5 Major Myths About Physical Therapy

The PT profession has evolved immensely over the last 20+ years. And while older ways of thinking may have called these myths true… but nowadays, things have changed. Here are the top 5 I commonly hear.

1. I need a doctor’s referral to get physical therapy.

MOSTLY MYTH! 47 of 50 states in the US now allow you to see a physical therapist DIRECTLY without a referral. The only small catch is there may be some provisions, like a limited timeframe or amount of visits. In California, you can go straight to a physical therapist without having seen an MD first for 12 visit or 45 days (whichever happens first). After that, you’ll need to check in with your doctor to get a referral for continued therapy. 

Why is direct access a good thing?

It cuts the cost and time of seeing your primary care physician or specialist! We’ve all experienced waiting 3 weeks for an appointment…it’s like we’re expected to predict when we’ll get sick or injured to see the doc, then add an ext