Contact Us

Book Now

Careers

exercising pain

Experiencing Pain? See a Physical Therapist First

We all find ourselves experiencing some kind of physical pain at some point in time. Many who aren’t able to manage their pain on their own choose to schedule an appointment with their doctor, and some quickly jump to scheduling a visit with an orthopedic surgeon and make plans to go under the knife.

But is this the best option?

Frequently, this discomfort is thanks to musculoskeletal pain. What does this mean? Musculoskeletal pain affects the bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves and can be acute, with fast onset and severe symptoms, or chronic and long lasting.

Physical therapy—and exercise therapy in particular—has been proven to be an incredibly effective way to manage musculoskeletal pain.

Traditional approaches to dealing with musculoskeletal pain are expensive, painful and time consuming. Just think about how intensive and painful surgery can be! You have to deal with missed work, pain medication, medical bills and more.

Using physical therapy to deal with your pain has many benefits, which is why direct access to physical therapy is so important. Direct access laws remove the need to get a referral or prescription from a physician before starting therapy. This eliminates delays for people who could benefit from physical therapy in getting the timely, effective care they need from a qualified physical therapist (PT).

Is Your Physical Therapist Able to Pinpoint the Cause of Your Pain?

Is the clinical diagnosis of the cause of your pain reliable if you get that information from your physical therapist? The answer is absolutely yes.

In fact, physical therapists are able to independently evaluate, diagnose and treat patients within the scope of your physiotherapy. They are well prepared to identify symptoms and oftentimes can help remedy your pain. And if not, they can refer you to a physician or specialist as needed. They are trained to determine when your injury or condition is outside the scope of their work and refer you to a physician who can help.

There’s a great deal of research to suggest that physical therapists are actually better at accurately diagnosing their patients. Compared to non-orthopedic healthcare providers, physical therapists are more accurate at correctly diagnosing patients with musculoskeletal pain and injuries.

If you see a physical therapist first, you’re more likely to get an accurate diagnosis.

Why Should You See Your Physical Therapist First for Musculoskeletal Pain?

Physical therapy isn’t just less invasive than surgical options or other treatments; it’s less expensive too. You’ll potentially see increased cost savings and eliminate unnecessary suffering if you opt to see a physical therapist first. It’s estimated that these cost savings can be as much as $2,700 if you seek out physical therapy first.

It’s not just that you are potentially evading the need for surgery. You also may be avoiding medical imaging, follow-up appointments, medications, costly specialist referrals and other interventions like injections, which all can make a major dent in your calendar and your wallet. You also may dodge the inconvenience and expense of missing more days of work or being admitted to the hospital thanks to a worsening condition by not seeking care.

When you work with a physical therapist as your first treatment option, you’ll find better outcomes, less subsequent care needed and a faster return to full function. It’s a wise choice.

Working with a True Sports physical therapist, you also get faster access to care. We’ll schedule you quickly to get started on the road to recovery, which can have a big impact on how well you heal.

In this study of older adults with back pain, the group that had early physical therapy interventions had increased odds of a 50-percent improvement in function or pain after 12 months compared to those who did not get physical therapy or sought out a physical therapist later. Both of these groups only saw a 30-percent improvement in function and pain.

Get a Free Assessment From a Qualified Professional

You shouldn’t have to muscle through your pain on your own or wait for days to hear back from your physician’s office, only to get unclear answers or inconvenient solutions.

If you’ve never seen a physical therapist or you’re unsure about physical therapy but you are currently experiencing musculoskeletal pain, we want to help. We’ll evaluate your condition and help you come up with a rehabilitation plan to ease your pain.

With locations throughout Baltimore and Maryland, we’re right in your neighborhood to provide you with the care you need with ease and efficiency. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and learn more about what we can do for you.

When Can You Return to Sports After an ACL Injury?

Read more

Shoulder Injuries are Common in Golfers

Read more

3 Common Upper Body Overuse Injuries in Young Athletes and How to Avoid Them

Read more

Knee Weakness: Get Relief + Build Strength with These 3 Home Exercises

Read more

What Can Athletes Do About Quad Shut Down?

Read more

Does Strength Prevent Injury?

Read more

True Sports Coronavirus Response

Read more

Lacrosse Injuries – The 5 Most Common with 7 Tips to Prevent them

Read more

Exercising While Wearing a Mask: Common Misconceptions

Read more

Why Elite Community Servants Need Physical Therapy STAT

Read more

Training with a CrossFit Physical Therapist Helps Avoid Common Injuries

Read more

One Major Tip for Making Your Diet a Success

Read more

The 7 Biggest Benefits of Physical Therapy

Read more

Overtraining: 7 Symptoms and What You Can Do About It Today

Read more

Dry Needling Therapy, Blood Flow Restriction, & Cupping: Does It Work for Athletes?

Read more

Shouldering the Blame for Shoulder Pain: Arthritis or Bursitis?

