Movement Screens and Annual Health Exams

Why Don’t People Receive Movement Screens as Part of Their Annual Health Exam?

Well the easiest blame falls upon the insurances companies as they don’t pay for it.  Well they actually do pay for it but it’s called an initial evaluation with a physical therapist that until this year you needed to get a referral from your doctor to have.  Then there is usually a copay or deductible that needs to be met.  So they pay for it but not really.

The second reason maybe it’s not includes is because most health providers have no idea it even exists.  That is probably the physical therapy professions fault.  Movement screens are very efficient and effective way at identifying potential problems that might be hidden.  If we can identify problem areas before they become a health event we can save tons of time, money, pain, and quality of life.

Imagine if it was standard in Dentistry to only go to the dentist when we have an emergency or pain in a tooth.  Doesn’t that sound crazy?  Well that’s the world I live in as a physical therapist. Nobody ever comes to see me to just assess them and tell them what I think.  If they did I can guarantee that the world would have a lot less pain.  I just read a crazy statistic that said that in 2015 there was 256 million pain medication prescription written. That’s one per adult in the U.S.  There is also a crazy statistic that said last year there were 140 million diagnosed new musckuloskeletal pain cases and only 40 million received physical therapy.  That would be like saying there were 140 million tooth aches and only 40 million went to the dentist, the rest just got pain meds.  Crazyness!

Anyways what I’m trying to say is YOU NEED A MOVEMENT SCREEN, everyone needs a movement screen probably every 3-6 months.  I wish I had one performed before I had back surgery.

Cheers to a Pain Free 2016,

Andrew Gorecki