It’s been a month since our Girl Fit PTs made the quick, but important, change from in person visits to Telehealth physical therapy and we wanted to share how it is going! Our incredibly helpful remote office staff has helped so much with our transition. We are utilizing the HIPAA compliant version of ZOOM and some great apps that allow us to measure range of motion and analyze movement. Our online home exercise program through Web PT which allows patients to see videos of their exercises and to communicate directly with their PT. It has been amazing to watch our patients so quickly adapt and continue to make progress on their physical therapy goals. From a post op straight leg raise (not easy to do!) to weaning from a boot following a fracture, we have seen our patients make incredible strides during a time which could have meant a total halt in their rehab. It has strengthened our verbal and visual skills and allowed us to continue to empower our patients to learn to care for their bodies and to gain independence and confidence in their ability to stay strong and prevent future injuries.
“My patients have been particularly surprised how many corrections of exercise form and modifications we can make via Telehealth!”, said Michaela Main, PT DPT, “Especially with screen sharing we have been able to dial in on the small intricacies of their form to recruit the intended muscle groups. I think it’s been fun to be even more creative with our patients to find out what they can use in their own home to complete their physical therapy rehab like makeshift weights with household items or different items to challenge their balance. The best part is keeping up with our patients’ progress during a time of so much uncertainty. The patients that we have continued to see consistently over the past month have not missed out on decreasing their pain, increasing their strength, or improving their overall function.”
Christina Verhorevoort, PT, DPT shared that “Diving into Telehealth has been a deeply personal growth experience for me as a physical therapist. Without being able to rely on my hands for assessment (as I have done for the past 10+ years) I have had to adapt which has enhanced my communications skills and led to greater patient independence and empowerment. To be able to provide guidance, encouragement, and stability during this stressful and uncertain time is a gift that I feel fortunate to be able to share with our amazing Girl Fit clientele.”
And our patients have been happy too! One of our patients who started with us for her initial evaluation via telehealth was happy to share her story. “Back in February I had a minor ski accident that resulted in a partially torn MCL and a bruised tibia. By the time I completed an MRI and met with an orthopedic for final recovery plan, the situation with Covid19 was quite serious. My doctor recommended I begin PT with Girl Fit Physical Therapy based out of Newton. Rather than attending PT in person, I was able to take advantage of their Telehealth option. It was super easy to set up – I have been using my ipad and all I needed to do was download the Zoom app. Before each session I’m sent a Zoom link to clink on and open the virtual meeting. I’m now working on week three of therapy and have made great progress – all right from my basement. I also have access to videos of all exercises assigned to me so if I forget anything I can easily check. If it wasn’t for the Telehealth option I wouldn’t have been able to start my PT sessions and continue to receive much needed therapy during this difficult time. It has really been an easy and pleasant experience working with Kate from Girl Fit Physical Therapy!”
We have also been incredibly lucky with our ability to perform Telehealth physical therapy in Massachusetts because of the quick action of Governor Baker to mandate insurance coverage for Telehealth physical therapy and many other services. All of our in-network commercial insurance companies are covering Telehealth Physical Therapy and many are waiving all patient cost share (deductibles, co-insurance, and copays), which is incredibly helpful to our patients during this challenging time. In addition to Telehealth physical therapy for patients in Massachusetts, we are also offering telehealth Wellness Visits which are a great option if you would like a custom made workout for you to perform at home or if you’d like to do virtual workouts with your favorite physical therapist. You can also check our instagram (@girlfitrocks) for workout ideas and inspiration. And we’d be happy to share a video recorded home Girl Fit Strength & Stretch class with you to help you stay strong and fit while you are at home! Just email us at office@girlfitrocks.com for a link to some at-home classes with Kate.
I’m so proud of our team for all of their hard work, flexibility, and resilience through all of this. We will continue to do everything we can to support our patients and to work hard to get Girl Fit through to the other side of this so that we can continue to provide quality physical therapy care to girls and women of all ages in Newton and throughout Massachusetts. If you don’t necessarily need Telehealth physical therapy but would like to support a Newton small business, please feel free to like and share our posts on social media, spread the word about telehealth physical therapy at Girl Fit to your friends, or leave us a review on Google or Facebook. Thank you so much to our wonderful patients for your support and please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if there’s any way we can help make your life a little bit better too!
Kate Hamilton, PT, DPT
Girl Fit Physical Therapy, Founder & Physical Therapist
