Physical Therapy Services: The Quick Reference

Assessment and treatment of movement problems, largely through exercise and education.

Key takeaways

• Direct access: allowed in all states in some form, with limits that vary by state
• Insurance: some plans require a referral or prior authorization and limit the number of visits
• Most useful single change: Check your state's direct access rules and your plan's referral rules before booking.
• Commonest mistake: Expecting passive treatment alone to fix the problem.
• See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.

The numbers, in one place

In one paragraph

Every state allows some form of direct access to a physical therapist without a doctor's referral, though your insurance may still require one.

Worth doing

• Check your state's direct access rules and your plan's referral rules before booking
• Do the home exercise program; that is where the effect comes from
• Say early if something is not working so it can be changed
• Ask how many visits your plan covers and plan the program around that

Worth avoiding

• Expecting passive treatment alone to fix the problem
• Stopping exercises as soon as pain settles
• Booking without checking whether the therapist is in your network

Related topics

• Physical Therapy: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Back and Posture)
• The Evidence on Talk Therapy, Without the Hype (Mental Health)
• The Evidence on Getting a Referral and Prior Authorization, Without the Hype (Using Health Services)
• The Evidence on Medicare Advantage Plans, Without the Hype (Medicare and Medicaid)

Where to go next

• Making Sense of Physical Therapy Services
• Physical Therapy Services: A Practical Checklist
• Physical Therapy Services — the reference entry
• Rehabilitation: The Complete Guide
• Occupational Therapy: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
• What the Guidance Really Says About Speech and Language Therapy

When to speak to a doctor

Go to the ER rather than physical therapy for numbness in the groin or inner thighs, new problems controlling your bladder or bowels, or weakness in both legs. See your doctor urgently for pain with fever, unexplained weight loss, a history of cancer, or limb weakness that is getting worse, and call 911 for back pain with sudden severe weakness.

Where this comes from

• American Physical Therapy Association — Direct Access by State
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases — Back Pain

How this page was put together

Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.

Medical disclaimer

This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.