More than likely.

It may not be well known that insurance companies across the board have significantly cut payouts to physical therapists making it increasingly difficult for practices to accept all insurance plans as it’s become impossible to support a business or a staff based on the cuts. If you have one of these insurance companies, then you know precisely what I’m talking about as I’m sure you have had difficulty finding providers that are in network or your co-pays are so high you can’t afford to go. Private companies are, of course, free to do as they wish and PT’s are free to choose not to accept those plans. Who loses? The consumer.

Now Medicare patients may be severely affected by a new regulations proposal. Currently, there is a government proposed regulation to deeply cut Medicare payouts to Physical Therapy providers. The cuts are so severe it will simply put practices out of business or ensure no practice accepts Medicare in the future. What does this mean for Medicare patients? No treatment. Is it fair to tell people who’ve paid into a system their entire lives that they will no longer have access to treatment? Consider how it will affect a person who breaks a hip. Without PT, the hip will certainly heal, but the musculature will atrophy to a point that the patient will be disabled or on his or her own to figure out how to walk again. Best-case scenario, the patient lives in pain and walks with a limp and the worst case is another fall, another break, another stint in the hospital. For those only interested in the bottom line, how is that cost efficient? Obviously, it isn’t a good situation for the patient.

Arguably, the lack of physical therapy will create a boom for the nursing home industry, as older people with injuries won’t be able to recover without treatment and forced into homes. Again, who suffers? The consumer. Why? Not only do they face the possibility of being debilitated, but they will also have to give up their homes and lives to go live in a facility of Medicare’s choosing. Sounds great, right? If you’re like me and think this sounds reprehensible, then you can have you voice heard. Medicare is NOT a private company; it is a government run (albeit into the ground) program that WE fund with every paycheck. Click the link below and let the government know this is unacceptable. We only have two weeks to fight this so spread the word and don’t let them get away with it.

Click here to send your message about the proposed rules.

A 22 year old student who has never played tennis but works out regularly and uses his laptop computer extensively at the university presented to our office with moderate pain in the right elbow at the right epicondylar region. The pain started a month ago and patient did not seek any help until the pain made him unable to use his laptop computer.
He visited an orthopedist who diagnosed Lateral Epicondylitis of the right elbow and administered a cortisone shot. Patient’s pain subsided for about a week and started again.
Patient whose father used to be a previous patient of our organization recommended him to see us. Indeed patient came with direct access to receive evaluation and treatment from us.
When we asked the patient what treatment if the orthopedist recommended to him Physical Therapy the patient answered that the physician was convinced that the shot will be all that he needs.
TREATMENT: Upon a thorough evaluation we found that the patient had no significant involvement of the wrist extensor musculature, however patient exhibited increased MyoFascial Trigger Point activity in the Right Brachioradialis and Right Supinator muscles. Prolonged and repetitive use of a keyboard frequently produces an overuse type of syndrome to the above mentioned muscles.
Both of these muscles are well known as producing a referred pain pattern in the epicondylar region.

This patient was treated successfully with 8 short Manual Therapy session and has been pain free for the past several weeks.
The entire treatment took place in the two muscles mentioned above along with stretching, strengthening and a home exercise program.
This is the power of properly applied Manual Physical Therapy!

Dimitrios Kostopoulos, PT, Ph.D., D.Sc.

A 43 year old taxi cab driver presented with severe low back pain to the point that he was unable to sit or stand for more than a few minutes at a time. The pain started two months ago after he drove his car continuously for 14 hours. He visited his primary care doctor who referred him for an MRI of the lumbar spine, since the pain radiated to the front of his thigh. MRI was negative and the primary care doctor sent him for physical therapy to a different office. The patient received PT for about 4-5 weeks with no change of his pain. He states: “I would notice some improvement for an hour or two but the moment I would step into the car, the pain would come back”.
His cousin happens to be a patient at Hands-On and he referred him to us for an evaluation and treatment.
When we asked the patient what treatment he received at the other PT office he stated: “They gave me some heat, electricity and massage in my back. Then I had to do bike and some exercises for my belly”

TREATMENT: Upon a thorough evaluation we found that the patient had a MyoFascial Trigger Point syndrome of his Iliopsoas muscle. The Iliopsoas muscle is located in the front of the lumbar spine and attaches to the lumber vertebrae and to the femur. Interestingly enough this muscle when is injured by repetitive motion, such as overuse while driving a car and moving the leg from the gas pedal to the break pedal can refer pain to the lower back.

This patient was treated succesfuly with 6 short Manual Therapy session and has been pain free for the past several weeks. We never touched or treated his lower back. The entire treatment took place in the front hip area at the Iliopsoas muscle.
This is the power of properly applied Manual Physical Therapy!

Dr. Dimitrios Kostopoulos & K Rizopoulos