1. What should I expect on my first visit?
At KIMA, we pride ourselves in finding the CAUSE of your pain/issue. Your Physical Therapist will start by listening to your story and the history of your condition. They will perform a holistic evaluation to analyze your movement and determine your ‘movement diagnosis’. This initial evaluation is performed in a private treatment room for approximately 45minutes and includes a thorough assessment of your structure, posture, biomechanics, joint health, soft tissue mobility, gait and movement patterns. Your therapist will work with you to determine the appropriate INDIVIDUALIZED treatment plan by the end of the initial visit. A complete summary of findings and goals will be provided to you at your follow-up session, keeping your individual functional & lifestyle goals in mind.
You will be able to change into comfortable clothes (see #2) in our private changing rooms and use our storage lockers. We have 4 restrooms for your convenience and provide water as well.
2. What should I bring to my first visit?
Please bring a valid photo ID, your insurance card, prescription from your MD (if applicable), any radiographic test results (radiologist report of X-rays, MRI, CAT Scan, etc), a check or credit card for any payments and your orthotics (if applicable), and comfortable shorts and t-shirt (males) or tank top (females).
3. What insurances do you take?
We are out-of-network with ALL insurance companies and are non-participating Providers with Medicare (we bill on your behalf and you will get a check directly back from Medicare). Our billing department will check your insurance benefits and call you back to determine a billing arrangement based on your coverage. If you do not have insurance or out-of-network benefits, we extend a discounted cash-pay rate. We will do our best to make treatment easy and not cost-prohibitive.
4. How long are the follow-up sessions?
You will have your therapist’s undivided attention in a private treatment room for approx. 40minutes. You may be given exercises to be done on our state-of-the-art equipment OR modalities as part of your treatment that extend past that time.
5. Do I need a referral to begin Physical Therapy?
No, you do not. In New York State, you are allowed to come to Physical Therapy without a referral or doctor’s prescription for up to 10 visits within 30 days from your initial evaluation.
6. What is a movement diagnosis?
KIMA Physical Therapists all have post-graduate certifications in movement analysis. Your Physician will give you a patho-anatomical diagnosis which identifies the structures that are injured. This does not tell us WHY you may have injured that particular area (unless you had a straight-forward trauma to that specific area). Your Physical Therapist will determine what faulty movement patterns are contributing to or causing your pain or injury(ies). Once we gather all the data we need from you and our variety of tests, we can determine what is driving your pain or what type of faulty movement pattern is causing stress/injury to the painful area. For example: Your patho-anatomical diagnosis from your physician may be Lumbar Herneated Disc. As we evaluate you, we may find that you have poor ‘lumbar rotation control’, a faulty lumbopelvic/hip pattern, which is causing improper loading through your lumbar spine. We classify your movement pattern as: ‘Pelvis driven Lumbar de-stabilization with Pelvic Rotation Control Issue’. We will always test the mobility, health and neurodynamics of the nerves involved as well, if applicable.