Communication of Benefits Program
All employees will gain information regarding benefits through an initial orientation, the handbook, benefit booklets, and access to more detailed benefit documents when requested. Management will be available to answer questions and to assist employees on benefit matters.
Altitude reserves the right to change and eliminate any benefit at their sole discretion with or without notice. Changes in employee benefit programs, if any, will be communicated in one or more of the following ways:
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An official written announcement from the company President.
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Posting of notices at appropriate locations.
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Publication of updated benefit booklets.
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Publication of a revised Employee Handbook.
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Discussion of major changes at employee meetings.
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Description and discussion of all benefits changes at management meeting.
This section is intended to provide a general overview of the benefits available to eligible employees of Altitude. Some of these benefits are governed by State and/of Federal Law, while others are governed by legally binding contracts between the company and a benefit provider. If there is any difference between a benefit as outlined in this section and the provisions of an applicable law or contract, the law and/or contract will prevail.
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Who are Physical Therapists?Physical therapists are experts in movement, qualified to examine patients and develop treatment plans to improve mobility, reduce pain, and prevent injury. They are the health care practitioners with the most specialized education to help people improve motion and restore function. During your course of treatment, they will administer a variety of techniques that may include manual therapy, various exercise strategies, and patient education to help you move better. Physical therapists complete a rigorous post-graduate program with curriculum heavily focused on the sciences in order to obtain their Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). They must also pass the National Physical Therapy exam as well as a licensing exam for their state of practice. At this point, their quest for knowledge is only beginning… Physical therapists are lifelong learners. As part of requirements for licensure, PTs continue to earn education credits by taking additional coursework annually, throughout their whole career. It is this continuous accumulation of knowledge and experience that gives them the ability to utilize the most innovative treatment approaches available.
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What conditions do the PTs at Altitude treat?Altitude PT employees general physical therapists that are experienced in treating a wide variety of conditions and injuries. Most of our PTs are experts in a lot of different areas but each physical therapist does have their own personal niches. Please browse through all our physical therapy profiles to find a provider that would be a good match. If you're having trouble knowing where to start you can always call us and our front desk will be happy to help find your perfect fit! You can also browse through our informational page about our services
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Will it hurt?In order for the physical therapist to determine and diagnose your injury, there may be discomfort as recreating your pain is the best way to identify what tissue is affected. Most of these tests or movement screens will cause minimal pain and the therapist will use this information to help guide the treatment in that session.
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Do I need to wear special clothes?We typically recommend that you wear clothes that allow us access or exposure to the involved area. For example, any lower body injury it is usually best to bring shorts with you (although we have some in the office!) and upper body or neck injury it is nice to have a tank-top or t-shirt.
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What is manual therapy?Manual therapy is when the physical therapist has their hands on you! This can include myofascial release, dry needling, joint mobilizations, passive range of motion, and more.
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What is dry needling?Dry needling is a tool that requires special certification after graduating physical therapy school. It is important to note that dry needling is NOT acupuncture and that none of our physical therapists are acupuncturists. Dry needling advances the needle deep into muscle tissue to help "reset" a dysfunctional muscle. It is usually accompanied by a brief, deep and achy pain but can restore movement immediately. Dry needling is not an extra charge at Altitude and would never be performed without proper education and consent.
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Why would I need any of these things?The greatest benefit to our treatment at Altitude is to promote and accelerate your healing in addition to educating you on how to avoid injury in the future!
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Do I have to have these types of treatment?Your therapist will evaluate you and decide which treatment would be best for your particular injury.
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How do I know if I am getting better?You will know you are getting better when you start to achieve your goals or make progress toward your goals.
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What do I need to watch for (signs that I need to alter my treatment or contact my doctor)?Often we will tell our patients that we don't ever want you to feel any sharp pain, pain that is greater than 5/10, or pain that lasts longer than 24 hours. If any of these happen, simply tell your therapist at your next session or email them. They will respond and likely tell you to back off any exercise until you come in again. If you are ever concerned about some other response to treatment, feel free to call the clinic or email your therapist directly.