Get Proper Care for Pain ASAP

In most states, including New Jersey, people with pain can see a physical therapist without a prescription, however, most insurance policies require a medical doctor’s prescription in order to reimburse for physical therapy services.
The prescriptions often read, “Lumbar strain/sprain,” “Low back pain,” or “Sciatica.” These prescriptions are very general and vague, but they are written to comply with insurance company policies so the physical therapist provider can be paid for services rendered.
Most medical doctors respect the education physical therapists undertake and welcome insurance policy changes which would allow physical therapists to see patients directly, so that they can attend to treating conditions that they alone can treat.
If you injured yourself through some form of trauma (motor vehicle accident, a fall, impact of some kind) and/or you have severe osteoporosis; if you are experiencing extreme lethargy, sudden weight loss, then imaging might be indicated as a first approach.
However, doctors of physical therapy are educated to determine the appropriateness, or lack thereof, of providing an imaging study and/or when people need to be referred to their medical doctor.
According to guidelines by the American College of Physicians, immediate imaging with X-ray, CT scan, or MRI is not recommended for all patients with spinal pain.
Most neck/back pain does not require diagnostic imaging. Findings of MRI, CT Scan and X-rays are often not correlative with one’s symptom presentation.
Diagnostic imaging will show all sorts of visual anomalies, (arthritic changes, degeneration of joints, discs, bony spurs, etc.) which are often not associated with one’s pain presentation.
Diagnostic findings are often not correlative to one’s pain presentation, although there are certain times when they may be. If a study, such as an MRI, shows a disc bulge, for example, then the image has to match the symptom presentation to provide some potential correlative evidence that the observed entity is the source of the pain.
Even if such a correlation can be made, the image does not change the treatment that your doctor of physical therapy provides. In other words, the first and best approach would be for a neck and/or back pain sufferer to see their physical therapist as soon as possible.
On my web site, www.ProPTRehab.com or CapeMayPhysicalTherapy.com, I provide many testimonials and videos of patients being treated in my facility.
At Pro PT & Rehab Physical Therapy, we use a combination of therapeutic exercise, neuromuscular reeducation, manual and self-applied therapies, and spinal decompression. We are the first ones to use the ATM2 (Active Therapeutic Movements) device in the region and thereby have the most experience in its use. We also determine if your problem is actually a joint mobility problem or whether it is a stability or motor control problem.
Spinal decompression is also known as Spinal Traction and is and has always been covered by your insurance. The ATM2 is a spinal core training device which can isolate the core muscles of the body/trunk like no exercise can. Often treatment results in immediate pain relief; carry-over of pain relief will vary in accord with the integrity of the damaged tissues.
Additionally, provided are ‘Active Release’ soft tissue mobilization techniques. Overall, patients who treat at Pro PT & Rehab (aka Professional Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation), had and have amazing success with our treatments and there are many testimonials to that fact which can be viewed on the Testimonials Page of our Web site. See Testimonials from Jack Facciolo, MD, Suketa Nanavati, MD, David Rayfield, MD and a host of others.
Physical therapy is a great way to determine those who are amenable to rehabilitative care from those who are not and who should then be referred to their medical doctor for further consultation.
Pro PT & Rehab Physical Therapy is located at 650 Town Bank Road; STE 203; North Cape May, 2nd Floor above the offices of Cape Regional Medical Associates.
Call (609) 884-9800.
— Dr. Mitchell Hackerman, PT, DPT, Cert.MDT, CMT, NMT, CFT