Physical Therapy Is An Education
Most patients think they know how to move properlyuntil they start physical therapy. Physical therapists are trained to identify deficiencies in the biomechanics of the body. Often, physical therapists can target specific areas of weakness or improper alignment.
Most patients find physical therapy to be somewhat educational. It is an opportunity to learn about your own body and to identify movement patterns that are associated with your injury.
Goals Of Physical Therapy
Physical therapy provides a variety of benefits, including reduced pain, improved function, increased range of motion, proper alignment and more. Of course, the primary goal of physical therapy is restored function and a return to activitybut these things are often a byproduct of the larger rehabilitation process, during which many patients learn a whole new way of moving.
Build Your Brand Identity
Branding is a necessary part of opening a physical therapy clinic – it helps people to recognize your business, which is all the more important when youre just starting.
Not only that – building your brand identity helps you to stand out among your competitors, establishes trust, and increases patient loyalty.
To build a memorable brand, you first need to:
- Pick a color scheme. This will be used throughout your branding, including your logo, social media profiles, website, and staff uniforms. Green, red, and blue are all safe color choices for your physical therapy clinic, especially in muted tones.
- Design a logo. For your brand to be easily recognized, you should create a logo that represents your physical therapy clinic. Your logo should appeal to your target audience and make your clinic stand out, so check your competitors logos for inspiration.
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Application Process: Step By Step
Important note for all 2023 applicants: Under the U of A Safety Measures General Directives and COVID-19 Vaccination Directive, which are ccurrently in force, all students are required to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination to attend campus. Review the U of A COVID-19 Vaccination Directive for the most up-to-date information on the COVID-19 health requirements, restrictions, exemptions, and accommodations for U of A students.
The February 1st application and document deadline is firm with no exceptions therefore, it is important to familiarize yourself with the application process and ensure that you are aware of the requirements in the months or weeks leading up to the deadline. You must start the online application through FGSR by 23:59 on 31-Jan-2023 and submit the application fee payment before 23:59 on 01-Feb-2023.
Please carefully read the steps below.
Please note that applicants who have transcripts from post-secondary institutions outside of Canada must submit their applications by January 15, 2023, the deadline for international students, even if you are a Canadian citizen. We require extra time to process international transcripts.
It is important that applicants review the steps below prior to beginning an application. Applicants are expected to have all necessary documentation ready when they apply, and will have a set amount of time in which to produce missing documents if requested.
Design Your Physical Therapy Clinic

So, youve rented the perfect space for your physical therapy clinic, but thats not where it ends – now you need to design it.
Here are some tips on designing your physical therapy clinic:
- Hire a professional. Youre opening a physical therapy clinic, so you want to design a relaxing space for your patients. To make sure your clinic looks fresh and inviting, your best option is to work with an interior designer who can make your vision come to life.
- Get inspiration. If you cant afford to work with a professional, try looking for inspiration online . Alternatively, you can visit other physical therapy clinics to borrow ideas on how to design your physical therapy clinic.
- Adjust the lighting. To create a welcoming atmosphere, avoid harsh, fluorescent lighting. Instead, try to get as much natural light as possible into your clinic or use soft, warm tone lightbulbs.
- . Add a personal touch to your physical therapy clinic with plants, paintings, and other decorations.
- Make the most out of your waiting room. First impressions matter, so make sure your waiting room is neat and comfortable. If your space allows it, add entertainment and work areas to increase patient satisfaction.
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Get Approval To Take The National Physical Therapy Examination And Pass
To become certified as a physical therapist in your state, you are required to pass the National Physical Therapy Examination. In order to sit for this exam, a candidate must be approved by both the state and the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy . To be approved to sit for the exam, one must meet the following requirements:
- Register online and pay a registration fee
- Have a CAPTE accredited DPT degree or foreign equivalent
- Comply with test security requests
- Be approved by your state . This involves submitting an application to your states board of physical therapy .
Those educated in a foreign country will need to meet these additional requirements:
- Proof that degree is deemed equivalent to a CAPTE accredited program. To do this, a regional accrediting agency must perform an evaluation. The student must submit to the FSBPT the agencys name, the names of the tools used to evaluate the program, and the evaluation outcome
- Proof of completion of the TOEFL exam
- Any additional state requirements needed to gain permission from the state to take the exam
Starting in 2022, the following TOEFL scores will be required to sit for the exam:
State | |
---|---|
Yes | Yes |
Table information is from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, except for fee information, which is from the respective state board website linked to in the table.
How Does Steady Steps Work
- 1. Evaluation Your doctor of physical therapy will perform a detailed evaluation of your home, your health, and your musculoskeletal system.
- 2. Recommendation Your therapist will then provide a recommendation for continued treatment, refer you to a specialist or medical doctor, and/or set you up with a manageable home exercise program and mobility strategies.
