A Pro Bono Service of Plymouth State University
PantherPT is a pro bono clinic that offers free physical therapy services to members of the Plymouth community. The clinic is run and managed by the doctoral students of the Plymouth State University DPT program. Under the guidance of a full-time clinical assistant professor, students will assume the responsibility of evaluating and treating patients to develop and refine their clinical decision making and hands on skills.
The mission of the Department of Physical Therapy is to provide a vibrant scholarly community for physical therapy in New Hampshire through teaching, research, service, and practice contributing to the American Physical Therapy Association’s vision of “transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience.” The department’s focus is on the education of physical therapists to serve the community in the fields of movement and rehabilitation to provide competent care as autonomous providers, leaders, collaborative team members, and innovators while being respectful, culturally sensitive, and socially responsible.
Educating physical therapists and advancing the profession so that they may contribute to positive societal transformation by assisting individuals to achieve their goals through movement and enhance the human experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should PantherPT’s services replace insurance based PT services?
PantherPT services are considered to be supplemental and should not replace your skilled PT referral based appointments.
What type of injuries do you treat?
- Muscular dysfunction
- Bone/Ligament/Tendon injuries
- Post-operative joint repairs
- Balance & coordination deficits
- Neurological issues (parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, spinal cord injuries)
Additionally, PantherPT can offer functional assessments to evaluate a patient’s existing strength, stability and mobility.
What should I prepare for on my first visit?
- Meet with a student physical therapist to review relevant medical history and undergo a physical exam:
- Range of motion
- Strength testing
- Muscle and joint performance testing
- Flexibility
- Posture
- Create a plan of care including short/long term goals and a home exercise program.
- Receive physical therapy interventions based upon our clinical findings.
- Therapeutic exercise
- Manual therapy (soft tissue massage, joint mobilization)
- Modality use (e-stim, therapeutic ultrasound, kinesio tape)
*Patients should wear loose, comfortable fitting clothing when coming to PT*
How long should I expect to be there?
Treatment sessions typically last from 30 minutes – 60 minutes
What if I have to cancel my appointment?
If you need to cancel your appointment, please contact the PantherPT email directly psu-dpt-pro-bono@plymouth.edu. Our team will cancel your appointment and work to reschedule you for a later date.
Where is it?
PantherPT’s Pro Bono services are offered in the Samuel Read Hall building on the primary campus of Plymouth State University.The building is located on Highland Street across from the Lamson Library and the Boyd Science Center. Upon arriving at Samuel Read Hall, take the elevator to floor two where we welcome you to take a seat in our waiting area.