Questions patients ask us most

Every session starts by checking where you are, not by handing you a worksheet. Your therapist reassesses the problem, uses hands-on work to restore mobility, then takes you through exercises chosen for your goals. You also get taught what to do differently, because posture, mechanics and load habits are usually part of why the pain keeps coming back. Sessions run forty minutes, one on one.

No. You can book directly with us at either office. In Massachusetts you can be evaluated and treated without a physician referral and with no visit limit. In Rhode Island you can be seen without a referral for up to 90 days, and we share your plan of care with your physician. One thing worth checking: some insurance plans still ask for a prescription even when state law does not, so bring one if your plan requires it.

Wear loose, comfortable clothing that lets you move and does not restrict circulation. If we are treating your neck or shoulder, a tank top or sports bra makes the area easier to reach. Bring anything relevant from your medical history: x-rays, ultrasound reports, and your doctor’s notes. Depending on your condition your therapist may also suggest specific shoes or a brace.

Two things help. Come rested, because an evaluation asks for your attention and a bit of effort. And keep track of any pain medication you took beforehand, including when and how much, so your therapist can read your symptoms accurately and set the right intensity.

Forty minutes, one on one with a licensed physical therapist, and you are never double-booked against another patient. Your first visit runs longer because it is a full evaluation. Your therapist will tell you what to expect for length when you arrive.

Yes, and they matter more than most people expect. Your therapist prescribes a specific home program to keep progress moving between visits. Follow it as written rather than adding to it, and check with your therapist before starting any new exercise or program on your own, because the wrong load at the wrong stage sets you back.

Ask. Your therapist is available before and after every visit, and you can call the office in between. You should never leave a session unclear about what you are doing or why.

Most plans cover some or all of it. We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Rhode Island plus most out-of-state Blue Cross plans, Medicare, Aetna, Ameriben, Harvard Pilgrim, London Health, Senior Whole Health, Well Care, Wellpoint, Tricare for Life, auto insurance, and Rhode Island Workers’ Compensation for police and fire. We verify your benefits by phone and walk you through exactly what you will owe before your first visit, so there is no surprise bill. If your plan is not on that list, call us anyway, because it often still works.

Most patients come two to three times a week. How long that continues depends on how severe the problem is and how long it has been going on. You will get a straight answer at your evaluation rather than an open-ended commitment.

Most patients come two to three times a week, and most feel a difference within the first few weeks. How long the full plan runs depends on how long the problem has been there and how severe it is. You will get an honest estimate at your evaluation, and we will tell you when you no longer need us.

That is a large part of the job. Your therapist will explain what is happening, why it is happening, and what the plan is doing about it, at any point in your care. Patients who understand their own problem tend to follow through, and following through is what gets results.

Tell your therapist immediately. Treatment gets adjusted, in intensity or in technique, on the spot. Working through sharp pain is not how progress happens, and there is almost always another way to load the same tissue.

Your therapist will tell you, based on your progress against the goals you set at the start. We would rather discharge you when you are genuinely ready than keep you on the schedule. Stay with the plan until then, because stopping early is the most common reason a problem returns.

In about 95% of cases you see the same clinician for your whole plan of care. The person who evaluates you is the person who treats you, so nobody has to be brought up to speed halfway through and no session gets handed off partway. That continuity is the point of how this practice is built.

Most plans cover some or all of it. We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Rhode Island plus most out-of-state Blue Cross plans, Medicare, Aetna, Ameriben, Harvard Pilgrim, London Health, Senior Whole Health, Well Care, Wellpoint, Tricare for Life, auto insurance, and Rhode Island Workers’ Compensation for police and fire. We verify your benefits by phone and walk you through exactly what you will owe before your first visit, so there is no surprise bill. If your plan is not on that list, call us anyway, because it often still works.

Loose, comfortable clothing that gives your therapist access to the area that hurts. For a neck, shoulder or arm problem, a loose shirt, tank top or sports bra works best. Access matters: it is much easier to find the actual cause when the therapist can see and feel how the region moves.

Call (508) 675-3200. If you are using insurance, our team explains your physical therapy benefits and what your coverage actually means before you commit to anything. Most patients are seen within 48 hours of calling.

Your therapist talks with you first to understand the problem in your words. Then comes a full evaluation: posture, body mechanics, joint mobility, range of motion, soft tissue, strength, flexibility and functional testing. You get the recommended plan explained, including why each part of it is there. Where it is appropriate you start treatment the same day and leave with a home program, and your follow-ups are booked before you go.

Your treatment is delivered one on one by a licensed clinician, and in about 95% of cases it is the same person every visit. You will not be parked on a machine while your therapist works with someone else, and you will not be handed a sheet of exercises to get on with alone.

Hands-on work is the core: soft tissue and deep tissue massage, myofascial release, joint mobilization, traction, and trigger point dry needling. Alongside that we use electrical stimulation, ultrasound, heat and ice, then progressive stretching and strengthening, balance and gait training, and posture and body mechanics education. The clinic is equipped with resistance bands, exercise and medicine balls, free weights and machines, balance boards, bikes, treadmills and ellipticals, because rehab has to end where your real life starts.

Yes. You get a home program built for your case, with guidance on easing pain, calming inflammation and spasm, and sleeping more comfortably, plus an exercise program that keeps you progressing between visits. The patients who do the home work are consistently the ones who finish sooner.

Yes, if you want us to. We send evaluation and progress reports and pick up the phone when it is warranted. In Rhode Island, sharing your plan of care with your physician is part of how direct access works. Everyone involved doing the same job from the same information is what gets you recovered fastest.

Call (508) 675-3200 and most patients are seen within 48 hours. We keep early morning and later afternoon appointments open for people who cannot take time out of a workday. Current hours for each office are listed on the Swansea and Providence location pages, and please call after 7am to reach our office staff.

Prescribed physical therapy is usually at least partly covered, and what you owe depends on your plan. We verify your benefits and tell you the number before your first visit rather than after. Without insurance, an initial evaluation runs about $150 and follow-up visits are $100. With a deductible you have not met, the evaluation runs about $150 and follow-ups average about $75. Call us and we will check your specific plan.