Physical therapy sessions typically last 30 to 60 minutes. It is essential that you follow your therapist’s schedule and not skip or reschedule sessions, as this could impede recovery efforts.
Physical therapy frequency depends on the nature and severity of the condition being treated; often more frequent visits will be needed in order to reach desired results.
How It Is Determined
Your physical therapy sessions depend on the nature and severity of your condition, how you respond to treatment and what goals are set for recovery. Your physical therapist can assist in determining an ideal frequency that suits you; and will review that schedule on every visit.
Physical therapists usually recommend attending two to three physical therapy sessions weekly for acute injuries and post-surgical recovery, although this frequency will decrease as you get better. No matter whether the injury is acute or chronic, maintaining a recovery schedule is crucial in order to avoid re-injury and further delays in healing.
Your healthcare team will collaborate to develop a plan that matches your lifestyle, goals, and schedule. While limiting physical therapy sessions might seem counterintuitive at first, doing so could lower risk of falls and complications during healing.
The Medicare Benefit Policy Manual states that therapy frequency should be chosen in order to achieve the most efficient and effective treatment outcomes, both in Part B (Medicare Advantage) and Part A (Skilled Nursing Facility).
Studies involving 243,779 hospital discharges revealed that more frequent physical therapy sessions were associated with improved function and discharge from hospital sooner, across clinical subgroups such as cardiothoracic/vascular, general medical/surgical, neurological, oncology, and orthopedic conditions.
Note, however, that this study only looked at hospital discharges and did not examine outpatient physical therapy or private duty PT. Further research is necessary to understand the effect of outpatient PT on frequency of therapy at SNF level; it appears though that patients receiving outpatient PT are more likely to engage in more consistent and intensive therapies due to being less resource-intensive and having greater commitment towards recovery; alternatively it’s possible that the high volume of outpatient therapy promotes adherence while encouraging more aggressive treatments.
Factors That Affect Frequency
Patients’ current health status plays a vital role in determining their frequency of physical therapy sessions. Recovering from significant injury will likely require more intensive sessions; while those suffering with chronic diseases like arthritis may require less intense schedules.
Frequency of physical therapy sessions depends heavily on a patient’s availability, including both their work and personal schedule. Patients with more flexibility tend to attend more therapy sessions more quickly. But commitment to one’s recovery is just as essential.
No matter whether the patient is receiving traditional or home care physical therapy, having a structured plan of treatment increases motivation and compliance. Up to 70 percent of people do not complete their course of therapy in traditional settings due to factors like perceived barriers, no positive feedback and disengagement with the process; Luna offers on-demand physical therapy sessions that bring expert care directly to patients, encouraging consistency while increasing dedication in recovery efforts.
An examination of 243,779 patients discharged from 11 hospitals within one system revealed that more frequent therapy visits were associated with them improving their functional abilities and being discharged home earlier than those attending less frequent sessions. These results were independent of sociodemographic variables (age, race/sex and primary payer), clinical variables such as pre-hospital functional level at evaluation (Charlson Comorbidity Score), elective admission vs emergent admission status, length of stay in hospital days between evaluation to CT ICU discharge or service-based delivery methods CPT codes).
Note, however, that this study used retrospective chart review rather than random sample data, so its results are indicative of an overall trend but do not establish statistically significant correlations. Furthermore, more comprehensive analysis may be required in order to fully comprehend its importance; nonetheless this research highlights the need for careful and comprehensive evaluation prior to suggesting therapy duration and frequency recommendations.
General Guidelines
No matter your individual needs or health condition, here are some general guidelines to help determine how many physical therapy sessions should be scheduled. These are based on duration and frequency, while also taking into consideration factors like patient progress and treatment type.
Physical therapy’s goal is to enhance your mobility and decrease pain so you can live more independently. Your therapist will craft a treatment plan tailored specifically to you based on an assessment of your situation – though its exact details will likely differ, its overall goals remain the same.
As you progress with treatment, your physical therapist will make adjustments to the frequency and schedule of your sessions in order to make sure they’re providing maximum benefit and meeting all of your goals. Therefore, it’s essential that you follow his/her plan and perform exercises at home as directed.
Although frequent sessions can help speed your recovery, they also present risks. Overexertion may result from not resting enough between sessions; costs can become prohibitively expensive; inconvenience for those with busy schedules; and mental exhaustion if the sessions can’t fit with other responsibilities.
Medicare has established some guidelines to assess whether hospital-based physical therapy treatments qualify as medically necessary, for instance being at least five days per week to qualify for skilled Part A coverage in nursing facilities (SNFs). There can be a fine line between how much time you receive therapy and whether or not its necessary.
To qualify as medically necessary therapy, your sessions must be designed and taught in such a way as to maximize efficiency and meet your goals efficiently and effectively. Furthermore, they must require the expertise, judgment and knowledge of a licensed physical therapist for execution or supervision.
Tapering
Physical therapy sessions typically reduce as the patient advances toward their goals, helping both improve outcomes and lower costs. To maximize efficacy of this strategy, however, the frequency should be decided upon using professional judgment and assessed daily to ensure maximum benefit is gained from each treatment plan.
At times it may be more beneficial for a patient to receive higher levels of treatment for longer. Decisions must be based upon factors including their progress, clinical expertise of their therapist and insurance requirements.
The Medicare Benefit Policy Manual notes that it is appropriate for treatment frequencies to vary as patients achieve their goals, rather than following any set or predetermined schedule. Physical therapists should make a judgment call when making such changes.
As important as it is to understand how your physical therapist determines frequency and duration, it’s equally essential that you adhere to their prescribed plan of care for your recovery. Follow all instructions precisely as given, communicating any problems or issues directly to them if there are any. Their goal is helping you heal while meeting your goals!
Physical therapy sessions may vary in duration from just a few short weeks up to long-term therapy that lasts years or more, depending on several different factors that include your recovery level, severity of injury/condition, and goals for recovery. To maximize results it’s essential that you listen closely to and complete any assigned exercise programs at home between sessions with your therapist; then rest easy knowing you have received the most efficient and effective care possible in reaching your goals.
