Programmes and populations
Rehabilitation after a car accident
No-Fault covers this, on its own timetable and with its own paperwork. Missing the first deadline is the commonest way people lose a benefit they were fully entitled to.
New York No-Fault pays for medically necessary treatment after a motor vehicle accident regardless of who caused it, out of the policy on the vehicle you were in. It is good cover and it has one unforgiving feature: the written application has a strict filing window that starts on the date of the accident, not on the date you decided you needed treatment.
That is the trap, and it catches people constantly. Somebody is shaken up rather than obviously injured, decides to see how the neck feels in a fortnight, and the fortnight becomes six weeks. By the time they arrive the window has closed.
Do the paperwork first
If you have been in an accident, deal with the No-Fault application before you book anything. Bring the claim number to the first visit along with a referral, because No-Fault requires one — direct access does not apply here any more than it does to Workers' Compensation.
If you are unsure where you stand, telephone and ask before booking. We would much rather spend ten minutes on that than treat you and have you discover the position afterwards.
What whiplash treatment actually is
Not a collar, and not rest. The evidence for prolonged immobilisation after a whiplash injury is poor and it is associated with slower recovery. What helps is early, graded movement, reassurance that is accurate rather than dismissive, and a return to normal activity sooner than feels natural.
Range and endurance work for the neck, progressed over weeks, plus attention to the shoulder girdle and the upper back, which take a share of the load.
And honest information about the course. Most people recover well. A minority develop persistent symptoms, and the factors associated with that are known — early severe pain, high initial distress, and a belief that the injury is more serious than it is. The third one is modifiable and the way to modify it is accurate information rather than false cheer.
The awkward part, said plainly
A treatment scheme that pays per visit, in the context of an open claim, creates pressure on both sides to keep treatment going. It is worth naming rather than pretending it does not exist.
We treat what is producing functional change and we stop when it is not. Our records say what we measured, and they will say that whichever way it cuts. If you are better, you are discharged, and the file will say you were better.
Other injuries from the same accident
Shoulders, knees, wrists and backs all turn up after collisions and several of them present late, masked by the more painful thing. We examine beyond the presenting complaint at the first appointment for that reason.
And we screen. Significant trauma means a lower threshold for suspecting fracture, and anything neurological gets referred rather than treated.
Comp and No-Fault need a referral from the first visit. Workers' Compensation and No-Fault run on their own rules and direct access does not reach either. Both need a referral from an authorised provider before the first visit. Comp treatment follows the New York Medical Treatment Guidelines, which broadly authorise twelve visits after an injury; going beyond that needs a Prior Authorization Request with documented functional improvement behind it. We file that paperwork, we tell you when it has been filed, and we tell you when it has been refused.
Included as standard
How we treat this
A straight answer about the deadline before you book
Telephone us first. Ten minutes on the filing window is worth more than any appointment if the window is closing.
Early graded movement rather than a collar
Prolonged immobilisation is associated with slower recovery after whiplash. The evidence here is not close.
Accurate information about the course
Most people recover well. Believing the injury is worse than it is predicts a worse outcome, and accurate information is the treatment for that.
Examination beyond the presenting complaint
Shoulders, knees and wrists present late after collisions, masked by whatever hurts most.
Records that say what we measured
In an open claim, whichever way it cuts. If you are better, the file says you are better.
Discharge when treatment stops producing change
We will not extend a course because a claim is open.
When to make an appointment
Signs this is worth an assessment
- You have been in a collision and are stiffening up over the following days.
- You have neck pain, headaches or shoulder pain since the accident.
- You are unsure whether to file a No-Fault application — do this first.
- You were given a soft collar and told to rest, and you are getting stiffer.
- Something else has started hurting a fortnight after the accident.
- You have been treated for weeks with no measured change.
Car accident — how long a course usually takes
- New York No-Fault pays for medically necessary treatment after a motor vehicle accident, and the application has a strict filing window measured from the date of the accident. Bring the claim number to the first visit.Billed to No-Fault
This is a typical number of visits for this problem, not a quote and not a promise. You get an estimate specific to you, in writing, at the first appointment, and we reassess against the same measurements at visit four rather than at visit ten — so a course that is not working gets changed or stopped instead of extended. What each visit costs is published on the pricing page: $190 for the initial evaluation and $140 for a treatment visit if you are paying yourself, or your plan's copay if you are not. We do not sell blocks of visits in advance.
Questions we are actually asked
Car accident — frequently asked
What is the deadline to file a No-Fault claim in New York?
The written application has a strict filing window that runs from the date of the accident, not from when you first sought treatment. It is the single most common way people lose a benefit they were entitled to. File first and book second, and telephone us if you are unsure where you stand.
Do I need a referral for No-Fault physical therapy?
Yes. No-Fault requires one, as do Workers' Compensation and Medicare. New York's direct access law covers the ordinary case where you are using a commercial plan or paying yourself, and it does not reach any of those three schemes.
Should I wear a neck collar after whiplash?
Generally no. The evidence for prolonged immobilisation after whiplash is poor and it is associated with slower recovery. Early graded movement and a return to normal activity sooner than feels natural is what the evidence supports.
How long does whiplash take to recover?
Most people recover well over weeks to a few months. A minority develop persistent symptoms, and the associated factors are known — severe early pain, high initial distress, and believing the injury is more serious than it is. The last is modifiable, and accurate information is how you modify it.
Will you keep treating me while my claim is open?
Only while treatment is producing functional change. A scheme that pays per visit during an open claim creates pressure on both sides and it is better named than ignored. Our records will say what we measured, whichever way that cuts.
Related conditions
Often seen alongside this
Work injury
Rehabilitation aimed at the job you actually do, inside the Workers' Compensation rules that govern how many visits you get.
12 visits, then PAR
Neck pain
Desk necks, phone necks, slept-badly necks and the ones that are actually a shoulder. Telling them apart is most of the first appointment.
5 – 10 visits
Neck headaches
A minority of headaches are driven by the upper neck. Those respond well to physical therapy; the rest do not, and we screen for which you have.
6 – 10 visits
Persistent pain
For pain that has outlasted the injury. Not a cure, not a lecture about it being in your head, and not something we will pretend is quick.
12 – 20 visitsSixty minutes, one to one, with the therapist you chose
Book an appointment
The booking page shows each therapist's own diary rather than a generic grid, so a slot you can see is a slot that is genuinely free. Most people do not need a doctor's referral to start — New York's direct access law runs to ten visits or thirty days — though Workers' Compensation, No-Fault and Medicare each need one from the first visit. If you are not sure which of those you are, telephone and we will work it out before you book.