Frequently Asked Questions

In California you can start physical therapy without a physician referral for up to 45 days or 12 visits, whichever comes first. That means most people can book directly with us and begin right away. Some insurance plans still require a referral for coverage, so call or text us first and we will check your specific plan before your first visit.

Wear something you can move in that lets your therapist see the area we are treating. Shorts or loose pants for a back, hip, knee or ankle problem, a t-shirt or tank top for a shoulder or neck problem, and shoes you actually walk in. Bring your photo ID and insurance card, any prescription or imaging reports if a physician sent you, a list of your medications, and your intake paperwork if you filled it out at home.

Two things help most. First, think back to when the symptoms started and what makes them better or worse, because the small details you have stopped noticing are usually the ones that explain the problem. Second, arrive a few minutes early with your paperwork done so your hour goes to the evaluation and not a clipboard. Eat something, drink water, and skip the hard workout right before you come in. We want to see your normal, not your sore.

Sessions run 30 to 60 minutes. The first visit sits at the longer end, about an hour, one on one with a doctor of physical therapy, because the evaluation is where your whole plan of care comes from. After that, the length depends on what the plan calls for that day, whether it is hands on work, loading, balance retraining or a mix of all three.

Yes, and your home program is part of the plan rather than an afterthought. Most of the change happens between visits. Your therapist shows you each movement, watches you do it, and writes down the sets and reps that fit where you are that week. It is short and specific, a handful of movements that fit into a real day, not a printed page of twenty. If something hurts in a way that feels wrong, stop and tell us.

Call or text the clinic at (909) 353-7053 and ask. That is not an interruption, it is part of your care. The questions that come up on day three of a new exercise are usually the important ones, and we would much rather hear from you than have you guess for a week. If your therapist is with a patient, the front desk takes the details and gets you an answer.

We are contracted with most major plans in the area, including Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, Medicare, Optum, TriCare and TriWest. Coverage still varies by individual plan, so we verify your benefits and explain exactly what you will owe before you commit to a course of care. Nobody here gets a surprise bill.

Two to three visits a week is typical, usually across 4 to 6 weeks, then the frequency tapers as you take more of the program over yourself. Some plans are shorter and some run longer depending on how long the problem has been there and what your goals are. Your therapist tells you plainly what the schedule looks like at your evaluation and adjusts it as your measurements change.

Most plans of care run 2 to 3 visits a week for 4 to 6 weeks, and many patients notice a change in the first week or two. It depends on how long the problem has been there and what is driving it. Your therapist re-tests your measurements at every visit, so you will know whether you are progressing rather than guessing at it.

Yes. Explaining what is going on in your body is a large part of the job, and a patient who understands why the knee hurts is a patient who does the right things at home. Ask about your imaging, your diagnosis, what a movement is meant to do, what a particular ache means. If a question falls outside a physical therapist's scope, you will hear that too, and we will point you toward the right provider instead of guessing.

Say so right away. Some soreness during and after loading is normal and expected, but sharp or spiking pain is information, not something to be tough about. Your therapist changes the exercise, the load or the range on the spot. Nothing on your plan requires you to grit your teeth through it, and nothing gets measured accurately if you hide what you are feeling.

Because your measurements say so, not because a set number of visits ran out. You and your therapist set goals at the evaluation: a range of motion target, a strength comparison side to side, working a full shift, walking the block without stopping. Those get re-tested as you go. When you are hitting them and holding them with your own program, we discharge you and send you out with what to keep doing.