15 Lake Ridge Plaza
Valley Cottage, NY 10989
Text or call: 845-675-8444
Office Phone: 845-268-0555
Fax: 845-675-0333
You Ask — We Answer
Common Questions
Have a particular question you want to ask? At Empire Sports Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. There’s no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to your health. Check out the answers to some our patients’ frequently asked questions below. If there’s something on your mind that isn’t mentioned here, please get in touch for more information.
Why is PT a good choice?
Physical Therapists are the movement specialist of the medical field. Physical Therapists will evaluate how your pain, weakness, stiffness, posture, endurance, and stability affect your functional movements.
Physical Therapy can help you move better, feel better, and achieve more. Physical Therapy is used to recover from an injury, rehabilitate from a surgery, or just improve your ability to move.
Do you offer free health consultations?
We, at Empire Sports Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, offer various types of free health information and screenings. Our free health consultations include:
Our Blog - a useful compilation of information that may be helpful to your problem or issue.
Free lectures on various health-related topics, scheduled throughout the year at our office. Please check our upcoming events section for a full schedule.
Community events such as various health fairs, senior citizens center lectures and screenings, and community street fairs.
Free telephone screening with a Physical Therapist. To discuss if physical therapy is right for you, please request a phone consultation on our contact us page.
Free 15 minute consultations with a Physical Therapist in our office. If you are looking for some information on the next steps in your recovery, advice on if our services can help you, or a referral to a specialist physician, please request a 15 minute consultation by calling our office or completing the form on our contact page.
Can I go directly to a PT?
In 2006, Congress passed legislation that allows patients in New York State who need Physical Therapy to go directly to their Physical Therapist to receive an Evaluation and Treatment. A prescription is not needed to receive Physical Therapy treatment for up to 10 visits or 30 days.
So, the short answer is most of the time..YES! There are some limits based on insurance, and we will let you know about those limits when we verify your benefits.
Can I go to any PT clinic?
In most cases, you have the right to choose any physical therapy clinic. Please call our office and let us determine if your insurance has any limits on your coverage.
What types of treatment will be used?
At Empire Sports Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, your therapist will work with you to design a plan specific to your needs. Treatments may including exercises to increase strength, range of motion, flexibility, stability, endurance, and coordination. Manual therapy may be included to improve joint mobility, improve flexibility, decrease tone and increase stability. Modalities, such as hot packs, cold packs, electric stimulation, ultrasound, and paraffin help decrease pain and speed healing. Your treatment plan will be well-rounded and goal oriented.
Will I get a massage?
Massage may be part of your treatment. Rehabilitation specialists are trained in a variety of manual techniques that may help with your recovery. Deep tissue techniques may be part of the rehabilitative process.
Massage is typically used for three reasons – to facilitate venous return from a swollen area, to relax a tight muscle, or to relieve pain. Contrary to popular belief, massage does not increase circulation.
How many visits will I need?
Each physical therapy treatment plan is different, and the number of visits may vary greatly. Each diagnosis and the severity of the injury have implications on the length of the number of visits.
The number of visits can range from 1 visit with a home exercise program to over a month's worth of visits. We do re-evaluations at least every month and will discuss our results and recommendations with you and your physician.
What will I have to do after PT?
Most of the patients at Empire Sports Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation complete physical therapy with recommendations for a home exercise program and/or a gym program. We can even recommend a personal trainer to help take any anxiety away.
Empire Sports Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation also offers a performance training program to bridge the gap between physical therapy and returning to the gym or you preferred sport.
How does the billing process work?
Billing for physical therapy services is very similar to the way it works at your doctor’s or dentist’s office. After your visit at Empire Sports Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, the following occurs:
1. The physical therapist bills your insurance company, Workers’ Compensation plan, or charges you based on Common Procedure Terminology (CPT) codes.
2. Those codes are transferred to the appropriate billing form that is either mailed or electronically communicated to the insurance company or Workers’ Compensation plan.
3. The insurance company or Workers’ Compensation plan processes the information and makes payments according to an agreed upon fee schedule.
4. An Explanation of Benefits (EOB) is generated by the insurance company or Workers’ Compensation plan and sent to the patient and the physical therapy clinic with a check for payment and a statement of the balance due by the patient.
5. The patient is expected to make the payment on the balance if any.
It is important to understand that there are many steps we take (beyond the outline provided above) within the process. Exceptions are common in this process. At any time along the way, information may be missing, miscommunicated, or misunderstood. This can delay the payment process. While it is common for the payment process to be completed in 60 days or less, it is not uncommon for the physical therapy clinic to receive payment in as many as six months after the treatment date.
Do you take my insurance?
We work with various insurance companies and plans. Please check out our Insurance Page for the most up-to-date insurance information at Empire Sports Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation.
Why should I choose a Private Practice PT?
Is it better to see a PT that works for a physician or a PT that owns a private practice? We leave it up to you to draw your own conclusions but here are some facts. The studies indicate there were more visits (39% to 45% higher in physician owned clinics) and a greater cost for those patients at a physician owned physical therapy practice (both gross and net revenue per patient were 30% to 40% higher)[1].
Another study indicated that licensed and non-licensed therapy providers spent less time with each patient in physician owned clinics and physical therapy assistants were substituted for physical therapists.[2]
A third study concluded that “Therapists who had treated patients through direct access were significantly more likely to believe that direct access had benefited them professionally and benefited their patients than were therapists who had not practiced through direct access.”[3]
Empire Sports Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation and the Federal Office of the Inspector General believe that physical therapist owned practices can provide you with the highest quality of care available and do it in the most cost-effective manner.[4] You will work closely with your physical therapist, who will remain in contact with your physician, and in most instances, your case will be managed by the same physical therapist from the beginning to the end of your time with us.
1. Mitchell, J., Scott, E., Physician Ownership of Physical Therapy Services: Effects on Charges, Utilization, Profits, and Service Characteristics, Journal of the American Medical Association, 1992.
2. “Joint Ventures Among Health Care Providers in Florida,” State of Florida Health Care Cost Containment Board, 1991.
3. Domholdt E, Durchholz AG. Direct access use by experienced therapists in states with direct access. Phys Ther. 1992 Aug;72(8):569-74.
4. Federal Office of the Inspector General May 1, 2006 – This report calls into question billing processes done by non-physical therapist owned practices.