Frequently Asked Questions

Pursuit Physcial Therapy accepts all major insurances, including Medicare and Medicaid.

A question that we get a lot is “how much is this going to cost?!” The least appealing, but most honest answer is that “it depends.” We strive for transparency and should have definitive answers about out of pocket costs by your second or third visit. We encourage patients to research their current insurance coverage before starting physical therapy.

Not all plans are created equal. Another common question we receive when discussing insurance benefits is the difference between a deductible and a copay. A deductible is the amount of money that a patient will need to pay “out of pocket” before insurance coverage begins.

A copay is a set amount, usually a dollar amount or a percentage of service amount (also known as a co-insurance) that insurance deems as a patient responsibility. This means that your insurance company will assume the cost of anything above your set copay or co-insurance amount.

Pursuit Physical Therapy offers a competitive cash rate for those without health insurance, or for those who have insurances that we are not in network with.

Please call to confirm that we are “in network” with your insurance company or to discuss our cash rate.

Physical therapy exercises should be performed daily unless advised otherwise by your physical therapist. Home exercises are arguably the most important aspect of physical therapy considering the total time spent in the clinic in a given week versus life at home and work.

Compliance with home exercises are also vitally important to your overall recovery progress in physical therapy because it allows you and your therapist make necessary progressions related to clinical findings. In general, the less complaint one is with home exercises, the longer your recovery takes.

It depends! Physical therapy for any musculoskeletal conditon should be a highly individualized and adaptive experience taking into account your personal health and activity history. You and your physical therapist will develop an indivdualized plan to address the area(s) of concern and determine appropriate, but progressive home exercises to perform outside of clinic to help you meet your goals.

All of our providers at Pursuit Physical Therapy have earned their Doctorate of Physical Therapy from an accredited university and have passed the national board exam (NPTE). We are proud to provide 1:1 care throughout your entire visit and firmly believe that this sets us apart from other clinics in terms of patients receiving individualized and evidence-based care.

Arthritis (root words “artho-“= joint and “-itis”= inflammation) is a condition that causes inflammation and stiffness in the joints, leading to pain, swelling, and reduced movement. It can affect one or more joints and may be caused by factors like aging, injury, or autoimmune diseases.

Physical therapy helps by improving joint function, increasing strength, and reducing pain. Therapists use exercises to strengthen muscles around the affected joints, enhance flexibility, and improve overall mobility. Additionally, they may provide techniques for managing pain and teaching proper body mechanics to prevent further joint damage.

In general, physical therapy shouldn’t make arthritis worse.

In fact, it’s often recommended to help manage arthritis symptoms by improving joint function, reducing pain, and increasing mobility. Through physical therapy evaluation, where medical history, current functional level, tissue irritability, and patient goals are all taken into consideration before commencing and exercise program. Especially in the acute stage, doseage and/or exercise prescription is key. These foundational movements can either lead a patient to a road to recovery or just the opposite if the body is overstrained and/or the exercises are performed incorrectly. Please communicate with your PT any increased soreness, changes in level and/or location, or with any concerns so that we can make educated decisions on possible “tweaks” or progressions towards your recovery.

Sciatica is a “blanket term” to explain pain going down an extremity. Sciatica can cause pain, weakness, and/or tingling. A physical therapist can help determine why you are experiencing sciatica. Most often, sciatica is the result of disc herniation, irritation from bone spurs, or narrowing of the spinal canal, also known as spinal stenosis.

Limitations in hip and spinal moiblity or a muscle strength imbalance may also cause unnecessary stress on spinal segments, leading to sciatica. All of these condtions can improve with pysical therapy, but working with a physical therapist will help determine which exercises and movements are most appropriate to address your condition.

A pinched nerve and a bulging disc are both conditions that can cause similar symptoms, such as pain, numbness, and weakness, but they are distinct issues that affect the spine in different ways.

A pinched nerve occurs when there is compression or pressure on a nerve. This pressure can result from various causes, such as herniated discs, bone spurs, muscle tightness, or inflammation.

