Clinical Conversations

Oregon rain usually keeps us inside, but now corona-virus is keeping us out of indoor gyms.

 

These two things can make us PORTLANDERS forget how to be smart about exercising in the heat!

Here are a few reminders:

· Stay hydrated!  Drink plenty of water!  It is more difficult for your body to regulate temperature under dehydration. We have noticed that wearing masks, we also tend to drink less water even in doors. Stay alert, aware and conscious about how much water you are drinking every day.

· Pay attention to the humidity level.  High humidity means that the body can’t cool off as efficiently.

· Replenish electrolytes if you are active for prolonged periods.

· If you regularly exercise outdoors, it can take up to 2 weeks for you to acclimate to the hotter conditions.

· Plan your  most stressful activities for earlier in the day/late at night when the temperatures are cooler.

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We have SAFELY reopened and are here for you!

 

 “Thank you” to all of our patients who were able and continued to continue care and stay in contact with Nick Rinard PT since Oregon’s “stay at home” order on March 23.  Nick Rinard took the proactive decision to stop in-person visits on March 13 to protect the health and safety of everyone in the community. 

New patients and established patients found our telehealth visits very valuable as we were able to continue to diagnose, educate and offer the tools they needed to get through this difficult time.  It was a challenging, but really fun experience to connect with patients on telehealth, and also to get you feeling better and in less pain! 

Since the easing of stay at home orders on May 1st Nick Rinard Physical Therapy was able to re-open our SW Capitol clinic doors as of May 4th  (Monday through Friday 8am-6pm).

Nick Rinard Physical Therapy loves treating you and we are so happy open not only our doors but our hands and hearts to get you the results you have come to know and trust for the last 20 years.

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Telehealth evaluations for new patients and follow-up service are currently available.

Nick Rinard Physical Therapy would like to encourage you to please continue to call our office for help.

New patients and current patients should call to set up visits on our HIPAA compliant Google Meets telehealth company platform.

Telehealth evaluations for new patients and follow-up service are currently available.

This is a new service offered by Nick Rinard Physical Therapy in this time of need when we know you are hurting yet cannot treat you in person. As Nick Rinard Physical Therapy has had adapt to the new temporary environment, we are having great success using this service.

New patients and current patients are finding our telehealth visits very valuable. We are continuing to diagnose, educate and offer the tools you need to get through this difficult time.

I continue to be here for you.

Respectfully yours,

Nick Rinard, owner/physical therapist at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy

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An updated message from Nick Rinard, owner/physical therapist, regarding corona virus pandemic and clinic status

An updated message from Nick Rinard, owner/physical therapist, regarding Corona Virus Pandemic and clinic status:

As a physical therapist I continue to take your health and well-being seriously – it really is my number one concern.

I have made another difficult decision to postpone in-person visits until April 28th, 2020.

Please call to schedule a telehealth appointment. This is a new service by Nick Rinard Physical Therapy, and you will be participating in a pilot program for which there is a low fee and no insurance involvement.

New patients and current patients should continue to call for advice on a telehealth evaluation and follow-up video appointments from the “clinic that get results, even with the toughest cases”.

We are finding it is of value and your physical problem can be helped initially. I would like to try this as a pilot program and offer you a lower fee because of that. I would be honored if you gave me the chance to try to help you in this way.

I wish to donate hours of my time serving you, but also defray our fixed costs of staying in business and continuing to be in business long into the future to serve you and for me to continue to fulfill my personal passion as a physical therapist.

I am here for you.

Respectfully yours,

Nick Rinard, owner/physical therapist at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy

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A message from Nick Rinard owner-physical therapist regarding corona virus pandemic and clinic status

A message from Nick Rinard, owner/physical therapist, regarding Corona Virus Pandemic and clinic status: 

As a physical therapist I take your health and well-being seriously – it is my number one concern.  I have thought long and hard about what would be best for you during the Corona Virus Pandemic – to continue treating patients as usual, or take preventative measures to limit unnecessary exposure in our clinic.  P.T. is primarily about preventing worse health outcomes such as: preventing surgery, preventing disability, preventing falls, preventing heart disease, to name but a few.  I have chosen to inform myself on the scientific information available regarding the spread of the Corona Virus to date, and I have paid close attention to actions taken by governmental and community leaders in the attempt to limit spread of the virus.  I have weighted the financial costs of remaining open as a clinic compared to closing the clinic entirely – including consequences for our staff – staff that are like family to me.  There is no easy solution. 

I have taken the difficult decision to postpone in-person visits until March 30, 2020.  I will be assessing the situation leading up to that date and give updates.  This decision is my contribution to our over-all healthcare delivery system to not inadvertently participate in corona virus spread.  Since Oregon does not have adequate testing, there could be asymptomatic carriers of the virus in wither staff or patients that could potentially lead to more and more infections.  So many infections at once would overwhelm hospitals leading to a shortage of needed supplies for the unfortunate ones who might not get just a mild case.  As a healthcare provider of physical therapy, I understand that physical therapy may need to take a back seat in this pandemic.  We will live to fight another day!

Current patients can expect a call from me or my staff soon, if you have not already received a call offering you to either postpone your upcoming appointment, or opt-in to a telehealth appointment instead.  This will be a new service by Nick Rinard Physical Therapy, and you will be participating in a pilot program for which there is a low fee and no insurance involvement.  I wish to donate hours of my time serving you, but also defray our fixed costs of staying in business.  I believe this scenario will be temporary, and we will be in business long into the future to serve you and for me to continue to fulfill my personal passion as a physical therapist. 

