Telehealth is transforming the way physical therapy is delivered

A decade ago, if you needed physical therapy, you had pretty much one option: Go to the physical therapist’s office.

That’s fine if you have transportation and a physical therapy center not far from your home. But if you don’t, it can be a significant barrier to treatment. Thankfully, Sentara is now offering an alternative: physical therapy via telehealth.

Virtual physical therapy provides convenience. Therapists can get a glimpse into the patient’s home environment, and patients who aren’t feeling well can stay comfortably at home.

Born of necessity

When the pandemic hit in early 2020, we found ourselves having to adapt to working and socializing virtually. Healthcare was no different, and telehealth exploded during those first few months as a safe alternative to going to the doctor’s office.

While telehealth seemed well suited for things like colds, headaches or skin conditions, healthcare providers weren’t sure if physical therapy would be a good fit for virtual care.

“I was initially resistant to the idea,” says Caci Gilden, a physical therapist and team coordinator for Sentara Virtual Therapy. “But really, so much of physical therapy is self-management and education, and that can all be done virtually.”

While the push to offer virtual therapy initially came from the necessity of social distancing, it’s proved to have benefits of its own that have helped the program thrive. Nearly five years after the start of the pandemic, the virtual physical therapy team has been going strong, growing from one full-time physical therapist in 2020 to four today.

The benefits of virtual physical therapy

Virtual physical therapy offers a number of benefits. The biggest and most obvious one is that virtual physical therapy is more convenient and affordable for patients, removing barriers that might otherwise make it difficult to get treatment.

“Convenience is probably the number one reason,” says Gilden. “We can reach patients who are rural, who don’t have the ability to get to a clinic or don’t have one close to them.”

Another benefit is that it allows physical therapists to see the environment where their patients are living, without having to take a trip there. For some patients — like those undergoing neurosurgery or spine operations —significant behavioral modifications need to happen before and after surgery. They may also need to modify their living environment to minimize hazards.

For other patients, getting a glimpse inside their homes allows physical therapists to accurately diagnose their issues.

“Maybe you have a mom who has a new baby. She used to come to the clinic and complain of back pain and show us as best she could,” says Gilden. “Now we can see how she lifts the baby from the crib, and we can correct it right there. We can get right into where their pain is happening.”

Treating patients virtually

Not every ailment can be treated with virtual physical therapy, but many can. Some of the most common conditions that can be treated virtually include:

• Orthopedic diagnoses, such as problems with the back, shoulders, knees or feet.
• Women’s pelvic health issues
• Surgery recovery

Virtual physical therapy is also a great option for people undergoing cancer treatment. These patients — whose bodies are weakening due to the effects of chemo, radiation or both — are already making repeated trips to healthcare facilities to receive their treatment. Offering them physical therapy in the comfort of their homes saves them from having to make extra trips.

When treatment requires more hands-on care from the therapist, then patients will still need to go to a clinic for therapy. Some situations that are not suitable for virtual therapy include:

• Post-op shoulder surgery patients, who need help getting out of their sling and require passive range-of-motion exercises
• Post-mastectomy breast cancer patients suffering from lymphedema, who need manual lymph drainage that requires hands-on care
• Stroke patients or those suffering from spinal cord injuries who don’t have a caretaker at home

Another piece of the healthcare puzzle

Virtual physical therapy doesn’t replace in-person care, but it does complement it by providing more options and expanding accessibility. For some patients, a hybrid approach will make the most sense.

“We can set you up with a virtual appointment so you can learn your home exercises. That way, when you come to the clinic, you’re already a step ahead,” says Gilden. “Or, if we're treating you virtually and we get to a point where your pain isn’t getting better, we can send you to the clinic.”

As with most medical treatments, the earlier you start physical therapy, the more effective it will be. By adding virtual physical therapy as an option, Sentara hopes to make it easier than ever for patients to start their journey to recovery as soon as possible.

“Early access to care has the biggest effect on outcomes. If you delay care, you’re going to have to work harder to get better,” says Gilden. “If virtual physical therapy is going to get you that early access then it can be really meaningful.”

Reach out to schedule your virtual physical therapy appointment.