If you’re anything like me, you enjoy supporting local small businesses in your area. You would much rather visit a local coffee shop than Starbucks, and you would visit family-owned restaurants over a national fast food chain any day. On the other hand, it is sometimes much more convenient to pick up your fresh produce from Trader Joe’s than to wait for the Saturday morning farmer’s market.
This dichotomy of local vs. chain exists within physical therapy clinics as well. Both local clinics and national chains can become engrained in their communities and gain status through word-of-mouth. Both can have very well-trained physical therapists who are well versed in industry best practices. So which one should you choose for your treatment? Should you support a local business or go for the convenience of a chain clinic?
Our EW Motion Therapy team has been built from the ground up, ever since our founding in 1999 in Birmingham, AL. Our founders wanted to maintain and deliver the highest quality standards for physical therapy while creating an environment of continual learning, encouragement, and professionalism for our staff, clients, and greater community. This commitment to quality has enabled us to grow from one clinic in Homewood to six clinics across Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, and we are privileged to have been a community partner for over 20 years. Even if you choose not to visit EW, we want to be a trusted resource for all of your physical therapy and wellness needs.
In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of both local clinics and national chains. Then, you can decide which type of clinic in your area you would like to visit.
Whether you choose a local or chain clinic, the right physical therapist can make all the difference for your overall experience. Learn more about qualities to look for in a physical therapist here.
Local clinics
Let’s go over some of the pros and cons of receiving treatment at a local physical therapy clinic.
Pros of local clinics
Local clinics have a lot of community engagement among the patients, as many of them have probably been visiting the clinic for years. Each patient usually sees one therapist consistently and can build a relationship with their therapist. The owners of local clinics are traditionally very invested, emotionally and financially, in making the clinic better, and they can listen to and incorporate feedback straight from the community of patients and local physicians.
Cons of local clinics
Local clinics typically have very few locations, sometimes only one, and sometimes location can deter someone who does not live in the area from choosing that clinic. Also, due to local clinics typically being smaller than national chains, there are fewer therapists to go around. There are only so many hours in the day, so availability can be an issue, especially if you cannot get on your regular therapist’s calendar when you need treatment at a certain time.
National chains
Now, let’s review the pros and cons of receiving physical therapy treatment at a national chain clinic.
Pros of national chains
When you visit a national chain clinic, you will usually have many location options to choose from. National chains can offer the convenience that local clinics sometimes cannot, making it easier for the patients to get appointments. National chains sometimes have more flexible hours, so even a nurse working a full day shift might be able to get her physical therapy appointments scheduled after hours.
Cons of national chains
Therapist turnover can be higher at a chain clinic, meaning therapists’ positions and responsibilities often change with new hires and internal growth. For patients, this means that you might not get to see the same therapist every time you come for your sessions. The turnover also means that it is sometimes harder to build community in a chain clinic because of the constant shifting and changing of duties.
How do I find the best clinic for me?
Now you can decide whether you want to visit a local or a national clinic for your physical therapy. Both are great for different reasons and based on these pros and cons, you can choose which one best fits your lifestyle.
Choosing where to receive your physical therapy treatment is an important decision, and there are many different factors to consider. We know it can be overwhelming to determine which clinic in your area is the right one. If you would like more information on what to look for, read our article about the qualities of a great physical therapy clinic.
If you are looking for a personalized physical therapy experience in the greater Birmingham area or Tuscaloosa, then EW Motion Therapy might be an excellent option for you. We are so privileged to have built a true family across our four clinics, and our treatments combine industry best practices with your health goals to make your life better. If this sounds like something you are interested in, fill out the Request an Appointment form on our website, and someone from our staff will contact you within 48 hours with your next steps.
