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When to See an Orthopedic Specialist vs. a Physical Therapist: Making the Right Choice

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With age, strenuous activity, or recovery following an injury or surgery, stiff, achy joints, persistent pain, and fear of reinjury are all too common. When it happens, you start to wonder if you’ll ever feel better. 

That leads to questions about who to see for help. Do you make an appointment with a physical therapist? Is an orthopedic specialist your best choice? Going to the right specialist is important as it saves time, money, and frustration.

Each specialist is the expert you need in different situations. Arthritis pain isn’t going to undergo the same treatments and knowledge as a healing bone fracture. Premium Sports and Orthopedics has tips to help you determine when to see an orthopedic specialist vs. a physical therapist. 

What’s the Difference Between a Physical Therapist and an Orthopedic Specialist?

How do a physical therapist and an orthopedic specialist differ? Start with their definitions.

1. Orthopedic Specialist (Doctor or Surgeon):

An orthopedic specialist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, rehabilitation, and treatment of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system. The musculoskeletal system is made up of your bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. 

Orthopedic doctors are often surgeons, but they can help treat issues using non-surgical options.

2. Physical Therapist:

A physical therapist (PT for short) holds the qualification to treat injuries, deformities, and diseases using physical treatment options like heat and cold treatments or massage. They do not perform surgeries or prescribe drugs to help you recover or heal.

The education an orthopedic specialist undergoes takes longer than a physical therapist’s education. Both require board certification and licensing after passing a national exam.

When to See a Physical Therapist

To become a physical therapist, you start in college getting a bachelor’s degree in a field like biology, exercise science, or health science. After completing these four years, you continue to a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree that blends classroom studies with clinical experience. This program takes about three years.

After seven years of education and hands-on training, the graduate passes the National Physical Therapy Examination, following their state laws. The final step is to get board certification following the exam. Continuing education is required to keep the license current.

Physical therapists excel in how the body moves and functions. Because of this, a PT’s expertise revolves around restoring function, reducing pain, and preventing future injuries. When problems are first starting to appear in the musculoskeletal system, a physical therapist is a good option.

You should see a physical therapist for these situations, especially when they develop gradually.

  • Back pain
  • Inadequate balance or coordination
  • Minor aches and pains
  • Neck pain, especially after sleeping
  • Poor posture
  • Stiffness in joints

Other areas where a PT can help include:

  • Building strength, flexibility, range of motion, and fluidity, especially in sports and physical activities.
  • Identifying pain and addressing the cause of that pain.
  • Losing weight by changing your sedentary ways.
  • Recovering from injury or surgery, especially if you’ve lost confidence or want to learn healthier stances and motions to avoid reinjury.
  • Managing a chronic health condition like arthritis, fibromyalgia, MS, osteoporosis, or Parkinson’s.
  • Preventing injuries when playing competitive sports or enjoying physical activities like hiking.

To do this, your physical therapist needs to get to know you. You’ll undergo a consultation where the PT assesses your flexibility, range of motion, and areas where you can improve. This helps the PT determine a personalized plan.

In this treatment plan, the physical therapist uses methods like these.

  • Balance training
  • Dry needling
  • Education on body mechanics
  • Electrical stimulation
  • Gait training
  • Heat and ice treatments
  • Help with proper posture
  • Information on pain management
  • Massage 
  • Therapeutic exercises and stretches

When to See an Orthopedic Specialist

An orthopedic specialist starts by getting a bachelor’s degree in a field like biology. Once that’s complete, the student enters med school, which takes four or more years and includes clinical rotations to obtain a medical degree (MD) or doctor of osteopathic medicine degree (DO). 

After these eight or so years of schooling, the student becomes a resident and spends around five years on an orthopedic residency getting hands-on training in emergency medicine, neurology, rehabilitation, and surgery. Once completed, the orthopedist passes a medical exam and board certification.

An orthopedic specialist is a surgeon and doctor specializing in your skeleton and muscular structure. Because they have surgical training, they do far more than a physical therapist. 

Make an appointment with an orthopedist when you:

  • Suffered a sudden, serious injury in an accident, fall, or sporting event.
  • Experienced sudden, severe pain that occurs without warning and is so severe that you cannot use the injured area.
  • See changes in the formation of the joint or limb, such as a dislocation or bone fracture.
  • Notice significant bruising or swelling, especially if you cannot bear weight or use the affected joint or limb.
  • Feel a locking, popping, or hitching sensation when you use the joint.
  • Have numbness or tingling in the limb or digit.
  • Cannot get the pain to go away, even after a week or more of RICE treatments.
  • Response to treatments for long-term chronic health issues isn’t working.
  • Require surgical intervention to fix the damage or restore use to the joint.

During your first appointment with an orthopedist, the doctor will diagnose your condition through a physical exam, discussion of your health history, and diagnostic tools like CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, or X-rays.

Once the issue is discovered, a range of treatment options is considered and implemented. It will include one or more of the following.

  • Cast or splint for a broken bone
  • Cortisone or steroid injections
  • EMS training
  • IV drip therapy recommendation
  • Medically supervised weight loss recommendation
  • Physical therapy recommendation
  • Prescription medications
  • Surgical intervention
  • Tissue repair therapy recommendation

Find a Collaborative Approach for Best Results

A general guide to aches and pains and who to see is as follows.

  • If you have a sudden, severe pain, go to an orthopedic specialist.
  • If you have chronic pain, go to a physical therapist and then an orthopedic specialist if that doesn’t help.
  • If you have a dull ache or stiffness that doesn’t ease, go to a physical therapist.
  • If you are recovering from a sports injury or surgery, go to a physical therapist. 

Even better, work with a sports and orthopedic practice that offers all-in-one care for your muscle and joint pain, post-injury recovery, and weight loss goals. You can see the specialists you need in one place. Schedule an appointment at Premium Sports and Orthopedics today to get the specialized care you need.

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