In most cases, no. Most states allows for "Direct Access," meaning you can come directly to a physical therapist for an evaluation and treatment without seeing a doctor first. This gets you on the road to recovery faster. However, if you are using insurance there are some specific plans that do have requirements regarding signatures or referrals. If your insurance has specific requirements, we will let you know before your first visit.  (Medicare does NOT require a referral to get started with therapy).

During your first visit, you'll undergo a comprehensive evaluation. We'll discuss your medical history, assess your current condition, and perform a physical examination. This helps us understand your specific needs and goals. Based on this information, we'll develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your unique situation. You'll also have the opportunity to ask any questions and discuss any concerns you might have about your treatment.

Yes. When appropriate, we use manual therapy techniques like joint mobilization, soft-tissue work, dry needling, and directional loading strategies. These help decrease pain quickly so you can move more easily and progress into strengthening.

In many cases, yes. Most pain improves with the right combination of movement correction, strength training, and hands-on care. We’ll also tell you honestly if imaging or a surgical consult is appropriate.

Yes. One of our main goals is education. You’ll understand exactly what is causing your pain, why it’s happening, and how to fix it. Knowing the root cause reduces fear and speeds up recovery.

If pain limits your workouts, daily activities, sleep, or quality of life—even slightly—PT is the right next step. A short evaluation can determine exactly what’s going on and what your fastest path forward looks like.

Whiplash is caused by a rapid back-and-forth motion of the neck during impact. This can irritate the joints, muscles, discs, ligaments, nerves, and upper-back tissues. A physical therapist’s job is to identify your specific source of pain—so treatment is targeted, effective, and helps you recover faster.

Whiplash is more serious if you experience severe headaches, dizziness, numbness or tingling into the arm, visual changes, difficulty concentrating, increasing neck stiffness, difficulty turning your head, or symptoms that progressively worsen. Even mild whiplash should be evaluated early to prevent chronic issues.

Gentle, guided movement is usually better than complete rest. Research shows early movement reduces stiffness, calms irritated tissues, and speeds up recovery. A physical therapist will show you safe mobility and strengthening exercises—while helping you avoid motions that aggravate the injured tissues.

Yes. Chronic whiplash symptoms often persist because the root issues—neck stiffness, muscle imbalance, nerve irritation, postural changes, or poor movement patterns—were never corrected. Physical therapy restores normal mechanics so even long-standing symptoms can improve.

Absolutely. Whiplash can irritate cervical nerves, muscles, and joints, leading to arm pain, headaches, or shoulder blade pain. Physical therapy improves neck mobility, reduces nerve irritation, calms inflammation, restores strength, and improves posture to help symptoms resolve.

Untreated whiplash can lead to chronic neck pain, reduced mobility, recurring headaches, nerve symptoms, difficulty exercising, and persistent stiffness. Early treatment restores healthy mechanics, prevents long-term dysfunction, and helps you return to normal activity safely.