TLDR: You do NOT need to see a MD, ortho, walk in center, or any other type of doctor before coming to see a physical therapist in Connecticut. In the past you did have to go to your doctor first, get a referral to see a specialist, and then get a prescription for physical therapy before being able to schedule to see a PT. Now though, Connecticut (and many other states!) are considered a “direct access” state - which means you can bypass all of the games and just jump right to seeing a physical therapist! And it is SO much easier than jumping through all of the hoops! And also important to know - YOU can pick whichever PT you want to see! You don’t have to go to the PT that your doctor recommends - it’s a recommendation, not a requirement, no matter what they or the insurance company is telling you!
You do NOT need a prescription to come see a physical therapist in the state of Connecticut.
CT (and many other states, it just depends on where you are) is considered a direct access state. Which means, you can bypass the long wait to go see your primary care, and then the wait to go see the orthopedic doctor so you can get an x-ray (that may or may not show anything helpful) and to get a script to make an appointment to see a physical therapist.
You CAN do this - but you do not HAVE to do this. You can come DIRECTLY to me when you feel like you want or need to meet with a PT! Whether you want to come to PT as a preventative measure or you need to come to PT because of an injury or pain or a medical condition - you can come see us whenever!
All you have to do is know a PT that you trust and love to work with and get in for an appointment. That is it. No hoops to jump through. Just give us a call or reach out to us and we can schedule you to get in - without a long wait list or an annoying process just to get you scheduled!
Think about how much of a difference this can make in your journey. Let’s say that you are in pain or have an injury that you are dealing with. You can call up a physical therapist that you have worked with previously or a new one if you haven’t worked with one yet or found one that you like, and just ask to be seen! And from there that PT can get you in as soon as possible. And in most cases, you are not going to be waiting as long for a physical therapy appointment as you will for a different type of specialist.
Instead of going through the whole process of multiple other types of doctors, just to get a prescription that you don’t need, to then be referred to a PT that you don’t know, and then to try to schedule with them and hope that you get a good PT - you can skip all of that and just come to us directly! And always go to a PT that you are comfortable with and that you know works well with you and has your goals and best interest in mind!
The other important fact to know is that, if you do get a recommendation or a referral from an orthopedic doctor or your primary care physician or any other medical professional - you DO NOT have to go see that specific PT. Sometimes (not always, but often), those doctors may get more benefit of referring you to a specific PT clinic, than you the client will receive by being that PT clinic’s patient. Too often, clients in PT clinics become just a number - and that is NOT good care!
So even if you are recommended to a specific PT - you can still choose your own! You can even bring a script that has a different PT clinic name on it, to a different PT and they can still accept that (we don’t even have to accept it because we don’t need it - but we can see your doctor’s thoughts on what you need). Scripts for PT are pretty basic and generic in many cases - so bring it anywhere and to a PT who is the best fit for YOU, and not for your doctor!
We can talk more about this and help you to find a PT that is best for you (even if it isn’t Live Without Limits!) so that you can live your best life always!
What questions do you have about this process?!
If there is anything specific that you would like to learn about, comment or email me and I am more than happy to talk more about it!
Thanks for being here!
Follow us on Instagram to learn more about it now, or email us at livewithoutlimitspt@gmail.com and let us know if there is anything else that you would like us to talk about!
Dr. Katie
Comments