The '6-8 Visit' Lie

There’s a unspoken soundtrack running in pelvic rehab:“Patients should be better in 6–8 visits.”Most of us don’t say it out loud.But it shapes how we plan care, how we discharge patients, and how we judge ourselves.In this episode, we break down:Where this belief actually comes from (hint: insurance, not biology)Why it doesn’t hold up under scrutinyHow it quietly contributes to burnoutAnd how it impacts patient outcomesWe ask three important questions:Is it true?Is it helpful?Is it kind?When you look at how other specialties practice.....or how long research studies are conducted for....or tissue healing timelines, motor learning, scar remodeling, behavior change, and nervous system regulation… none of them peak at visit 6.  The soundtrack isn't true.And it's certainly not helpful.  Not for your patients.  Not for yourself with the extra pressure it creates.  And not for our field.Lastly, it certainly isn't kind.  You would never tell another therapist they aren't any good because they couldn't get a complex patient better in 6-8 visits - yet we're telling ourselves that all the time.So we need to retire this broken soundtrack (as Jon Acuff would say).We also give you three ways to check whether you’ve actually internalized this — or whether the soundtrack is still running the show:Review your last 50 plans of careNotice how you feel at visit 4 if someone isn’t dramatically betterPay attention to your response when someone asks, “How long until I get better?”This episode kicks off a deeper exploration of time in pelvic rehab — because patient outcomes aren’t just about skill.They’re about skill × time.And if we artificially limit the time we spend, we cap the results for our patients.About UsNicole and Jesse Cozean founded Pelvic PT Rising to provide clinical and business resources to physical therapists to change the way we treat pelvic health.   PelvicSanity Physical Therapy (www.pelvicsanity.com) together in 2016.  It grew quickly into one of the largest cash-based physical therapy practices in the country.Through Pelvic PT Rising, Nicole has created clinical courses (www.pelvicptrising.com/clinical) to help pelvic health providers gain confidence in their skills and provide frameworks to get better patient outcomes.  Together, Jesse and Nicole have helped 900+ pelvic practices start and grow through the Pelvic PT Rising Business Programs (www.pelvicptrising.com/business) to build a practice that works for them! Get in Touch!Learn more at www.pelvicptrising.com, follow Nicole @nicolecozeandpt (www.instagram.com/nicolecozeandpt) or reach out via email ([email protected]).Check out our Clinical Courses, Business Resources and learn more about us at Pelvic PT Rising...Let's Continue to Rise!