FAQs

What to Expect

Understanding Physical & Occupational Therapy

What to Expect

What happens at my first visit?

The first time we meet, your physical or occupational therapist will discuss the problem that brings you to the appointment and your goals for therapy. He or she will perform an exam to better understand your condition, which might include looking at your posture, measuring your flexibility and strength, and demonstrating the movements that are painful for you.

The therapist will build a treatment plan and discuss the frequency and timing of follow-up visits. The therapist will review the importance of coming to each appointment and following through on your home exercise "homework."

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What should I wear?

At your first visit, we will want to examine the part of your body causing you problems. If you have a shoulder or back injury, we may ask you to change into a gown so we can see the spine and surrounding muscles.

After the evaluation, your therapist will tell you what clothes will work best for your future visits. Some patients change into a gown each time, while others prefer loose-fitting exercise clothes or even street clothes. We provide men’s and women’s locker rooms to make changing into comfortable clothes easy for you.

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Where can I park?

We offer free parking for patients in the Shapiro Center's garage, located beneath the building with an entrance on Binney Street in Boston. We will give you a parking sticker to use when you visit us. Please let your therapist know if you need assistance getting from your car to the second floor. OTPT Map (PDF)

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Does insurance cover my treatment?

We accept most major insurance plans. Because the provisions of every insurance policy can be different, please reach out to your insurance provider to check details of your plan. The number on your insurance card is usually a good place to start.

For managed care plans, you may need to get an authorization from your primary care doctor for the first visit. Our managed care staff will work with you to obtain authorization for visits after that. Medicare and MA Health plans typically cover medically necessary physical and occupational therapy up to certain limits per year, and may allow exceptions beyond the limits in some cases based on medical necessity.

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Will I need to pay a co-payment?

Many insurance providers have different co-payments required for visits. It’s important to understand your insurer’s policies. If your insurance provider calls for a co-payment, we will ask that you make the payment at the front desk at the time of each visit.

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What happens if I have to miss an appointment?

Sticking to your therapy and the home program designed with your therapist is the most important thing you can do to ensure a positive outcome. We hope you can make every effort to come to your scheduled appointments. If, for some reason, you do have to cancel or change an appointment, we ask that you please call us at least 24 hours in advance.

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How many visits will I need?

Every patient's situation is different. We have found that most often, patients visit us one to three times per week and are typically seen in our office for about six weeks. We see some patients for only one visit; after a complex surgery, the recovery process might take up to 20 visits.

Your first visit is likely to last 60 minutes and each visit after that will take between 30 and 60 minutes depending on your needs.

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I'm a primary care provider; how do I refer a patient?

Call our main number at 617-754-9100 and one of our specialists will be happy to help you get your patient to the right place. Our main location is in the medical center's Shapiro Building on the East Campus, but we can also direct you to our other locations or to our clinical affiliates, depending on your patient's needs. If your patient cannot travel to one of our locations, we often recommend visiting the American Physical Therapy Association of Massachusetts to find a therapist convenient for them.

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Understanding Physical and Occupational Therapy

What is the difference between physical therapy and occupational therapy?

In general, physical therapists focus on improving movement, while occupational therapists help patients adapt to perform daily functions. There are some overlapping areas between occupational and physical therapy and our experts will help you determine which specialty will best address your problem. We find that sometimes our patients benefit from seeing both an occupational and a physical therapist, and our practice is designed to allow that collaboration to happen seamlessly.

When treating orthopedic problems, occupational therapists focus on hand injuries and wrist and elbow problems, while physical therapists see shoulder, spine and lower extremity issues. In the case of neurological problems, occupational therapists might help patients with activities of daily living, such as eating or bathing, and can also work with patients on cognitive and perceptual problems. Physical therapists work on mobility, such as getting out of chair and going up and down stairs.

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I have a back problem. Should I go to physical or occupational therapy?

Someone with a back problem usually needs physical therapy because their main problem is pain with movement. However, after surgery, you may need to see an occupational therapist if they need help getting dressed or performing other daily activities. Your physician will be able to best guide you.

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What kind of training do physical and occupational therapists have?

Both physical and occupational therapists complete either a master's or doctoral degree programs, supervised clinical internships and pass a state licensing exam. In addition, some therapists undergo advanced training and additional exams for specialty certifications in orthopedic or neuralgic physical therapy or hand therapy.

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Will I have pain after my visit?

Most often, the goal of our treatment is to reduce your pain. If a particular movement or exercise is painful, your therapist will adjust it. At the first visit, you and your therapist can discuss what causes you pain so we can figure out the best way to make the pain better. After that first visit, our goal is to reduce your pain.

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What will I need to do at home?

A key component of your physical or occupational therapy plan is likely to be a home program designed with your needs and lifestyle in mind. You will be asked to do some exercises at home that will get more effortful as you improve. You and your therapist will select these together and you will take home written instructions with pictures. The success of your therapy depends on doing these exercises as scheduled with your clinician.

If you already exercise regularly, your therapist may suggest some changes to accommodate your condition or prevent recurrences.

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