Wellness is something to continuously work towards as it enhances one’s quality of life. This involves doing healthy things and making conscious choices that are of benefit to the body and mind (see our mental health and exercise post here). Physical therapy is one of the many ways to wellness for people dealing with a wide variety of health conditions. Each therapy session can lead to significant improvements that contribute to a person feeling and functioning better.
So, is all progress lost when the physical therapy sessions end due to insurance coverage? It definitely doesn’t have to be and that is where personal training comes in. Lets take a look at how receiving personal training services is the right direction to take after one is done with physical therapy.
Different Types of Wellness
Even though physical therapy and personal training are both used to enhance physical health, they are different in several aspects. The following is some information about their differences:
Personal Training:
- Focus: Personal training centers around fitness and exercise. The aim is to improve strength, endurance, flexibility, and overall physical fitness.
- What They Do: Personal trainers work with clients to create personalized workout routines/plans, guide them through exercises (i.e. form, intensity and progression), and motivate them to achieve their fitness-related goals.
- Setting: Personal training sessions often occur in gyms, fitness studios and clinics.
- Credentials: Personal trainers hold certifications from organizations like the American Council on Exercise (ACE) or the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
- Clientele: Personal trainers work with a diverse range of clients, including those seeking muscle gain, more time-efficient workouts and/or improved athletic performance.
Physical Therapy:
- Focus: Physical therapy (PT) aims to rehabilitate patients and restore their functioning after injury, surgery, or illness.
- What They Do: Physical therapists help patients regain strength, flexibility, and movement. It also manages pain and prevents further injury. The therapists assess each client’s movements, functioning, pain and create personalized treatment plans for them. Sessions with a physical therapist can include manual therapy and tailored exercises.
- Setting: Physical therapy sessions occur in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers.
- Credentials: Physical therapists hold advanced degrees (Doctor of Physical Therapy) and are licensed healthcare professionals.
- Clientele: Physical therapists work with patients that are recovering from surgeries, accidents, or chronic conditions (i.e. Multiple Sclerosis).
In summary, personal training focuses on fitness enhancement, while physical therapy emphasizes rehabilitation and functional improvement. Both play crucial roles in promoting overall well-being.
The PT and Personal Training Synergy
Physical therapy and personal training work really well together despite their differences. The following are some examples as to what going from PT to personal training looks like:
- Functional: First, the physical therapist helps with a client’s movements, strength and stability to do daily activities more effectively. Then, a personal trainer further enhances these foundational improvements through personalized workouts.
- Post-Rehabilitation: First, the physical therapist helps with pain and movement limitations from surgery and medical conditions. Then, the personal trainer helps with long term fitness goals after the client has been put on the path to better health and wellness.
- Chronic Condition Management: First, the physical therapist helps a client manage their chronic condition so they can live better. Then, the personal trainer helps the client create an exercise routine that works for them and is something that they can do on a consistent basis.
A Seamless Wellness Transition at EA
EA Therapeutic Health is all about making clients well. Our expert physical therapists are dedicated to creating and carrying out effective treatment plans that are specific to each client and their health condition.
We are well aware that insurance coverage for physical therapy services can run out for clients. In a lot of cases, this means that one might stop investing in their health. Here at EA, we care about our clients and don’t want their health journeys to end. Because of this, we encourage them to take the next step and transition to personal training.
Since our holistic approach extends beyond traditional physical therapy, clients can see a health coach after they are done with their sessions to get a personal training plan that helps maintain their results/recovery. This continuity of care is important and leads to the optimal health that we want for our clients.
In Conclusion
Physical therapy sessions help with the rehabilitation and recovery part of wellness. Then, personal training enhances the restored functioning by helping to improve one’s overall strength and fitness. Altogether you get a well rounded approach that provides a smooth transition in care and is a big investment in a journey to health and wellness.
Are you or someone you love, running out of insurance coverage for physical therapy sessions? Contact us and we can help create a specialized personal training plan so that success can be continued.