As the average American gets older, they will start to need more specialty medical services, such as physical therapy. In fact, research shows that more Americans are already seeking help from physical therapists.

One study found that in 2017, Medicare spent $8 billion on outpatient physical therapy services. This was a 6% increase from the amount spent in 2016. In many cases, this increase in physical therapy usage has come from patients using virtual physical therapy (PT). Virtual PT is a service that uses an online video feed to connect physical therapists with their patients, and there are several factors that could move you to try virtual physical therapy. 

These three factors could be reasons patients are choosing virtual physical therapy

Virtual physical therapy has several advantages over in-person physical therapy. One of these is that virtual PT can happen anywhere a patient has an internet connection. This freedom is one factor that is causing more people to choose virtual PT, but there are several other factors that could also be influencing people, such as: 

1. Living in rural areas — People in urban areas tend to have greater access to specialty medical services like physical therapy. It’s reported that urban areas have 263 specialists per 100,000 people. 

Conversely, rural patients must often travel long distances to see a physical therapist in person. One reason is that there are only 30 specialists per 100,000 people in rural areas. The online nature of virtual PT allows rural patients to access physical therapy without even leaving their home. 

2. Having difficulty leaving home — There are many medical issues that can make it harder for patients to travel to a physical therapy clinic. Some of these issues include: 

• Joint replacement surgery
• Flare-ups in chronic conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia
• Balance and gait disorders

Patients with such issues can benefit from virtual PT since they can work with a therapist in their own home. 

3. Long wait times for in-person appointments — In many cases, patients find that they must wait a long time to visit a doctor or physical therapist in person. Fortunately, evidence shows that this isn’t necessarily true for virtual PT. One provider reports that patients were able to schedule a virtual PT appointment 60% faster than an in-person visit. 

Continuum Wellness offers top-notch virtual physical therapy

Are you searching for effective virtual physical therapy services? Our team at Continuum Wellness is ready to help you get the virtual PT you need. We’ve partnered with Agile Virtual PT to reach patients in the virtual space, and you can work with one of our physical therapists throughout your entire therapy process. Additionally, you don’t have to be close to us to get the benefits offered by virtual PT. In fact, the Agile Virtual PT network currently covers 33 states in the U.S. 

Contact our team today for more information about the in-person and virtual PT services we offer or to schedule an initial appointment.