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FAQ

We are here to answer any questions you might have regarding Physical Therapy and all things health related.

  • Do you accept my insurance?
    Human Function and Performance Physical Therapy operates under the Out-of-Network process for insurance claim filing. What that means specifically is that we do not accept the terms of insurance companies when deciding what is best for our patients. How this benefits you is simple. We are able to see you for 60 minute appointments with absolutely no hand-offs to unlicensed "rehab specialists" or "technicians" and we do not perform time consuming treatments in order to meet insurance requirements for billing. Rather, we perform only the necessary treatments you need to get better at the hands of a licensed Physical Therapist. Due to our desire to do what is best for patients, and not for billing, we do not agree that patients need to be seen several times a week in order to get the best results. By being Out-of-Network, we are able to get you better, faster, with less time spent in the clinic. Finally, given the current insurance climate where most plans utilize a high deductible cost deflection strategy for outpatient services, our method of billing is the most economical and the most effective. This is truly a win-win for patients and Doctors. *Most people don't realize PT clinics associated with physicians are able to bill a higher rate thus you will go through you deductible faster. It's best to understand how your insurance works since many people go in thinking they will only pay a co-pay and get stuck with a large bill in the backend. Here at Human Function and Performance there are no surprises and we will work with you to figure out your best solution! We accept HSA and FSA. To verify your benefits, submit your info here and we will give you a call as quickly as possible. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at (469) 626-7254.
  • How often will I need to go to PT?
    Patients are seen for a one-hour evaluation followed by one-hour treatment appointments. Most patients attend one to two treatments per week while utilizing a detailed home program with exercises videos bases off their condition and progress. A big benefit you have with Human Function and Performance is the ability to have text/email access to your Physical Therapist. Our brand of Physical Therapy provides you the opportunity to take control over your health, get to the bottom of your issue and achieve a lasting solution. Thus we treat both the symptom and the underlying issue all while educating you on it so that you have a better understanding of what's going on, how to address it quickly, and also how to avoid it again in the future. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at (469) 626-7254.
  • Do I need to see my physician for a referral first?
    No, the state of Texas has joined the rest of the nation on September 1st, 2019 and granted Direct Access to Physical Therapy. All you need is to schedule your initial evaluation to get started. For treatment programs that will last longer than 10 business days, a referral is required. We will work with you to obtain a referral from a physician. Most conditions won't require greater than this period as people move more into a mobility and performance period specializing in recovery. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at (469) 626-7254.
  • How can you help me? (Treatment Approach)
    The first thing you need to understand is your body is absolutely amazing. It might not feel that way at this very minute, but the human body's ability to recover is remarkable. Over the course of our lives we adopt certain behaviors that drive how our body is able to move and perform activity. These activities could be as dynamic as running or doing push-ups, or can be as simple as lying down to sleep at night. Either way, when it hurts, there is a reason. Your brain has one job to do that precedes all others. Survive. When our survival is questioned we will roll out protection mechanisms, such as pain, to prevent further injuring ourselves. Our body can develop some very serious and hard to break compensations to ensure our survival. As your Physical Therapist, it is my job to identify exactly what compensations and mechanisms you have adopted that are present and impacting your symptoms. From there, we can gain an understanding of why you developed them in the first place. Through treatment, we roll back the compensations, and end by getting to the initial dysfunction that started all of the compensations. Because we are all human, we all have the same body parts, similar activities, similar demands, this process is not as complicated as it sounds. At least not for us. With our guidance you can regain access to your athletic, resilient self. You can be free from recurring injury and pain and you can return to the healthy lifestyle you have always wanted. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at (469) 626-7254.
  • Physicians and other health care providers
    Referring out is not easy. Not having a perfect understanding of what your patient is going to get, how they are going to be treated, and what outcome they will obtain all make for a tough decision. Physical therapy, like all medicine, is not a perfect science. Sure, we know exercise makes many people feel better, we even have pretty good theories as to why. But what about when it doesn't work? The truth of the matter is that the human body is an incredibly complex organism that has a few basic needs, and from there can express some incredible variability. Despite this complexity there are a few constants that appear to have strong correlations with how our body feels and performs. These constants are in regards to how we survive. How we breathe and how we walk. Our bodies have to be able to move relatively symmetrically over each one of our legs in order to alternate respiratory function, spine rotation, and utilize our natural coiling and uncoiling properties. Just like a wind up toy, we are programmed to rotate well to one side (the right side), and we use reflex mechanisms to spring us over the other side. Where we find issues is when we lose the ability to rotate over one hip or the other, and that begins to stress soft tissues throughout our body. By restoring appropriate rotation of the pelvis over the legs, the rib cage over the pelvis and the spine we can relieve tension, stress and strain throughout the human system. Head to toe. This rehabilitation process does not reverse disease process such as osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, or bony abnormalities but what does change, is how the body feels about them. We know these conditions are present is a large population of non-symptomatic people. Why is it painful for some but not others? Pain is a survival mechanism that encourages us to avoid behaviors that produce or could produce injury. We use tension, tightness, and restriction to promote safety. Tension, tightness and restriction are often experienced as pain. Therefore, there is a cycle that is produced. By resolving why the tension, tightness and restriction are present, we can offer our patients the opportunity to feel safe in their bodies. By restoring appropriate function of the pelvis over the legs, rib cage over the pelvis, and spine connecting them all, our patient's bodies will not sense impending injury, and will not need to strain their body to avoid such injury. Consider this, if you had a broken femoral head on the right side, your body would naturally eliminate rotation over that hip to avoid placing your full weight on the unstable bone. Similarly, right after a patient receives ACL or knee replacement surgery. The quad muscle becomes inhibited by swelling to prevent the joint from full weight bearing. To a lesser degree, many of us do this every day. We limit range of motion in our joints and inhibit muscles to avoid full use of a joint and its soft tissues. This causes more demand on other joints and soft tissues and leads to stress and strain. Why this begins isn't always obvious, but there is a reason. Whether the reason why this cycle begins is identifiable or not, the compensations that arise can be identified and addressed. Therefore, symptoms can be resolved, patients can understand why they are in pain and they can understand what to do about it. This may sound very mechanical, and there is a great deal of objective measuring that guides treatment. However, the nervous system is the main target of our treatments. By restoring appropriate function of the pelvis over the legs, we restore appropriate pelvic floor function. The pelvic floor acts as a trampoline for the thoracic diaphragm to bounce pressure and air into. This promotes normal breathing function. Normal, quiet breathing allows our body to enter a parasympathetic state, and therefore promote adequate rest and recovery. If the pelvis and rib cage do not function normally, the respiratory diaphragm can alter its function to stabilize (restrict motion) at the spine. This helps our bodies remain upright under extreme duress, but also creates an overall feeling of extreme duress known as sympathetic drive. This a key driver in persistent pain. When the human body accumulates minor stress and injury over time, the body responds. When the body suffers a major stress at one time, the body must also respond. That is why we see these similar patterns of compensation in almost all injuries. Once they are resolved, patients not only feel better, they understand what their body likes to do under stress. They also understand what becomes compromised when this occurs, and most importantly, they understand how to address it. If you are considering sending a patient or client of yours to us, understand that we do not fear monger, we do not eliminate positive behaviors (exercise, massage, activity), we never give opinions on the necessity of treatment that is outside of our scope, and we do not discriminate against patients for any reason. Although we market our services to the active population, we are open to assisting individuals from all walks of life. We are always looking to learn more about the human system and are open to sharing our knowledge with anyone interested. If you would like to schedule a phone call or a Lunch and Learn with our Physical Therapist, please email sheldon@humanfunctionandperformance.com
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