Therapeutic Exercise vs Therapeutic Activity

What is the difference between therapeutic exercise vs therapeutic activity?

Therapeutic exercise is billed as 97110 and Therapeutic activity is billed as 97530.  Both are CPT codes that are commonly used in occupational and physical therapy billing. 

 These codes are very similar and are often confused.  So, when and what do you document for each of these codes?

therapeutic exercise vs therapeutic activity

The therapeutic exercise code is not considered a dynamic code.  It typically involves looking only at one parameter being measured such as active range of motion, prom, a/arom, endurance or strength.  All of these are separate activities and therefore billed under therapeutic exercise. 

Therapeutic activity typically is considered a dynamic activity and usually looks at multiple parameters, these could even be functional parameters.  It is typically used when you are looking at range of motion and strength, or range of motion and endurance, etc. 

For example, if you were having a patient use Puttycise tools this would be looking at range of motion as well as strength, therefore would be billed under Therapeutic Activity.   Pushing a cart or cooking would be considered therapeutic activity as well.  Therapeutic activities typically are real life movements or simulated activities of real life. 

 You can often think of Therapeutic Exercise as being the building block for Therapeutic Activity.  For instance, if you are working with a patient with a tendon laceration initially you may be having the patient perform gentle short arc range of motion, once the patient has progressed and can safely perform towel walking with light resistance, now the movement is therapeutic activity, as a second parameter has been added to the first. 

Questions, please shoot us a quick note on ‘therapeutic activity vs exercise‘ topic! Thanks for reading. 

3 Comments

  1. Akram on July 1, 2019 at 3:16 pm

    Nice blog

    • Miranda Materi on July 6, 2019 at 11:59 am

      Thank you!! There will be more to come!

  2. Nanci on May 29, 2023 at 12:50 pm

    Simple direct explanation!! I’m adding this to my student handbook for my fieldwork students

Leave a Comment






More To Read

Carpal Tunnel Treatment: Splinting Only vs Splinting & Conservative Treatment

January 12, 2020

Short-term clinical outcome of orthosis alone vs combination of orthosis, nerve, and tendon gliding exercises and ultrasound therapy for treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Sim, Sze En et al. Journal of Hand Therapy, Volume 32, Issue 4, 411 – 416 The Skinny- Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common compression neuropathy. Compression of the…

Read More

IFC vs TENS: Electrical Stimulation for Pain and Swelling

December 1, 2019

In this article we’re looking at the difference between Inferential Current versus Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (IFC vs TENS). Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation (TENS) TENS variations are often described by their technical characteristics: high frequency, low intensity (conventional TENS) or low frequency, high intensity (acupuncture-like TENS, AL-TENS) (Walsh et al., 2009). How TENS Addresses Pain:…

Read More

Carpal tunnel syndrome and its association with body mass index, wrist ratio, wrist to palm ratio, and shape index

September 9, 2022

A literature review of carpal tunnel syndrome and its association with body mass index, wrist ratio, wrist to palm ratio, and shape index Madani, A. M., Gari, B. S., Zahrani, E. M. A., Al-Jamea, L. H., & Woodman, A. (2022). A literature review of carpal tunnel syndrome and its association with body mass index, wrist…

Read More
Envelope_1

Sign-up to Get Updates Straight to Your Inbox!

Sign up with us and we will send you regular blog posts on everything hand therapy, notices every time we upload new videos and tutorials, along with handout, protocols, and other useful information.