Physical Therapy
Physical therapy, demystified.
Most musculoskeletal complaints can be managed without surgery — but only if rehab is done right. These guides walk through the conditions PTs see every day and the expected arc of recovery.
Guides in this cluster
Physical Therapy
Low Back Pain: What Physical Therapy Actually Does
Guideline-concordant care for non-specific low back pain — and why imaging is usually the wrong first move.
9 min readPhysical TherapyKnee Injury Recovery: ACL, Meniscus and Patellofemoral Pain
Diagnosis-specific recovery arcs and the milestones that signal you're on track.
10 min readPhysical TherapyShoulder Rehab: Rotator Cuff, Impingement and Instability
How the three big shoulder pathologies are managed in modern PT, and what good progress looks like.
9 min readPhysical TherapySports Injury Prevention That Actually Works
Warm-up protocols, load management and the small set of programs with real evidence behind them.
8 min readPhysical TherapyPost-Op PT Timelines for Common Surgeries
Total knee, total hip, rotator cuff repair, ACL — typical timelines and milestone checks.
9 min readFrequently asked
- Do I need a referral to see a physical therapist?
- All 50 states allow some form of direct access to PT, though insurance coverage often still requires a physician referral within a set window.
- How many PT sessions does a typical injury require?
- Most acute musculoskeletal cases resolve in 6–12 visits. Post-surgical or chronic cases run longer and are reassessed every 30 days.
- Is it normal to feel sore after PT?
- Mild soreness lasting 24–48 hours is expected and benign. Sharp pain or swelling that doesn't settle within a day should be reported to your PT.
- Can PT actually help low back pain?
- Yes — guideline-concordant PT (movement, graded loading, education) is first-line for most non-specific low back pain and outperforms imaging-led pathways.