I would have selected zero stars, but this was not an option for rating.
I am very disappointed with my experience at ATI. Except for the first meeting, when I was "evaluated", I received very little or NO professional guidance. During the first visit, I had the one-on-one assessment of the "problem" with a Physical Therapist, for the first half hour - so I guess this deserves one star! For the balance of the hour I started some exercises and I left home with an "exercise sheet". During the following two visits, I had very little guidance from a professional physical therapist. I would be taken by a support staff to a bike, for the warm up, then taken to a "station" for targeted exercises. These stations are very close to each other, you can easily bump into the next patient's "station" if you stretch! It looks like an assembly line. I would usually be given a specific exercise, with not much explanations (except if I asked), then the physical therapist would walk away to attend other patient(s), or to chat with a colleague or a patient. When I finished the exercise routine I had to wait to get noticed, then I was given the next one, and the routine went on again: the PT would walk away for his/her chatting or to attend another patient. Nobody was paying attention to see if I hold the right position, if I stretch the right muscles, if I was doing the exercise correctly, etc.
During the 3rd visit I did not see or speak with any professional PT. Instead, a staff assistant took me to a bike (for warm up) then gave me an exercise from my sheet and walked away. After I finished and started doing some extra stretches on my own, the staff person showed up again and gave me another exercise from my sheet. I did not see anybody else until half an hour has passed, during which time I almost finished all the exercises on my sheet, from memory. After half an hour, the staff assistant showed up again - NO SIGN of Physical Therapist. I did not see or speak with any professional PT during this visit. I decided I had enough "professional" help - I can follow the exercise sheet on my own, at home, I don't need to be driving to a PT location for a babysitter to ask me to do my exercises! I needed professional assistance to make sure I am using the correct muscles, that I am doing the exercises correctly, and to give me new exercises. Not what I got! People don't come to PT for chatting or socializing, they come for professional assistance.
I've only been to physical therapy one other time in my life, at a different location/different city. Luckily, that first experience was life changing. I had an exceptional PT professional who helped me recover from an injury/surgery. I came to the current session with hope and enthusiasm, but I left a skeptic. I hope this is an isolated incident and that other PT professionals take their job more seriously. read more