New patients should continue to call for advice on a telehealth evaluation and follow-up video appointments.  While not as good as an in-person evaluation, we may find that it is still of value and your physical problem can be helped initially.  I would like to try this as a pilot program and offer you a lower fee because of that.  I would be honored if you gave me the chance to try to help you in this way.

As a consideration, I will personally review cases in which an in-person clinic appointment may serve you best, if exposure risk can be assessed and mitigated appropriately beforehand.  I am here for you.

I wish you all good health and safety now and always.  I thank you for your understanding and willingness to adapt to our current Corona Virus environment.  Please continue to call in for information and possible telehealth physical therapy services from the “clinic that get results, even with the toughest cases”.

Respectfully yours,

Nick Rinard, owner/physical therapist at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy

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Gardeners, are you ready?

 

It may not seem like it on some days, but spring is coming! 

Every year, we see many gardeners who are unable to get out in their flower and veggie beds because of back, neck, arm, and, thumb, or knee pain. 

Here are some helpful hints to help keep you in your garden on the rare nice days that we have:

-Avoid bending for extended periods. 

-Get a kneeling pad out and use it! 

-Some people do very well with a stool also.

-Keep the things you need close at hand.  This reduces the amount of reaching and twisting that you need to do!

-Keep your back straight while mowing the yard and using equipment.

Still having pain that’s keeping you and your green thumb inside?

Nick Rinard Physical Therapy is here to help.

Call 503-244-6232 today!

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Learn more about the AMA’s prior authorization reform initiatives.

“Prior authorization is a health plan cost-control process that restricts patient access to treatments, drugs and services. This process requires physicians to obtain health plan approval before delivery of the prescribed treatment, test or medical service in order to qualify for payment.

According to an AMA survey of 1,000 practicing physicians, more than nine in 10 respondents said prior authorizations had a significant or somewhat negative clinical impact, with 28% reporting that prior authorizations had led to a serious adverse event such as a death, hospitalization, disability or permanent bodily damage, or other life-threatening event for a patient in their care. 

The vast majority of physicians (86%) described the administrative burden associated with prior authorizations as “high or extremely high,” and 88% said the burden has gone up in the last five years. 

Learn more about the AMA’s prior authorization reform initiatives.”

O’Reilly, Kevin B. Nov. 1, 2019 “8 prior authorization terms that drive every doctor crazy.” Received from https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/sustainability/8-prior-authorization-terms-drive-every-doctor-crazy.

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Nick Rinard Physical Therapy knows that we are different, but we are pleasantly surprised to find that our patients agree.

We asked our patients how our method compares to other treatment’s they tried.

This is what a few of them had to say:

  1. “You really can’t compare the two. With other PT it was a never ending treatment where I never got better. I felt better after my first visit at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy.”  Sarah
  • “I’ve been seen by Nick a few times and I’ve had so much improvement he’s definitely the best physical therapist I’ve ever been to! I definitely recommend him!” Heidi
  • “I was in a car accident that left me with a lot of pain in my back, along with very uncomfortable and consistent nerve responses down my legs. I saw a PT at a different clinic, but the symptoms and pain were not eliminated as I did not heal properly. I did not want to accept that I had to live with pain for the rest of my life. Fortunately, I was referred to Nick Rinard! In only 11 visits, my pain and symptoms have been alleviated as a result of receiving the proper exercises to strengthen and stretch my back. Nick was able to explain what exercises I needed to do, how to do them properly, as well as why. I know that I will need to continue to do the exercises or my symptoms will return, but Nick Rinard gave me the tools to manage these issues for the rest of my life. I have returned to my more active life, including jogging, hiking, etc. without experiencing painful consequences. Should the occasion arise that I need a PT in the future, I would schedule with Nick Rinard in a heartbeat!” Laura
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We surveyed physicians who refer to Nick Rinard Physical Therapy.

 

 When asked “WHAT IS IT ABOUT OUR CLINIC THAT MADE YOU CONFIDENT ABOUT SENDING US YOUR PATIENTS?” they replied……

  • “You get great results.”
  • “Good feedback in timely fashion.”
  • “Customer Service – great!”
  • “Positive Results!”
  • “It works for many patients, quickly – minimal visits.”
  • “It empowers the patient life-long.”
  • “If it does not work you’ll know within 2 visits.”
  • “Your group is kind, responsive, courteous.”
  • “Recommendation of other providers.”
  • “Courtesy shown to patients.”
  • “Results!”
  • “Excellent understanding and implementation of the McKenzie protocol.”
  • “Thorough assessment and plan.”
  • “Good results.”
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Considering back surgery?

When you’re in pain, it may seem that anything that is going to make you feel better seems worth it.

But will back surgery alleviate your pain?


And is it really the quickest route to recovery?

Many times, the answer to both these questions is no. It wasn’t hard to find just 2 patients recently who received back surgery and were still in a great deal of pain-you can read their results bellow.

“After discussing my lower back pain with my nurse practitioner she prescribed my visit to Nick Rinard PT and was adamant I tried their program. Considering I live 70 miles away from their clinic, that was a big ask. The very first visit I learned a great deal about why I was in pain and had a plan in place. By the second visit I already started to notice results.”

“My experience with Nick Rinard and his whole team has been completely positive. Nick’s approach to physical therapy is consistently effective, easy to follow, and I have seen lasing results. The overall reduction in pain, increase in strength and improvement in my sense of personal control over my ability to manage what was once severe and extreme pain is nothing short of a miracle.”

Some people do need to undergo back surgery, but why not try Nick Rinard Cert MDT physical therapy first? Within 4 visits, our trained therapists can have you on the road to recovery, or recommend a next step for you if physical therapy is not your best solution.

Considering back surgery?

ONLY when all other avenues have been exhausted!

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