Providing adequate space and lines of sight in chiropractic offices for physical therapy office interior design
Many chiropractors see that offering physical therapy and rehabilitation within their offices can benefit patient outcomes and complement what they are already doing. In physical therapy office interior design, two key points must be considered in the layout. We discussed this in detail in a previous article [Issue 6: April 18, 2021, “Design or augment your ideal physical therapy clinic design”].
The two key points covered in the previous article as it relates to layout included:
- Adequate space to freely work with the patient and to easily move from one exercise to another is critical for efficiency. This is determined by the size and amount of equipment in the space. Our rule of thumb is the total floor space of the equipment, times four, is a great place to start.
- Line of sight is critical for most clinics in their physical therapy office interior design layout so that the clinician(s) responsible easily monitors all activities in the space. This can be accomplished with open stations within the equipment space, or windows from key rooms that allow the practitioner to see the activity.
Chiropractic and physical therapy space flow
To help you with ideas for your practice, we are going to review a few examples of chiropractic offices with a key component being physical therapy, including the various square footages overall, the size of the physical therapy open space, and the number of adjusting tables for each practice.
For reference, the physical therapy open space is often referred to as “active therapy” and other therapies that require a closed room, such as massage, acupuncture or more private area such as electrical stimulation, fall under the category of “passive therapy.”
Example No. 1
This plan represents a common multi-doctor practice that combines chiropractic and physical therapy, both active and passive.
The total interior net square footage is 3,414, with 600 square feet of open/active and 235 square feet of private/passive therapy. In the center of the open therapy area is a work counter for clinicians with a clear line of sight. This practice includes five dedicated closed adjusting rooms, one dedicated exam room and one combination.
Example No. 2
With more than 1,500 square feet of the space dedicated to physical therapy, this practice is heavily dedicated to these services, representing one third of the 4,773 total net square footage in its physical therapy office interior design.
The five adjusting bays include four open tables separated by a glass wall, and one closed for privacy. There are also four dedicated exam rooms to serve their patients.
Example No. 3
This practice is in a high-rent district near New York City where every inch of space is a premium.
It occupies a total of 1,127 interior net square footage, with 504 square feet, or almost half occupied by open rehab physical therapy. Because space is so precious, the two semi-open adjusting rooms serve the dual role with passive therapies.
Also, every inch is used for equipment so that the therapist workspace around the equipment is also the traffic path through the office. The line of sight is through the window in the combination exam and consultation office.
Example No. 4
As a large multi-doctor practice, this 6,580-net-square-foot office includes 1,640 square feet for active therapies with a central workstation for the clinicians.
Behind a floor-to-ceiling glass wall is 300 square feet of passive “quiet rehab.” Three massage/acupuncture rooms are tucked quietly in their own corridor. The four chiropractic adjusting rooms are semi-open, while the three exam/treatment rooms serve patients for both.
As you can see, there are many ways to combine chiropractic and physical therapy in your clinic, where the possibilities are unlimited.
CAROLYN BOLDT, IIDA, LEED AP, has more than 35 years’ experience as a commercial interior designer. Over this time, she gained a complete understanding of the industry, which includes retail, hospitality, health care, corporate, sustainability and relocation design. She is a registered designer, and is a principal for CrossFields, with the mission to create practical and impactful environments that elevate chiropractic success. She can be contacted through chiropracticofficedesign.com.
