by
Keith Loria, Reporter | July 01, 2009
A women undergoing physical
therapy at Cleveland
Physical Therapy Associates
in North Carolina
This report originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of DOTmed Business News
For more than 100 years, physical therapists have been dealing with assistive, adaptive, rehabilitative and analytical devices to help their patients. While the equipment has become more advanced both technically and physically, the basic concepts have stayed the same.
Since physical therapists deal with the entire body, there are a wide array of tools and equipment they can use - it all depends on what the PT is trying to accomplish and what he or she is comfortable with.
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Rehab and fitness products continue to grow in popularity as companies as create products useful for treating a broad range of conditions. Standard equipment still remains the cornerstone of most physical therapy facilities, though technological and manufacturing improvements have helped upgrade even the most basic rehab and fitness products.
"Since so many physical therapists these days are leaving clinics or hospitals to go out on their own, the refurbished equipment market is huge for physical therapists," says Rob Rankin, president of Rankin Biomedical Corporation. "The savings realized can be 50% or more and of course, cost is of primary concern to most people."
Dr. Kalotkin educating a patient
on the importance of proper
form during exercises at
Palisades Physical Therapy
This equipment ranges from basic items, such as tables and lifts, to more complex devices, such as testing and analysis systems. Modalities also require capital expenditures, and can include electrical stimulation, TENS, ultrasound, electromyography (EMG) equipment, biofeedback, paraffin, short-wave diathermy, infrared radiation, and hydro collator packs.
"I buy used refurbished PRE machines, free weight equipment and cardio equipment," says Don Miller, a physical therapist and owner of Cleveland Physical Therapy Associates in North Carolina. "I know owners of gyms and through them learned where to find the best deals on refurbished equipment. You have to be careful and know what to look for. Over the years, I have saved thousands of dollars."
With so much available, it's almost impossible to buy everything, so a PT must focus on the necessities. Tables and chairs tend to be purchased first, while more sophisticated technologies containing all the bells and whistles typically follow as volume and budget allow.
