Frequently Asked Questions

The paperwork you received via mail or email. If possible, please complete this paperwork and return to us prior to your first visit. This saves some time during your first appointment, giving you and your PT plenty of time to discuss your symptoms and begin treatment. If you did not receive or complete your paperwork ahead of time, please arrive 30-45 minutes early to your scheduled appointment time. 
 

Your driver’s license and insurance cards.
 

Any relevant diagnostic testing or imaging results you may have received as this is useful information for your PT to better understand your symptoms.

Your first visit will begin with completing all the necessary paperwork. Next, you will have a detailed discussion of the symptoms that bring you into the clinic and then a physical examination. You will meet with your physical therapist to discuss the symptoms that bring you into the clinic and together you will determine the best plan for the examination. The examination will be individualized and based upon your symptoms, condition, and level of comfort. Pelvic floor examinations commonly include external and internal testing of important structures, muscles, and tissues of the pelvic region. You will also learn about the pelvic floor, including anatomy, function, and the common conditions affecting the pelvic floor. Your physical therapist will educate you on the findings of your exam and instruct you in exercises and techniques to address your symptoms. You will then form goals and a plan for moving forward and reaching those goals. 

Please wear comfortable clothing that you are able to bend, stretch, and move freely in. It can be helpful to wear bottoms and shoes that are easily removed. 

Your first visit will be 60-75 minutes and follow-up visits will be 45-60 minutes.

You and your physical therapist will make a plan of care that meets your needs and will best help you achieve your goals. The number of visits varies with each patient and depends on your symptoms and your goals.

Physical therapy is an ideal choice to help you reach your goals. Physical therapists teach you how to improve your movement and function, which will help you to better enjoy the things you love the most. It is a safe and effective approach to treating common conditions affecting the pelvic floor, some of which may also be treated with surgery. Physical therapy can help you prepare for or recover from a surgery, or it is often an alternative to surgery. With physical therapy, you will gain skills and knowledge about your body, your symptoms, and how to manage/reduce your symptoms. This will benefit you for years to come. 

East Sacramento Physical Therapy is family owned and operated and has been serving the community since 1990. We are proud to serve Sacramento and the surrounding areas and do so with gratitude to our wonderful patients. We have helped thousands of individuals achieve their goals of decreasing pain, decreasing incontinence, increasing strength, improving function, enhancing sport performance, and gaining a better quality of life.

We participate with some insurance and would be happy to submit your claims to your insurance for those that we are in network with for payment. Your copay is due at the time of service and or any other portion that you are responsible for. If you have additional billing questions, please call our Billing Office at 916-281-9186 and we would be happy to assist you.

Massage is just one of many treatment techniques used in physical therapy. Your physical therapist will determine if massage will be a beneficial approach to reaching your goals. There are many other effective treatment approaches utilized in physical therapy such as exercise; breathing and relaxation techniques; behavioral or lifestyle modifications; and modalities such as biofeedback, heat/ice, and electrical stimulation. You and your physical therapist will determine a treatment plan that will maximize results and empower you in reaching your goals. 

You will see your physical therapist for your initial evaluation and follow-up appointments. You may work with a physical therapy assistant on a regular basis or alternate visits with your PT and your PTA. You will also work with a trained physical therapy aide on stretches and exercises. You will always see your physical therapist for your initial evaluation, re-evaluations, and before you are discharged from physical therapy. 

You should notify your physician of the return of your symptoms. You may be eligible for more physical therapy treatment. 

Your ability to see a physical therapist with Direct Access depends on your insurance. Please call your insurance company to see if you have Direct Access to physical therapy.

Physical therapists do not diagnose medical conditions, rather, they identify structural and functional impairments that may be contributing to your symptoms and limiting your function in everyday life and participation in the activities you enjoy.

Prior to your first appointment we will contact your insurance company to verify your benefits and notify you of your financial responsibility that you may have that would include copays and or deductible. If we do not participate with your insurance and plan to pay cash, we will provide a receipt for you  that you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement.

Through physical therapy, you will learn how to manage your symptoms with behavioral changes, exercises, and specific management strategies that you will find become part of your lifestyle. You will be guided through a progression of exercises that will lead to the functional activities that are part of your everyday life. We do not expect that you will have to perform all of the exercises you have learned to maintain your progress after you have completed physical therapy. If you continue to practice the management strategies you have learned, you will continue to experience the benefits of physical therapy. 

Yes. Physical therapists must be licensed to practice. The Physical Therapy Board of California (PTBC) oversees the practice of physical therapy in California. To find a licensed physical therapist or to confirm your physical therapist is licensed, visit The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy website at FSBPT.org. 

On your first visit to East Sacramento Physical Therapy you will have the opportunity to review and take a copy of our privacy policy. You may also request a copy to be picked up, mailed, or emailed. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your Personal Health Information (PHI) and to provide you with a notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your PHI.

Anorectal pain and levator ani syndrome? Constipation and incomplete emptying? Anal Incontinence? Sacroiliac, tailbone, hip and low back pain? Recovering from abdominal surgery and childbirth? Painful intercourse? 

These are all common diagnoses patients are referred to physical therapy for. All can be addressed with physical therapy, which may include manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, motor control/coordination training, bowel/bladder/pain management strategies, and modalities such as functional electrical stimulation.

Electromyography (EMG) biofeedback is a technique used to help patients learn how to improve control of their muscles. Sensors that detect electrical currents are placed over muscles to measure the electrical activity of the muscles beneath them. All muscles have a level of electrical activity that increases when a muscle contracts and decreases when it relaxes. Information about your muscle activity is then displayed as a graph or an image on a computer so that you can see when your muscles are contracting and relaxing. This helps you to learn what it feels like to contract and relax muscles, which will help you perform your exercises more effectively both in and out of the clinic. 

Research has shown that biofeedback is an effective tool for reducing chronic pain including migraines, tension headaches, TMJ pain, arthritis, IBS, pelvic pain and other chronic pain conditions. Chronic pelvic pain related to overactivity of the pelvic floor muscles can be decreased using biofeedback.

Biofeedback is one effective and scientifically supported technique used in pelvic floor physical therapy to help patients gain control of their pelvic floor muscles. Having good control and coordination of the pelvic floor muscles is important for pelvic floor function. Medical sensors are inserted vaginally, rectally, or applied externally to measure the electrical activity of the pelvic floor muscles during your physical therapy evaluation or session. The activity of your muscles is then displayed on a computer as a graph or an image to give you visual feedback of the muscle activity. Seeing the activity will help you to learn what it feels like to contract and relax these muscles. When you can feel the muscles, you will be better able to control them. With improved control and awareness of the pelvic floor muscles you can improve your function and symptoms.