Frequently Asked Questions
Scheduling and Availability
Availability is live on the calendar. Any appointment you reserve will be confirmed within 12 hours (usually within 2 hours Mon-Fri).
We are happy to discuss scheduling outside of the posted timeslots. If you need an appointment time that is not available on our calendar, don't hesitate to reach out.
What Should I Bring with Me?
Do bring:
Medical insurance card (if applicable)
Credit/Debit/or HSA card
Face Mask
Prepare to discuss:
Times you have pain or difficulty
Times you feel the best
Goals
Concerns
Any other questions you might have
While not required, if you do have the following, submitting with your intake forms or bringing to your first appointment can save us time:
X-ray, MRI, or other imaging
Prescription for Physical Therapy
Recent and related medical records (i.e. surgery report)
List of current medications (if not included in intake forms)
What Should I Wear?
Please come to your physical therapy appointment in comfortable clothing in which you can move and if relevant expose the body parts that are bothering you. Removal of clothing for any manual physical therapy treatments is not required, will be at your discretion, and will always be in a private treatment room.
How Long Is Treatment?
Evaluations for new patients and new conditions typically take 50-75 minutes. Standard treatment sessions are approximately one hour.
Additional time or shorter sessions may be discussed with your provider after the initial evaluation.
The recommended frequency and projected length of time for your treatment depends on your specific condition and situation. This will be discussed with your therapist at the time of evaluation and reassessed periodically throughout the course of treatment.
Do I Need to Know Anything About My Condition, Physical Therapy, Yoga, or Pilates?
No!
Our goal is to help you feel better; just bring your body and we’ll work with you to find treatments and exercises that fit your lifestyle.
We take extra time to educate you about your condition and treatments. Don't hesitate to ask questions about what you're experiencing or what we are doing. Our aim is for you to be an educated and active participant in your care.
I’ve Had Physical Therapy in the Past, Will It Work This Time?
Physical Therapy, like most professions, has a range of specialties. Our focus at Good Life Physical Therapy is hands-on, one-on-one, holistic treatments. We make it our goal to create a healing space and take the time to help you discover your body’s ability to recover from injury and pain and improve your ability to move comfortably. While there are no guarantees, our approach is different than that of many other physical therapy facilities. Our therapists spend time listening to you and working with you to find ways that fit into your life to address your concerns. If something isn’t working for you, please let us know and we’ll modify the treatments to fit your unique body and presentation. We aim to have you leave feeling better than when you came in every time.
What Payment Options Do You Offer?
We work with most major insurance plans that provide Out of Network coverage.
Please submit your insurance information for verification and we will let you know if your out of network coverage can be used for our services (we do our best to get back to you the same day Mon-Fri).
We work with Medicare and some commercial insurance plans with Out of Network coverage.
If we work with your insurance we will submit all claims on your behalf.
If we do not work with your insurance plan, we are very happy to treat you with payment at time of service by Cash, Credit, Check, or Health Savings Account. If your insurance offers reimbursement for Out of Network treatment to you (but isn't a plan we work with) we will provide you with an Invoice for your own submission.
We are not a participating provider for any in network insurance plans (other than Medicare).
If you do not have insurance that we work with, or prefer to start treatment prior to insurance verification, we offer 55 minute treatments for $175. Evaluations are 1 hour and cost $210.
Do I Need to See My MD first or Have a Prescription for Physical Therapy?
No, you do not need a prescription to see a physical therapist in New York. Without the requirement of seeing another clinician you can get treated by an experienced physical therapist sooner. All our providers hold a Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy and exceed New York State's required experience to provide Direct Access to patients. We can treat you for 10 visits or 30 days without a referral. If your condition is more severe or outside of our areas of expertise and we decide further testing or diagnostics would be beneficial we may refer you to your Primary Care Physician or another medical provider. After the initial allowable visits, you may be treated again if there is a change in the diagnosis or there is a new event that brings you back for treatment.
Some insurance companies have their own policies necessitating a prescription for Physical Therapy to be a covered service. There is a possibility that treatment without a referral may not be covered by your health insurance plan but that physical therapy treatment may be a covered service if rendered pursuant to a referral or prescription from a dentist, podiatrist, physician, or nurse practitioner. We will do our best to inform you if your insurance falls into this rare category; however, it is ultimately your responsibility to know your insurance policy and obtain this prescription if it is required by your carrier.
What Is Physical Therapy?
Physical Therapy is a medical, hands-on approach to address pain and dysfunction in the body that combines the science of healing with the art of listening to the physical, emotional, and mental presentations of each patient.
What Conditions Do You Treat?
At Good Life Physical Therapy we specialize in working with patients who have chronic pain, headaches, back pain, neck pain, scoliosis, pain with walking, and physical manifestations of stress. We treat many conditions including foot, ankle, knee, hip, disc, shoulder, and elbow pain as well as neurological conditions. We work with athletes and active people as well as individuals who are less mobile. We frequently emphasize postural retraining to decrease your pain long term and if appropriate will integrate Yoga or Pilates concepts into treatments. Physical Therapy is not just for post surgical rehabilitation or major injury recovery. We specialize in working with people who are trying to avoid surgery or prepare for a possible surgery as well as treating chronic conditions or pain that has been lingering in the background for a long time.
What Do Physical Therapists Do?
Physical Therapists evaluate movement, strength, soft tissue (muscle, skin, fascia), nerves, and joints to identify the causes of pain or altered function and work with you to improve your symptoms and underlying causes. We work on preventative techniques, advise and train you on safe body mechanics and exercise, and work with you to improve your quality of life.
Physical Therapists are specialized Doctors with Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) degrees emphasizing evidence and research based treatments and techniques. Physical Therapists are licensed in New York by the Office of Professions. They are experts at diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal and neurological conditions as well as pain in all forms. They have extensive training in anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, neurological sciences, disease processes, injury pathophysiology, and skilled therapeutic treatment application. Physical Therapists attend continuing education courses regularly to stay informed of the latest medical research and developments as well as hone treatment techniques.
Physical Therapy is gentle, safe, and guided by your unique body and your desires for treatment and outcomes. You will be an active participant in your recovery and care.
Treatments combine skilled manual therapy (hands-on) with personalized therapeutic exercise to rehabilitate your body in order to restore maximal mobility and optimal mechanical motion and increase overall comfort and function.