Anyone who knows me knows one of my passions is exercise and working out (surprise! I’m a physical therapist!). Frequenting the gym setting, I come across person after person who has complaints of pain somewhere or other. One of my first thoughts that come to mind is, “Why have you not done anything to get rid of the pain?” Through numerous discussions with people, a few key sticking points always seem to come to the forefront preventing people from getting the care they need. I want to share a few:
- “I need a referral to see you and it’s SUCH a pain in the butt to try and get in to see my primary care physician!”
NOT TRUE! In the state of Georgia you have FULL direct access to see your physical therapist without the need for a physician referral! As a doctoring profession, my colleagues and I have the ability to identify and treat all biomechanical and musculoskeletal impairments. In the rare case that something more sinister may be going on behind the scenes, masking itself as a musculoskeletal disorder, we are trained to screen for systemic disease and make the appropriate referral to get you the proper care.
- “I just need an adjustment to my neck/low back and that usually gets me back on track.”
physical therapists graduating with a DPT (Doctorate in Physical Therapy) are trained in manipulative therapy. It is a requirement that we learn these skills before we can graduate. As a physical therapist we can give you the appropriate adjustment needed for quick pain relief. Unlike some other healthcare professions, we don’t just stop there. A thorough biomechanical examination allows us to identify exactly what is causing the alignment issues, make the proper corrections, and allow you to remain pain free without reliance on manipulations.
- “Last time I went to the physical therapist all they did was give me heat and ultrasound and it did not help.”
At Spine & Sport we pride ourselves on using the most current evidence-based manual therapy (i.e. hands-on) and therapeutic exercise techniques to afford you the fastest recovery possible. Many of our clinicians are also board-certified clinical specialists in orthopedics (OCS). If you are receiving treatment from us, I can assure you it is the best physical therapy treatment in the area.
These are just a few examples that others have brought up about why they are not getting the treatment they deserve. Living in pain is not normal.
If you have any other questions, or would like to set up an evaluation for a problem you are experiencing, feel free to contact any of our friendly staff members at a location nearest you!
—Dr. Eric Alexander, DPT, CSCS
