Seeing a Physical Therapist During the COVID-19 Outbreak

By Allen Flatt Ballidis & Leslie on April 20, 2020

For many of our clients, physical therapy is critical to making a full recovery from your injuries. Proper exercising with a trained professional allows you and your attorney to see how extensive your injuries are, which can affect your compensation. However, with the rise of COVID-19 cases in Orange County and California’s Stay at Home Order, many patients are justifiably unsure if they should continue with their treatment.

Speak to Your Doctor

Keeping yourself safe and healthy should be your top priority at all times, both in terms of avoiding a respiratory infection and recovering from debilitating soft tissue injuries. This is why we advise each patient to speak with his or her doctor and discuss the best plan of action. Your doctor may feel that you are at high risk of infection and should practice social distancing to avoid becoming infected.

Alternatively, you may be at low risk for developing a serious infection and can continue with treatment if you take necessary precautions. That may include maintaining a social distancing radius of six feet, diligently washing your hands, wearing protective gear, and washing all equipment you come in contact with. However, this will ultimately come down to the procedures that your physical therapist chooses to take. Some may have modified schedules or be using Telehealth, or the use of video calls to handle medical appointments, which could be your best option to safely protect you from infection while also continuing your therapy.

Speak to Your Physical Therapist

Physical therapists are listed as among the essential services that will remain open during the California Stay at Home Order, according to the statement from Governor Newsman. As such, physical therapists are allowed to remain open and work with clients, but many agencies have advised more vigilant sanitation practices to ensure all patients and staff are protected from infection.

Among these are the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), which advises therapists to practice social distancing, avoid large gatherings, minimize patient contact with other individuals by modifying schedules, properly cleaning all equipment and services where the virus may linger, and to take advantage of Telehealth services where available.

To learn what you should do, your best option is to call your physical therapist’s office to learn what measures they are taking during the outbreak. Ask how they are handling social distancing guidelines, what cleaning procedures they have implemented, if they are changing patient schedules to minimize large groups, and if they offer Telehealth.

Ultimately, if you are showing symptoms or test positive for COVID-19, you should immediately contact your doctor and avoid going to your physical therapist until medical professionals advise to you and it is considered safe to do so.

Speaking to You Attorney

Whether you are a current client or have recently suffered an injury as a result of someone else’s actions, the Orange County personal injury attorneys are still available to represent your case. Please contact us at by phone at (949) 752-7474 or online to discuss your options.