are the only ones who can FIX your condition
• Sign you up for lengthy treatment plans that are usually 3x a week for FOREVER (sandlot voice)
• Interrupt you
• Talk to you using really large words (sometimes words that are so large they’re probably made up)
• Use machines with names that have words like “lasers, manipulators, crystals, homeopathy, and etc”
• Tell you really long stories about how the treatment worked on their dog so it will work on you
• Tell you how bad your favorite exercise routine is (yoga, Crossfit, weightlifting, and etc)
• Sign you up for a treatment plan for $5,000 that you have to pay in full before you start even if you get better in one treatment session (ps this happens in real-life)
• Pressure you on one certain treatment and get mad if you decide not to do it
• Refuse your request for a second opinion
• Brag about how many professional athletes they've treated

So there’s my list of good vs bad! Hope you enjoyed and feel free to comment with more good/bad qualities to look for and look out for!

Thanks for reading!
Mike van Der Laan PT, DPT