He’s a certified occupational therapist, hand therapist, and strength and condition specialist at NYU’s state-of-the art Center for Musculoskeletal Care, where he’s part of a team of experts focused on treating orthopedic, rheumatology and sports medicine clients. Meet Bill Finley, one of the many highly-trained occupational and physical therapists in the Oscar network.
Tell us a little about what you guys do at NYU’s Center for Musculoskeletal Care?
On any given day, there are between 25 and 30 therapists here, and we each see between eight and twelve patients every day. We’re an incredibly diverse and also specialized team. For instance, we have nine therapists that are certified for hand therapy alone, and we can custom-make orthotics here, so you can get something that’s really targeted to your problem. We also have a therapist who’s certified for something called ergonomic assessment. She can do on-site office assessments, looking at how people use everything from chairs and desks to mouses and keyboards. Then, she’ll help them develop practices to prevent or improve strain injuries.
What kinds of injuries do you see the most?
We see a mix of post-operative, traumatic, and repetitive strain injuries. During the warmer months we tend to get more injuries related to sports and competitive activities such as CrossFit, rock climbing and extreme racing. As the weather gets colder, we’ll see an influx of patients who have falls on ice, or sports injuries related to skiing, snow boarding, and hockey.
How did you first hear about Oscar? And what has your experience been like?
I learned about Oscar through members I was treating. My experience with Oscar has been extremely favorable. A major obstacle in outpatient rehabilitation is attaining authorized visits, many companies will authorize very limited visits within a narrow window of time. Oscar allows the clinician more freedom to utilize visits within a timeframe that works best for the clients’ diagnosis and schedule. Also, Oscar doesn’t require as much documentation as other companies, and that results in members getting authorized for visits more quickly.
Okay, for the uninitiated, how does a typical occupational or physical therapy appointment work?
Usually, a patient gets a referral from a doctor in the form of a prescription for therapy. At our center, the first appointment is an evaluation that lasts about an hour. We take a lot of measurements – everything from range of motion to how much pain you’re experiencing. From there, we do 30 minute sessions. We generally spend about half the time doing manual treatment, where we work on you to loosen your muscles. A lot of centers have eliminated this, but we think it’s important because when you’re injured, your muscles are much tighter. Manually manipulating muscles is analogous to going to the gym and doing a warm up, and that helps you achieve much more in the session. The rest of the time, we spend doing exercises that patients can continue at home. Toward the end of a set of visits, we can prepare a gym routine they can use for the long-term.
What’s some advice you’d give us about injuries, and preventing them?
I’ve noticed that people are often hesitant to seek medical attention for repetitive strain injuries. That pain that slowly builds up at the office, carrying your kids—basically, in day-to-day life. They may seem minor, but as time goes by, other muscles start to compensate, and you begin to get inflammation and eventually scar tissue at the site. Luckily, they’re incredibly easy to treat early on, so the sooner you get to them, the better. Also, the big thing that I stress to all my patients is stretching. Your muscles want to move, and this helps them go in the directions they want to without overextending.