By: Dr. Brandon Stanley PT, DPT, OCS, Cert. DN/SMT
At Professional Rehabilitation Services, we work with many patients across our ten locations. A common topic that comes up in the clinic is the use of MRI’s and if they are necessary for physical therapy. MRI’s can be useful to examine organs, internal tissues and the skeletal system to help guide physicians with diagnosing various conditions. It is not always necessary to have an MRI before physical therapy. If a provider you’re working with can accurately diagnose your issues, then it is unlikely that you will need an MRI. An MRI of a healthy patient without any symptoms will often show abnormalities, which may create unnecessary concerns for a patient. Even if an MRI shows evidence of a problem in an area of concern, it does not treat the actual condition. It will only help rule in a diagnosis.
An MRI can be an expensive and time-consuming option. An MRI costs thousands of dollars without insurance. If you do have health insurance, depending on your policy you may be required to pay a portion of the MRI costs. Many healthcare plans cover physical therapy, but even if you don’t have insurance, the cost of out-of-pocket therapy sessions will still be significantly less than MRI costs. At Professional Rehabilitation Services, we work with our patients to provide discount plans as needed.
Usually, physical therapists do not need to see the results of an MRI to help treat conditions. Physical therapists are highly trained to diagnose your condition and create an effective plan of action to correct your impairments. Your physical therapist will be able to tell if you need an MRI before starting treatment. Typically, physical therapy prescriptions recommend 2-3 times per week for 6-12 weeks. It is recommended to complete the entire course of treatment in order to determine success with therapy. It is common in physical therapy for things to feel slightly worse before they get better. This occurs because we are challenging parts of the body with our treatments that are injured and/or underutilized. Patients often will feel better in their second or third round of treatment.
At Professional Rehabilitation Services, we treat a wide variety of musculoskeletal and neurological conditions using the latest evidence-based therapies provided by highly credentialed physical therapists. Professional Rehabilitation Services has nine convenient locations in Pawleys Island, Murrells Inlet, Surfside Beach, Market Common, Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest, Conway, Little River, Longs and Forestbrook.
For further information on this or other related topics you can contact Richard DeFalco, DPT, OCS, CSCS, CWcHP at Professional Rehabilitation Services (Myrtle Beach) (843) 839-1300, Brian P. Kinmartin PT, DPT, MTC, STC, OCS, CWcHP (Pawleys Island) (843) 235-0200, Richard A. Owens, MPT, OCS, Cert. SMT, CWcHP (Surfside) (843) 831-0163, Jill P. Phelan, PT, DPT, Cert. DN (Conway) (843) 773-3031, Lisa O’Brien, PT, DPT, Cert. DN (Murrells Inlet) (843) 314-3224, Brandon Stanley, PT, DPT, OCS, Cert. DN/SMT (Little River) (843) 281-4222, Taylor Dawley (Carolina Forest) (843) 282-0440, Zach Daniels PT, DPT (Market Commons) (843) 213-6338, Kayla Carlisle, PT, DPT (Longs) (843) 491-0388, Mackenzie Thacker PT, DPT (Forestbrook) (854)223-4832 or visit our website at www.prsrehabservices.com where you can learn more about the company and even download a referral form for your physician to fill out. You can also call and schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
