Do I need a physician referral or prescription?

The short answer is NO. Wisconsin is a direct access state which means that you are allowed to see a physical therapist with no referral or script, so skip that expensive step!

The long answer: If you want to submit your visit charges to your insurance, you may need a referral or script from your doctor in order to be reimbursed. This varies depending on your insurance provider. Many doctors will provide one for you if you call in a request or submit a request online, much like when you request a script for a medication refill. If you have any questions on this process, we are happy to guide you!

What should I expect at my first visit?

Your visit will last approximately 60 minutes. During that time, your physical therapist will perform a thorough evaluation to get to the bottom of what is going on.

This evaluation includes a review of your medical history, musculoskeletal screening, postural assessment, tests and measures. Your therapist will use the information obtained to formulate a treatment plan that fits your schedule and needs to get you better as quickly as possible. We will discuss this plan together. We want your input and want the treatment to fit into your lifestyle so you can stick to it and get relief ASAP! We will then dive right into treatment with the goal that you leave feeling better than when you walked in and with a clear plan for going forward!

Expect some homework. Performing (usually no more than three) exercises to reinforce and improve the gains you make at the clinic. Our bodies can be stubborn, so working on your symptoms when you are not at the clinic will retrain your body so it keeps improving.

What Should I wear?

Wear what you would wear to the gym. We have areas where you can change if you need to. Ultimately you need to wear something you can move around easily in and that we can move to access your skin if needed. Keep the turtle necks and skinny jeans at home! Ladies, we may ask you to take off the dangly earrings, necklaces or giant bling. Though we like things that are pretty and shiny, they just get in the way.

What type of treatment will I receive?

Treatments generally include manual therapy such as soft tissue mobilization (therapeutic massage techniques), joint mobilizations, dry needling, therapeutic exercise, functional training for your sport, work, or daily activities, biomechanical and postural re-education, ergonomic analysis and pain control modalities if needed.

Are treatments private?

Absolutely! You will be one-on-one with our ugly mugs the entire session (lucky you!). We have private treatment rooms with doors as well as an open area with some exercise equipment. Your privacy and comfort is our highest priority.

How long does a visit last?

Your initial visit will be approximately 60 minutes. Follow up treatment lengths will vary depending on your condition. Your therapist will discuss this in detail with you at your first visit. We have 30, 60, and 90-minute treatment options.

The 30-minute option is only for follow-up visits and is considered a “Quick Tune-Up.” This is a great option if you only have a single area of pain that you have been seen for in the past.

The 60-minute follow-up option is our most common and popular treatment. This option allows us to be as thorough as possible by treating your condition and its contributing factors (like if you have low back pain, but your hip mobility stinks and your back is irritated because your hips don’t move).

The 90-minute “I’m a train wreck” option is for those that have multiple area of symptoms, or if you are traveling a longer distance to get to the clinic, we can treat several things (your foot pain, shoulder stiffness, jaw clicking and neck tension for example) in one stop.

How do I know if treatments are helping?

We will briefly evaluate you every time you come in. We will re-test motions and tasks that you had difficulty with at the initial visit to gauge your progress. Also, YOU SHOULD FEEL BETTER! If you do not, or if you have questions or concerns, please discuss them with us. Every single body is different and unfortunately your body does not come with an instruction manual. A treatment that works for one person, may not work the same for another. Luckily, there are TONS of things we can do to help, and we will gladly modify your treatment to find what works for you! If we are not able to help you, we will not drag you along. We will help set you up with another trusted medical professional that may have other treatment options. Ultimately we want you to feel better and will bend over backwards to help you!

Why should I choose Physical Therapy

Conservative measures are easier on your body compared to medications, injections and surgery (with no side-effects!). In physical therapy the goal is to resolve your problem, not just temporarily relieve it. For those considering surgery to address a chronic condition, therapy can provide the patient and surgeon with valuable data about whether conservative measures are enough to solve your problem. Physical Therapy is also proven to speed progress and reduce pain and compensations after surgery.

Why don't you accept insurance?

As a cash-based clinic, we are able to serve you to the full extent of our licensure. Insurance companies have the right to decide what services they do and do not cover. This varies widely from plan to plan and state to state. By not submitting our billing directly to your insurance we can use all the skills we have to get you better faster and more efficiently. We have more time and availability to treat you because we are not wasting time negotiating with insurance companies that try to pay out as little as possible.

However, you pay (a lot!) for your insurance, so we highly recommend you try to use your benefits. We will send you a receipt after your first visit and as often as you would like through your course of care so you can submit the claims to your insurance and they will directly reimburse YOU. (Who doesn’t like getting a big ol’ check in the mail?!) We do accept Flex Spending Account and Health Savings Account cards as well. Your insurance will most likely want proof that we are real health care providers and not crazy needle-slinging robots, so we will send you the same receipt we send everyone on their first visit, so you can submit it to your insurance.

Often the out-of-pocket expense for our treatment sessions can be less than a patient would pay at a clinic that accepts and bills their insurance.

How is that possible?!?

As deductibles and PT copays have skyrocketed in recent years, many of our patients who have high PT copays or have not met their deductible pay less out of pocket for our treatments than they would if they went to a clinic that “takes their insurance.”

So before deciding on where to get PT based solely on which clinics “take your insurance,” make sure you know how much you’ll be paying at your in-network options versus an out-of-network clinic like ours.

These days, some insurance plans provide zero coverage for PT visits or require copays of over $50/visit. And if you have a deductible to meet, you’ll likely end up paying the full bill for your PT sessions until you meet the deductible (and these bills are often $200+ per session). However, you usually won’t start receiving those $200+ bills until after you’ve been getting care for 6-8 weeks and have racked up an enormous total balance (again, often being asked to attend PT 2-3 times per week).

