Wear comfortable clothing that allows access to the injured area to be evaluated. For example, if you’re coming to us for a hip or knee injury, it’s best to wear shorts. Please wear a comfortable closed toe shoe such as tennis shoes to exercise in. Flip flops and sandals are not safe or good to exercise in.

Please bring all your filled out new patient paperwork, insurance card, a prescription (if you have one) from your doctor, and any medical reports pertaining to your condition. You do not need to bring the actual X-ray or MRI films, the doctor’s typed report is sufficient, but we will be happy to look at them with you.

Please note, you may be responsible for a co-payment or co-insurance for physical therapy services. Per our contract with your insurance company, this co-payment is due at the time of service for each visit with us. Check with your insurance carrier if you have questions about this. Our staff will verify all medical benefits for you and go over them with you before you start your first visit. Our front desk specialist will also be there for you as a resource to answer questions.

This varies on the treatment plan established by your physical therapist. This will be clearly discussed with you on your evaluation day, and then again as your treatment progresses. Treatments generally take between 20 and 40 minutes. As you progress with your therapy and more exercises are added, treatment my last longer. We will work with you and your schedule to accommodate any time constraints with appointments.

If your treatment plan calls for exercise, at the appropriate time your physical therapist will prescribe the right exercise plan to help you achieve your PT goals. Most often treatment will involve low weight and high repetition therapeutic exercises combined with cardiovascular exercises to achieve all goals set by your therapists. These may include the use of resistive weight exercises, the use of a stationary bike or treadmill, and hands on manual resistive exercises by your therapists.

This is based on many pieces of information that your Physical therapist in collaboration with your doctor will decide upon your initial evaluation. Your treatment will be re-evaluated as your treatment progresses. We work with you to develop a plan to help achieve the mutual goals set by both you, your physical therapist, and doctor.

Yes, effective communication is an integral part to any successful physical therapy treatment. If you ever feel that you are not actively involved in your treatment, or that you do not understand your PT treatment plan, please address this with your physical therapist.

Physical Therapy of San Francisco is committed to timely and clear communication to your referring physician. We send out an initial evaluation report and then send timely progress reports when you have a follow up visits to your physician. We value the importance of a team approach. If you are injured in an auto accident or personal injury at work we will also be in contact with your attorney.

You are ready for discharge once you’ve completed your pre-established therapy goals. As you get closer to these goals, you and your therapist will be establishing a discharge plan that enables you to manage your condition at home. Your therapist will then summarize all of the discharge information and send a report to your referring physician.

Physical Therapy is the treatment of choice for most orthopedic conditions that are not clear cut surgical conditions and the research is rapidly growing to support this treatment option. But there is no guarantee that you will recover 100%. Factors such as healing capabilities and how long you’ve been injured play a role in outcome expectations. At Physical Therapy of San Francisco, we feel just about everyone who seeks us out for help has some level of capability to improve with their pain management and/or function. Physical Therapy of San Francisco takes great pride in training its clinicians to “manage” the person and to be an advocate for you so, in the event physical therapy is not working for you, your therapist will advocate for the best option to help you find relief. We are here to help you in any way we can.