Your guide to finding a neurologic physical therapist

Over the years, I've had many patients say, "I never knew neurologic physical therapists existed!". It's true, and it's not just the general public that doesn't know we exist. I very commonly see individuals with neurologic health conditions such Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis referred to generalist clinics where there is a lack of neurologic specialty services.

The truth is, where you go and who you see matters. Neurologic physical therapists see the whole picture of your health condition. While strengthening may be one component of treatment, a neurologic physical therapist will take a much more comprehensive, full systems approach. We provide education on up-to-date research on your condition, provide recommendations for additional specialty providers, provide guidance on lifestyle modifications such as fatigue management and sleep hygiene, and advise on medical equipment such as assistive devices, bracing, or even neuro-orthotics. Research on neuroplasticity is ever evolving, so you want to make sure your physical therapist knows the current research and is ready to apply it to your care.

Examples of health conditions that should seek out neuro-specialized physical therapy: Stroke, Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Neurologic Oncology, Parkinson's Disease and other movement disorders, ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, vestibular dysfunction, and individuals with balance challenges or history of frequent falls.

Now that you know how important it is to find a neuro-specialized PT, lets help you locate one near you!

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has a very handy 'Find a PT' function on their website. This allows you enter your location, and the specific specialty provider you are looking for. You can input a specific health condition, or search by specialty category such as neurologic, orthopedic or oncology. You can further limit your search to only show board-certified specialists. Board-certification is the highest clinical credential you can obtain in a specialty practice through the APTA. To become a Board-Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist (NCS), you must have over 2,000 hours of specialty practice before applying (or complete a post-professional clinical residency program), then pass a very comprehensive exam (which took me 9 months to study for!). To maintain board certification, you must maintain a professional portfolio that's submitted every 3 years with evidence of specialty involvement such as teaching, research, student mentorship, and professional presentations. You then must take a recertification exam at year 10, ensuring up to date knowledge of the specialty.

To access the Find A PT function: https://www.choosept.com/find-a-pt?_ga=2.68381521.1363427989.1706912261-870031458.1705068443

Additionally, there are diagnostic specific certifications that can help guide you to a neuro-specialized physical therapist. This is not a comprehensive list of all the possible certifications, but rather a few that are held in high regard. Some of the websites contain a searchable provider directory.

Diagnostic-specific certifications:

LSVT BIG (Parkinson's Disease): https://www.lsvtglobal.com/LSVTFindClinicians

PWR! Moves (Parkinson's Disease specific, though applies to many other health conditions!): https://www.pwr4life.org/professional-directory/

Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS): https://www.biausa.org/acbis-certificant-verification

Certified Stroke Rehabilitation Specialist (CSRS): https://strokecertification.com/therapists/

'MS Get a Head Start' Accredited Instructor: (Based out of New Zealand - Not sure why this hasn't gotten popular in the US, as it's the best evidence-based course for physical therapists out there!) https://www.ms-ghs.com/find-a-provider/

Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist (MSCS): www.iomsrt.org/membership-search/

Finally, I'd like to add that it's ok to ask questions to help determine a physical therapist's knowledge in a specialty area. Asking questions such as "How do you stay up to date with research on my health condition? or "What recent continuing education classes have you taken on on my health condition" are completely appropriate in helping find the best care that's specific to your individualized needs. Always advocate for yourself - the right care is out there, sometimes you just have to do a little digging to find it!