Do You Accept Health Insurance?

At Cohen Health and Performance, we are frequently asked this question when someone initially comes to us for help with the pain and limitations that are hindering their active lifestyle.

This is a very reasonable question, however, the answer is much deeper than a simple yes or no.

The mission of CHP is to enhance the lives of individuals who want to live an active lifestyle by providing elite level physical therapy and empowerment for continued health and wellness.

This mission guides the decisions that we make, and when deciding whether or not we would be in-network with health insurance, the decision was obvious. It would be impossible to fulfill our mission and help people who care deeply about their health, get out of pain and back to enjoying their active lives as quickly as possible if we were in-network with health insurance.

Due to declining reimbursement rates from health insurance companies, in-network physical therapists are forced to see 2-3 patients per hour. This often results in treatment that is very “cookie cutter” or “one size fits all.” Creating and implementing a customized treatment plan would simply not be possible in the 20-30 minutes an in-network physical therapist has with his/her patient.

The limited amount of individualized care an in-network physical therapist can provide to his/her patient often necessitates that the patient is seen 2-3 times per week. Much of each visit is delegated to assistants, aides or techs. Furthermore, treatment has to often rely on modalities that do not require personal attention such as ultrasound and electric stimulation. These modalities have questionable evidence to advocate for their use and do nothing to help patients address the root causes of their pain. This is not to belittle the clinicians that are in-network with health insurance, as they are left with little choice.

At CHP, we are out of network with health insurance. We are able to help people get better, faster, and in less visits. Furthermore, we are able to educate people about how to sustain their results and prevent future re-occurrence. Very often we help patients that did not get results with in-network care.

Due to the high quality of care we are able to provide and the subsequent results that we are able to achieve, people often assume that they are going to have to invest a lot more money to see us. This is often not the case.

The investment in our services are greater on a per session basis, however, less overall sessions are required. When seeing an in-network provider, a small co-pay will accumulate quickly with 2-3 visits per week. Furthermore, we provide receipts that our patients can use to submit to their health insurance company for out of network reimbursement and they can use their health savings or flexible spending account if they have one.

Even more importantly, it is easy to get caught up in the financial investment, however, do not forget that you are investing in your health! Do you really want the cheapest option?

Feel free to reach out to Dr. Cohen and Dr. Immermann at info@cohenhealth.com if you have questions about how our out of network clinic can help you get back to doing the activities you love.

What Does It Mean To Be “Out Of Alignment?”

I constantly hear people talking about how their bodies are “out of alignment” or how their joints need to be “re-aligned” by their physical therapist, chiropractor or health care provider. Upon hearing this, I cannot help but wonder what the person’s image is of their own skeleton.

The human body is not that fragile. In fact, it is an amazing and incredibly resilient thing. Our bodies consist of several interdependent systems that are constantly adapting to the world around us, as well as our own internal environment to best help us thrive and survive.

Our joints do not simply fall out of alignment as may happen with your car. Our joints are meant to move and change positions. If they were constantly in line, then it would be impossible to move anywhere.

Joints can begin to orient in specific directions causing them to be limited in their ability to move elsewhere. They can also predominantly move through part of their overall available range of motion rather than through their full range of motion. This occurs as the body adapts to the demands (or lack thereof) placed on it or as a protective response. As this occurs it can feel as if the body is out of alignment or needs to be “re-aligned.”

The solution to this issue is to figure out why this is occurring in the first place so that it can be addressed accordingly. This way you feel better and get moving! For more great information like this, check out our additional blogs at www.cohenhp.com.

Physical Therapy For Injury Prevention-Is It Worth It?

Here at Cohen Health & Performance we help injured athletes get back in the game. “The game” could be the tennis court, running trail, weight room, lifting your kids or the ability to comfortably get off the ground (just to name a few). The majority of people we work with initially come in because they are in pain.

However, what if you could address the reasons for your pain and resulting limitations before they happen? Addressing any movement compensations or risk factors for injury prior to the instance when pain occurs not only makes life more pleasant but saves time and money.

We all develop compensations as a result of our daily lives. Perhaps we sit a great deal at work, have an old injury or haven’t spent enough time working on our own health/well-being. Many of these compensations are good as they help us handle our daily lives, however, some can result in pain when left unchecked. This can be further exacerbated when the intensity is increased with exercise. Exercise is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, however, it can be difficult when injuries occur.

So how do you know if an injury prevention screen is right for you? Let me answer that question with some questions!

-Have you recently begun exercising after being much more sedentary?
-Are you about to partake in a brand-new form of exercise?
-Do you have a history of injuries in joints such as your shoulders, low back, hips, knees, or ankles?
-Do you feel stiff or a lack of mobility?