Symptoms of a pinched nerve may include sharp or shooting pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the area served by the affected nerve. For example, a pinched nerve in the lower back can cause pain radiating down the leg (sciatica). A bulging disc, also known as a protruding disc, refers to a condition where disc(s) between the vertebrae of the spine extends beyond its normal boundary.

Symptoms of a bulging disc can be pain or discomfort in the back or neck, especially when moving or bending, but it does not always cause symptoms. If the bulging disc presses on a nearby nerve, it can lead to the same symptoms as a pinched nerve-pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness.

A bulging disc is often a gradual process caused by aging, wear-and-tear, or injury, and it does not always lead to nerve compression. Simply put, a bulging disc can cause a pinched nerve, but they are not the same condition.

A pinched nerve refers to any situation where nerve compression occurs, whereas a bulging disc is a specific spinal disc problem.

Physical therapy helps spinal stenosis by addressing the symptoms and improving spinal function. Spinal stenosis occurs when the spaces within the spine narrow, compressing nerves, which can lead to pain, numbness, and weakness, particularly in the back, legs, or neck.

Physical therapy for spinal stenosis typically involves strengthening exercises to help support and stabilize the vertebrae reducing pressure on the nerves and alleviating pain. PT will also likely involve stretching to help improve flexibility and reduce muscle tension, and increase the range of motion, which can help relieve pressure on the nerves.

Physical therapy can be really helpful for managing scoliosis, especially for mild to moderate cases. While it can’t cure scoliosis, physical therapy can help reduce pain, improve posture, and increase mobility. The focus is often on strengthening the muscles around the spine, improving flexibility, and teaching body awareness to help manage the curve and prevent it from worsening. Many of our therapists here at Pursuit Physical Therapy have received specialized training on scoliosis mangement.

A pinched nerve and a bulging disc are both conditions that can cause similar symptoms, such as pain, numbness, and weakness, but they are distinct issues that affect the spine in different ways.

A pinched nerve occurs when there is compression or pressure on a nerve. This pressure can result from various causes, such as herniated discs, bone spurs, muscle tightness, or inflammation. Symptoms of a pinched nerve may include sharp or shooting pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the area served by the affected nerve.

For example, a pinched nerve in the lower back can cause pain radiating down the leg (sciatica). A bulging disc, also known as a protruding disc, refers to a condition where disc(s) between the vertebrae of the spine extends beyond its normal boundary. Symptoms of a bulging disc can be pain or discomfort in the back or neck, especially when moving or bending, but it does not always cause symptoms. If the bulging disc presses on a nearby nerve, it can lead to the same symptoms as a pinched nerve-pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness.

A bulging disc is often a gradual process caused by aging, wear-and-tear, or injury, and it does not always lead to nerve compression. Simply put, a bulging disc can cause a pinched nerve, but they are not the same condition. A pinched nerve refers to any situation where nerve compression occurs, whereas a bulging disc is a specific spinal disc problem. Physical therapy addressed both of these issues. The main goal of the initial evaluation is to find the root cause of the issue through movement screens and special tests to help the PT make clinical decisions based on patient history, mechanism of injury, and objective findings. Commonly, there are muscle regions that are either restricted in movement, irritated, or both.

A physical therapy with work on mobility through series of mobility interventions to improve flexibility and strengtheing to help load the irritated tissue to lower pain levels and to help the patient become more resilient/less prone to further injury.

We rely on tendons to attach our muscles to bone. Physical therapy helps tendonitis by reducing pain, promoting healing, and restoring function to the affected tendon. Tendonitis is the inflammation or irritation of a tendon, often caused by overuse, repetitive motion, or acute injury.

Physical therapy focuses on both pain management and the long-term recovery of the tendon in order to reduce the likelihood of the same injury returning. The main focuses of physical therapy when treating tendinopathies include restoring flexibility and strength, reducing inflammation and pain, and correcting movement patterns that may be predisposing and/or contributing to the patient’s pain. Tendinopathies can be particularly challenging to treat and frustrating to live with because often recovery includes a gradual return to activity, highlighting the importance of structured return to activity and progressive loading by the treating physical therapist.