And guess what else…just because you’re paying $200+ per session at a clinic that is in-network with your insurance, does not mean that your insurance is applying that full amount towards your deductible! They often only apply the amount that they have agreed is reasonable for your PT sessions which is, of course, far less than the amount the PT clinic actually charges.

Most people are quite unaware of the games their insurance companies play in order to pay out as little as possible and maximize their profits. So as you weigh your PT options, it’s very important to:

1. Inquire with your insurance company about what percentage of the total PT bill you will be required to pay at an in-network clinic (especially if you still have a deductible to meet). If you will be paying 100% of the bill till you’ve met your deductible, ask the prospective PT clinic the amount of the average bill sent to an insurance company (the PT clinic’s amount on the bill … NOT what the insurance company has agreed they will pay the clinic). In most cases, you will ultimately be paying the full bill until your deductible is met.
2. If you have met your deductible, ask how much your copays will be. Ask how many times per week the average patient is asked to come in for treatment.
3. Consider the quality of care you’ll be receiving at your various options, and how much value you place on receiving higher-quality, one-on-one care from a Doctor of Physical Therapy rather than a PT Assistant (PTA) or an unskilled “tech.”
4. Consider how often you’ll be missing work and/or time with family to attend your PT sessions. Again, you can ask any prospective clinic how many times per week their average patient is asked to come in for treatment. Ask the above questions, do the math, and you may be quite surprised at what you find!

How much does a visit cost?

Your first visit is slotted for an hour and will cost $180. We will discuss the cost of your plan of care so you get the best value. Speaking of value, we also offer packages so you can save on each visit. Here is the breakdown:

1 Visit: $180 4-Pack: $700 6-Pack: $1020 10-Pack: $1500 90 minute session: $270 Quick Tune-Up (30 minutes): $100

How do I make an appointment?

You can click on the “Home” button. On our Home Page, there is a “Book Now” button. Select the type of visit that best suits you and your needs. If it is your first time visiting us, make sure you select “Initial Evaluation.”

To make scheduling easier in the future, download the “GenBooks” App in the iTunes Store (if you drink the Apple Kool-Aid) or in Google Play (or wherever non-Apple disciples get their apps).

You can save your information so all you have to do is pick your therapist and pick the time that works best for you. You will also get automated email reminders regarding your appointment.

You can also call the clinic and speak to our lovely office manager, Taylor, and make your appointment with her and ask her any questions. She is always happy to help you and if needed, direct your questions to a therapist who will promptly get back to you. Our clinic phone number is (262) 337-3070.

You can also email the therapists directly with any questions: khowald@emovpt.com

What should I bring to my first visit?

Just bring your smiling face, comfy clothing and a form of payment (cash, check, credit card, flex spending or health saving account card). If you did not fill out the health history questionnaire ahead of time online, plan to arrive five minutes early to fill out the health history questionnaire and consent to treat form.

What is my role as patient?

Come to your scheduled sessions. We have a 24 hour cancellation policy so if you do need to cancel an appointment please try to let us know at least 24 hours in advance so we don't have to charge you. Active participation gets you better faster and is vital to a successful rehabilitation experience. Experience has taught us (and research shows) that the more consistent and compliant you are with your treatment regimen, the better chance you have of making a full recovery. Be honest with your therapist about pain relief or pain flares during and after your sessions. Every visit will vary from previous visits depending on how you responded and how you currently feel. If there are any hands-on techniques or exercises that you liked or didn’t like, for Pete’s sake, please tell us so we can alter your treatment to best suit you.

What body parts do you treat?

If it is a joint (neck, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes - you know you were singing this song to yourself!) we treat it. We treat from top to bottom: headaches, jaw pain/TMJ, neck pain, shoulder pain/rotator cuff tears and tendonitis, frozen shoulder, shoulder impingement, tennis and golfer’s elbow, pain under the shoulder blades, low back pain, hip pain, sciatica, IT band pain, hip bursitis, knee pain, patellofemoral pain, jumper’s and runner’s knees, hip and knee arthritis, Achilles tendon pain, ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis and big toe pain.

Will my pain come back?

We will do our best to determine the original source of your pain and treat it. Often you see clinics chasing pain but not treating the root cause of your pain. We will also teach you exercises to continue reinforcing the gains you made during treatment. As long as you stay active and follow our suggestions, the likelihood that your symptoms will return is very low.

How soon will I feel better?

It is always our goal that you feel better and move better by the end of your first visit. We may not get rid of all your symptoms immediately, but we will re-test movements at the end of your session to show you how your motion and symptoms have improved.

How long after injury should I wait to get treated?

In general, the longer you wait to get treatment, the longer it will take to fix the injury and get you back to 100%.

Additionally, the longer an injury has been present, the more loss of strength occurs and the more likely that detrimental movement “compensations” will develop that can lead to symptoms in other areas.

Therefore, it is important to get treatment as soon as possible after an injury if you want to get better with the fewest possible sessions. With all that said, we have plenty of patients who have been dealing with their pain for decades and we are still able to significantly improve their condition. Our rule of thumb is 14 days if something is persistently bothering you for 14 days it likely will not go away on its own.

Will I have to stop participating in my sport/exercise routine while I am getting treatment?

Occasionally, complete rest from a painful activity is necessary to allow for the most rapid and full recovery, but it is often possible to continue your sport/exercise to some degree while we are treating your injury. It really depends on a lot of factors and is ultimately your choice.

We pride ourselves on getting our patients back to the activities they love as soon as possible. Though full rest is occasionally necessary, we usually have them performing these activities throughout their care. After all, we can’t say that you’re “fixed” until you can do the things you want without pain, right?