If you answered yes to any of these questions or are just curious if there is anything that you can do to improve your health and longevity, then you could greatly benefit from an injury prevention screen.

Take advantage of a FREE Injury Prevention Screen by contacting Dr. Zachary Cohen at the information below.

Zacharyc@cohenhealth.com
(240) 686-5609

What Is The Best Type Of Exercise?

When people learn that I help injured athletes get back in the game and work in the performance therapy realm they often ask, “What is the best type of exercise?” I typically answer this question with another question. “What do you like to do?”

This is not to be annoying or avoid answering the question initially asked. It is to gain essential information so that I can provide the best answer.

The most important factor in someone’s exercise routine is consistency. It is easy to be motivated for a week or two with a new activity or workout routine. However, can you maintain the same level of motivation with that activity for 1 month, 6 months, or even a year? This is most often determined by whether the person enjoys the exercise they are doing.

I could suggest weight training due to its countless health benefits, but if this person hates the gym environment she/he is unlikely to give it a shot or remain consistent. On the other hand, if this person is open to all settings then I am likely to suggest working with a qualified trainer or strength and conditioning coach. The greatest type of exercise can only be great if you are able to remain consistent.

Therefore, don’t feel guilty if you don’t enjoy a particular type of exercise. Try out new things to find which exercise or combination of activities you enjoy most because the important thing is to remain consistent and keep moving!

For more information regarding different types of exercise or to gain help in feeling your best so that you can perform at your best, please contact Dr. Zachary Cohen below.

Zacharyc@cohenhealth.com
(240) 686-5609

Are You Missing This During Your Recovery?!

Do you feel like you have been in pain far too long? Are you tired of being restricted from performing the activities that you love to do? Do you wonder if there is more that you can be doing to get back to where you want to be?

Many times, the answer to the final question is yes. Returning to the activities that you love and eliminating pain is never a simple answer.

As human beings, we often seek one specific answer to explain why we are injured. However, many things influence our recovery from injury and can accelerate our return from injury. A lack of sleep can significantly impact your recovery and in my experience as a sports physical therapist, is often something that needs to be addressed during the rehab process.

Are you sleeping enough?

According to research we should strive for a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night, however, it is unrealistic to think that we will be perfect immediately. Try simply getting into bed 15 minutes earlier for 1 week, then another 15 minutes earlier the following week, and so on until you reach 7 hours per night.

Are you in bed for plenty of time however still wake up feeling tired?

You likely are not experiencing the high quality of sleep that you are capable of having. Try implementing just 5 minutes of transition time between your daily activities and bed time. Put your phone away, step away from the TV and simply decompress from the stress of the day. Stepping away from the blue light of technology further helps with sleep quality by increasing the sleep hormone melatonin. Try limiting the amount of time in front of screens for the final hour before bed time whenever possible.

The body recovers from injury and repairs itself when we are sleeping. It will be much more successful in doing so as we pay more attention to the length of time we are sleeping and the quality of sleep that we are getting. Try implementing one of the simple strategies described above to accelerate your recovery, allowing you to get out of pain and back to doing the activities that you love even faster.

How Well Are You Recovering?

Most people understand that exercise is a healthy activity to consistently engage in. Incorporating intense exercise days into your routine adds even more benefit as long as proper recovery is facilitated between these workouts. For this reason, there should be variety between bouts of intense and moderate/light exercise.

However, in many situations this is not enough to facilitate optimal recovery between strenuous workouts. There are signs that this may be occurring. You may feel more tired, worn down or less motivated to exercise. Perhaps your muscle soreness may be lasting longer than usual or your performance in the gym is regressing. These are just a few signs that your recovery could use some improvement.

You can start by incorporating a “de-load” period of just a few days or a week. During this time period, you will only perform light workouts that emphasize proper movement with minimal loads on the body. This is extremely beneficial after 3-4 weeks of continuous intense exercise.

Next, it is important to determine if your recovery is being limited from factors outside of the gym. The body processes stress cumulatively. Physical stress, emotional stress, stress from work, etc. All of these stressors accumulate in the body. The more these stressors accumulate, the more focus needs to be placed on recovery.

The body will not recovery as quickly from an intense workout when there is also a great deal of stress at work or at home. During these times, it is best to incorporate an extra recovery day into training, decrease training intensity or incorporate other recovery strategies.

Implement a relaxing walk outdoors into your workday if increased stress can be attributed to work. Learn to meditate for 5-10 minutes a day or simply ensure that you are getting to bed earlier.

Analyzing your workouts as well as the stressors in your life can help you decide if you need to incorporate strategies to help you recover better. This will ultimately improve your performance in the gym and your overall health.