Do I need a Doctor Referral to see a Physical Therapist?

​Doctor Referral for Physical Therapy not necessary in South Carolina - Open Access State

Do I need to get a doctor referral to see a Physical Therapist for back pain treatment?

No actually mark you don't, we are lucky enough to live in the beautiful state of South Carolina where we have open access.  So a prespective patient can go into a Physical Therapy Clinic without a physicians referral.  We are usually able to see a patient for about 30 days before we refer them back to their family care physican, or doctor if they have one. And no, you do not need a referral

Direct access to physical therapy allows patients to be evaluated and treated by a physical therapist without a Medical Doctor referral or other healthcare practitioner referral.

If you have an injury or pain which can be resolved with the aide of a physical therapist call today and let our licensed physical therapist help you get started on a rehabilitation program.

In South Carolina, you are allowwed to be treated by a licensed Lowcountry Physical Therapy Associates without a Medical Doctor referral for 30 days.​

​For more informaton on Doctor Referral to see a Physical Therapist in South Carolina can be found at the following website:  http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t40c045.php

When and why should someone go to a physical therapist for physical therapy for lower back pain?

​Physical Therapy for Lower Back Pain

Well, typically we all have low back pain at some point, but low back pain that lasts for more than a couple of days could be a sign of a bigger problem.

Whether it be weakness, instability, a facet joint dysfunction, or herniated disk, and a physical therapist can be incredibly helpful for a patient in developing a home exercise program, that would include stretching, and strengthening activities, so that they might be able to manage their symptoms in the acute phase of pain.

Physical Therapists do things like heat, electrical stim, massage, manual joint mobes, Dry needling we do here, a lot of the modalities are helpful for decreasing low back pain, especially in the acute phase.

Electrical stim is a type of physical therapy modality used to accomplish various tasks in physical therapy. If you have an injury or illness that causes pain or limited functional mobility, your Physical Therapist may use electrical stem as one part of your rehabilitation program.