Read more

Why There is No Such Thing as an Off Season

Read more

Recovering from Spinal Surgery: What You Need to Know

Read more

How to Treat the Most Common Sports-Related Shoulder Injuries

Read more

The Cold Hard Facts About ACL Tear Risk Factors

Read more

Improve Your Running Form with These 8 Tips

Read more

How to Handle a Sports-Related Knee Injury

Read more

What’s Up With Barefoot Running?

Read more

How to Prevent Shoulder Impingement as an Overhead Athlete

Read more

Physical Therapy Guide for Hamstring Injuries

Read more

Knee Injuries from Soccer: Preventing Them with 3 Knee Strengthening Exercises

Read more

Gait Analysis – A Runner’s Secret Weapon Against Injury

Read more

Maximizing Your Post Injury Outcomes

Read more

4 Tips to Avoid Knee Injuries While Skiing

Read more

Don’t Let Lower Back Pain Keep You Off the Links

Read more

The Most Common Lacrosse Injuries

Read more

How Long Will My Physical Therapy Take?

Read more

The Unsung Hero of Pain Management: Nutrition

Read more

Care and Feeding of Pitchers in the Off-Season

Read more

What Can I Expect After Rotator Cuff Surgery?

Read more

3 Ways You Can Prevent Knee Injuries and Weakness

Read more

Experiencing Pain? See a Physical Therapist First

Read more

Can Athletes Benefit from Hip Arthroscopy?

Read more

High School Sports After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Returning Safely to the Game

Read more

Dry Needling: 6 Benefits To Help You Relieve Body Pain & Soreness In 1-2 Days

Read more

The Importance of a Strong Core

Read more

Golf Injuries – The 5 Most Common with 3 Tips & Stretches

Read more

Why Do We Need Sleep? (And More to the Point — How Do We Get It?)

Read more

What Athletes Need for the Ultimate Sports PT Facility

Read more

How You Can Avoid Germs at the Gym

Read more

An Awesome Inforgraphic About Lower Back Pain and Sports

Read more

How Common are Shoulder Injuries in Athletics?

Read more

Cupping Therapy: 4 Benefits & How It Can Relieve Pain Within 48 Hours

Read more

Strengthen Your Biceps With These 5 Home Workouts

Read more

7 Workout Mistakes Your Physical Therapist Doesn’t Want You to Make

Read more

Why You Should Go to Physical Therapy

Read more

Why True Sports Physical Therapy is Right For You

Read more

Is It An Ache or Am I Injured?

Read more

Groin Strains Symptoms and Treatments

Read more

Are You Ready for Golf Season?

Read more

How Athletes Avoid Knee Injuries When Competing, Practicing, Training or Working Out

Read more

How to Relieve Lower Back Pain as an Athlete

Read more

Quick Tips for Staying Motivated

Read more

Relieve Muscle Soreness With These 5 Tips

Read more

How Baseball Players Can Reduce Their Risk of UCL Injury

Read more

Cupping Therapy Relieves Pain and Encourages Healing

Read more

Physical Therapist vs Chiropractor: What's the Difference?

Read more

Some Thoughts Before Football Season

Read more

High School Sports Injuries

Read more

Is Blood Flow Restriction Training Right for You?

Read more

Staying Limber During Your Internship

Read more

What Athletes Should Know About Tendinopathy In the Shoulder

Read more

Meal Planning Tips for High School Athletes

Read more

Dry Needling vs Acupuncture: What’s The Difference?

Read more

What are Achilles Tendon Conditions Signs and Symptoms?

Read more

How to Relieve Sciatica Pain with Physical Therapy

Read more

How to Deadlift and Squat without Risking Lower Back Injury

Read more

Preventing the Most Common Lacrosse Injuries

Read more

Graston Technique 101

Read more

Is Stress Causing Your Lower Back Pain?

Read more

Get Knee Pain Relief With These 3 Stretches

Read more

Advice You Need to Train for a Marathon in 2021

Read more

Impact of Correct Posture on Sports Performance

Read more

The Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle – Enough To Get You Moving

Read more

Make Your Outpatient Rehab Count

Read more

Relieve Back Pain Fast In 5 Ways

Read more

5 Tips to Improve & Maximize Your Athletic Performance

Read more

Physical Therapy: Why It’s Important Both Before and After Surgery

Read more

Is Elbow Arthritis Ruining Your Game?

Read more

Working from Home Shouldn’t Be a Pain in the Neck — or Back

Read more

Dry Needling Can Accelerate Recovery for Athletes

Read more

Join Volo City & Build Community Through Your Favorite Sport

Read more

Tips for Avoiding Running Injuries

Read more

6 Ways a Physical Therapist Can Enhance Your Running Performance

Read more

Attending Physical Therapy During COVID-19: Is It Safe?

Read more

Resistance Training is Important

Read more

Benefits of Sport Specific Rehabilitation

Read more

Benefits of Training with a Strength Coach

Read more

5 Tips for Preventing Wrestling Injuries

Read more

Non-Surgical Injury Treatment Options for Athletes

Read more

Sign up to our Newsletter

Get appointment updates, practical and actionable health + fitness tips, blog news, and True Sports announcements delivered straight to your inbox. No spam.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.