Active Care’s therapists are comfortable treating all types of orthopedic injuries and surgeries. If there are any special circumstances or questions, please feel free to contact the Active Care front desk staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
In certain instances, physicians or former patients may refer a patient to a specific therapist. In all other cases, the Active Care administrative staff will pair patients with a therapist based on availability and the specific rehabilitation needs.
In addition to a full locker room, Active Care offers showers, shampoo, soap and towels to those patients that need these amenities.
Appointments can be booked with a member of our front desk staff by calling 415-387-6564.
The State of California does not require a doctor’s referral to receive physical therapy services. However, health insurance does require a physician’s referral to provide coverage of physical therapy treatment.
Active Care accepts most major health insurance providers and does verify benefits as a courtesy to our patients. For ‘out of network’ patients or for those whose benefits do not cover physical therapy services, a self-pay rate is available. More information about insurance plans can be found here (link to insurance page).
Please bring your health insurance card, the physical therapy prescription from your referring physician and any recent X-Ray, MRI or other diagnostic studies that pertain to your injury. During the initial evaluation, the physical therapist will perform a full review of pertinent orthopedic history and will combine this with any information about range of motion restrictions or muscle strength impairments that are apparent during the physical exam.
Since Active Care uses an exercise based approach, your first appointment will likely include physical activity. For patients with lower body injuries, shorts or sweat pants are preferred. T-shirts or tank tops are best for upper body or shoulder conditions.
The words “typical visit” imply that we have already pre-arranged your program before we learn about your specific goals and needs. As our treatment philosophy is founded in the belief that a successful recovery involves a restoration of correct mechanics, strength, ROM and mobility every appointment at Active Care involves exercise. Depending on the patient’s diagnosis, we will include soft-tissue massage, manual exercise, manual mobilization and/or exercise program modifications as indicated. A visit will usually last 1-1 ½ hours.
The referring physician will often specify both frequency and total number of visits when prescribing treatment. Within this framework, your Active Care physical therapist will develop a plan that addresses each patient’s specific needs and one that will integrate with other work, family and travel constraints. Since we commonly see patients that come from a long distance, home exercise programs are also part of each patient’s program.