- 3. Treatment Your therapist may schedule continued home therapy with you. They will be with you every step of the way as you build confidence and strength!
Program directors Dr. Holli OKelley, PT, and Dr. Lauren Astrup, PT tell us more.
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Choose A Niche For Your Physiotherapy Clinic
Now that you have an idea of the people in the community who could benefit from your services, and which niches are covered by your competitors, you can work on identifying niches that are underserviced. This could be anything from pediatrics to geriatric clients. You should also consider which types of clients you most enjoy working with.
Having a clear idea of which niche you are targeting will help set your practice up for success and you can begin reaching out to other therapists who are specialists in that area to potentially join your new practice.
Pass The Exam And Get Licensed
Once you are approved to take the exam, you can schedule your exam date with prometric. The exam will be 250 questions that you have 5 hours to complete. You must score 600 or higher to pass.
After passing the exam, your state will issue you your license. Typically, because you have already applied to the state for approval to sit for the exam, you do not need to take any more steps after passing. Again, check with your state to make sure they do not need any additional information.
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Develop Your Marketing Strategy
Even with a great business plan, top practitioners, and well-designed space, your physical therapy clinic might be empty.
Its not enough to spread the word to your friends and colleagues – starting a physical therapy clinic requires you to have a solid marketing plan that will attract patients to your clinic .
Do it right and patients will be flocking to your physical therapy clinic as soon as you open the door.
If you want to develop a well-rounded strategy, consider these elements:
- . First of all, you need to define the objective of your marketing strategy and make sure it matches your business goals.
- Target audience. Defining your target audience will allow you to find out which marketing channels will help you reach your desired outcomes.
- Budget. You have to make sure you can cover your marketing costs before your marketing strategy starts bringing you profit.
While your business plan is likely to stay the same, your marketing strategy should be constantly evaluated and revised.
Individually customized reports at Medesk make it clear where to advertise and what services to offer. You can plan special offers, use color-coded tags that will help segment and analyze specific data for pre-selected positions.
So, dont worry if your marketing strategy isnt immediately effective – its all about trial and error.
Welcome To Step & Spine Physical Therapy In Bend Or
We realize you have a choice when it comes to selecting your physical therapy provider, and we look forward to providing you with exceptional care and a remarkable experience!
Our mission is to serve our patients, and we are committed to treating you promptly with integrity, honesty and compassion. Our reputation for best-in-class patient care and unparalleled customer service, combined with our local and regional density, makes us the provider of choice for patients and referral sources in the markets we serve. In addition to in-clinic treatment, we offer telehealth physical therapy services as an option should you choose to receive your care through video interaction/conferencing with a licensed therapist, all from the comfort of your home.
Our concussion rehab expert gained extensive experience in concussion rehabilitation after working for five years as the assistant program lead for a multi-disciplinary concussion care management team. She has studied, presented and lectured on the topic of concussion management for both healthcare providers and community members.
We are part of the Upstream Rehabilitation family of clinical care, a network of industry-leading brands providing world-class physical and occupational therapy services across the US.
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What Does A Pt Do
At your first therapy session, your PT will examine and assess your needs. Theyâll ask you questions about your pain or other symptoms, your ability to move or do everyday tasks, how well you sleep, and your medical history. The objective is to determine a diagnosis of your condition, why you have the condition, including impairments that either caused or are a result of the condition then develop a plan of care to address each.
The PT will administer tests to measure:
- How well you can move around, reach, bend, or grasp
- How well you walk or climb steps
- Your heartbeat or rhythm while active
- Your posture or balance
Then, theyâll work with you to create a treatment plan. It will include your personal goals like functioning and feeling better, plus exercises or other treatments to help you reach them.
You may take less or more time to reach those goals than other people in physical therapy. Everyone is different. You may also have more or fewer sessions than others. It just depends on your needs.
You treatments might include:
- Exercises or stretches guided by your therapist
- Massage, heat, or cold therapy, warm water therapy, or ultrasound to ease muscle pain or spasms
- Rehab to help you learn to use an artificial limb
- Practice with gadgets that help you move or stay balanced, like a cane or walker
Your therapist will watch your progress and adjust your treatments as necessary.
Create A Strong Online Presence

Now that youve worked on your branding, its time to promote your physical therapy clinic online.
Essentially, building an online presence will allow you to reach your target audience and build rapport with your patients.
What is more, a strong online presence can help you to stand out from your competitors, even if youre just starting a physical therapy clinic!
As such, setting up a website for your physical therapy clinic, creating relevant social media accounts, and entering your physical therapy clinic into directories can help you to successfully start your physical therapy clinic.
