How to Start a Physical Therapy Practice

We have had clients come with this question, hoping that there be an easy painless, pill-like strategy on how to start a physical therapy practice. And indeed, the degree of success was regulated by how much work the person was willing to put out, but more importantly, the selection of importance of activities to work on.

One thing to take into consideration before you start planning is need. How much need does the public in the area where you are going to be drawing from have? Many a client have taken the uphill battle route by establishing a physical therapy practice where a hospital who offers physical therapy employs many of the doctors and specialists in the area. It is easy to see that these doctors are going to possibly refer to the hospital before they refer you.

Or I have seen clients set up a practice where the population of potential patients is very small and they have to now develop sources of new patients from adjacent towns or cities, which poses a bit of a difficulty.

So, my recommendation is a very thorough, unbiased study of the need existing in the area you wish to establish for the services you are about to offer. I must underline “unbiased”, as many people are biased for their town where they live or grew up, etc. In many cases being a known commodity helps, but it will not necessarily turn out the numbers you will need to succeed.

Some clients have done very well by setting up a practice where there is a big senior center, or a large firm that has workers who work physically hard and will have need just from the wear and tear aspect of their jobs.

Once you have the need established beyond reasonable doubt, you can now proceed with other aspects of starting your practice.