Often people wonder if they should see a PT for their muscle/joint issue? And the answer is always YES. Now, there may be a few instances where a PT cannot help and a referral to another medical provider is necessary. But that percentage is low, so it is best to start where you need to end up anyway.

Let’s dive a little deeper here and outline a few scenarios.

#1 A person wakes up with neck pain one day and cannot recall doing anything to cause the pain. Now they cannot turn their head without severe pain and they have daily headaches.

Answer- do not wait and suffer. Call a PT who will help alleviate your headache and begin to restore pain-free neck range of motion again.

#2 An individual reaches down to pick up a dropped item on the floor. Only they are unable to stand up. Severe pain appears in their back and runs down one leg. Not only can they not stand up, but they are also leaning off to one side. They have no position of comfort and zero chance of getting to work the next day.

Answer- call a PT today. Hopefully you can get seen within 24 hrs. They can help begin the process of helping you to stand tall again as well as begin to reduce some of the leg pain. This situation may take time to fully resolve, but early treatment is critical to speed the recovery timeline.

#3 A person wearing sandals walking in grass rolls their ankle. They experience immediate pain and have difficulty walking. Within a few hours they have swelling and still cannot walk well.

Answer- reach out to a PT immediately for evaluation. There is a small chance x-rays could be necessary for a sprained ankle, but a good evaluation will determine that. No need for unnecessary x-rays. Once deemed safe for treatment, they can be treated with hands on mobility work and exercise while can reduce the swelling, increase range of motion, and help the person recover their ability to walk.

These are three of many possible scenarios that illustrate why a person should see a PT for their muscle/joint issue. If you are struggling in some way with pain or impact to daily life due to pain then click the following LINK to connect with a muscle and joint expert today.