Make A Website
A professional website can help your physical therapy clinic to:
- Reach your target audience
- Showcase your services
Unless you have prior experience with building websites, however, you should hire a website developer to do the job for you.
While this may lead to additional expenses, an experienced website developer will help you to save a lot of time and effort by developing a professional website to represent your physical therapy clinic.
Of course, you can build your website as you go, but even a very basic website needs to be responsive and easy to navigate so that your potential patients have an excellent user experience upon visiting it.
Keep in mind that, more likely than not, visiting your website, will be the first interaction your patients will have with your physical therapy clinic.
Your physical therapy clinics website should also be optimized for SEO.
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Buy The Necessary Equipment
Equipping your practice is a vital part of starting a physical therapy clinic.
At the very minimum, you need treadmills, elliptical trainers, and exercise bikes
Buying all of the equipment you need all at once, though, can hurt your wallet.
Heres what you can do instead:
- Prioritize your purchases. Make a list of the essential equipment to your physical therapy practice and a list of equipment that can be bought once your physical therapy clinic takes off.
- Buy used equipment. By buying secondhand equipment, you can save considerable amounts of money.
- Look for the best deal. Browse online stores and compare the prices .
- Buy wholesale. To save a buck, order your equipment from wholesale stores in bulk.
Home Physical Therapy At Your Convenience
Steady Steps is a part of the IRG On-Demand program. Home physical therapy with IRG costs the same as clinic visits and is available at most locations between Mount Vernon and Olympia in Western Washington.
Request an appointment below to start feeling steadier!Call us any time at 425-686-7662 for scheduling or questions.
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How To Start Your Own Physical Therapy Clinic: A Step By Step Guide
If youre a physiotherapist doing some research on how to start a physical therapy clinic, youre in the right place. Our step-by-step guide will take you through the five major areas that youll need to focus on to take your dream of owning your own practice and make it a reality. There are no shortcuts to getting your PT clinic up and running but, with a clear plan and some long hours, you can successfully transition from being a physical therapist working for someone else to a physical therapy practice owner .
Starting a private practice isnt the right choice for everyone, and youll have to be prepared to work hard and do a lot of learning. Becoming a practice owner is quite different from working in a practice: the hours are usually longer, and youll have to start thinking of yourself as a business owner and therapist, not just a therapist.
But, as the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. To make your private practice a success you need to plan first, then be prepared to put in the hard work. So, while we cant do the work for you, we can help you with planning how to start a physical therapy clinic.
Here are the 5 steps you need to follow to get up and running:
How To Become A Physical Therapist: A Step
Physical therapists use exercise to improve patient quality of life. Their patients have medical conditions or injuries that affect function and movement, who are referred to the physical therapist who helps manage and prevent these conditions through stretch, exercise, hands on therapy, equipment, and more. Physical therapists are trained to observe patients to understand their needs and to evaluate the effectiveness of their treatment plans so that they can help their patients as best they can.
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How Long Does It Take To Become A Physical Therapist
Becoming a physical therapist can take anywhere from three to eight years. Before you can enroll in a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program or DPT program, you must first earn a bachelors degree from an accredited institution, ideally with a major in health science. A bachelors degree typically takes three to four years to complete for full-time students. Then you will need to enroll in a Doctor of Physical Therapy or DPT program, which will take about three to four years to complete.
Why Awesome Physiotherapy Of Richmond Hill Is The Best Choice
Formerly Philip Naiman Physiotherapy, Awesome Physiotherapy of Richmond Hill is committed to helping our patients achieve overall wellness. We work closely with our patients to create a comprehensive health plan that addresses their discomfort and pain, getting them back to a mobile and active lifestyle.
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Finance Your Physical Therapy Clinic
Starting a physical therapy clinic is expensive – in fact, opening a standard physical therapy clinic costs just shy of $400,000 .
As such, sorting out the financial situation to help you avoid financial struggles is a crucial part of opening a physical therapy clinic.
For many new business owners, however, this task can be overwhelming – after all, most physical therapists dont have a background in finance.
So, instead of trying to manage your finances all at once, first determine the business model youre going to use in your physical therapy clinic and then work on securing your financing.
Determine Your Physical Therapy Business Model
These are the two main business models which physical therapy clinics use:
- Insurance-based. This model works by entering your physical therapy clinic into contracts with insurance companies.
- Cash-based. Also called the out-of-network model, this billing model allows you to collect cash, checks, debit, and credit card payments directly from your patients.
Alternatively, you could also opt for a hybrid of these two models.
Now, most physical therapy clinics take the easy option and use the traditional insurance-based model, which helps to attract patients more easily.
This is because insurance is expensive – thus, many people prefer their healthcare to be covered by insurance so that their money doesnt go to waste.
Heres how the cash-based model compares to the insurance-based model:
Secure Your Financing