There are four really good answers.
A program built entirely around your goals, rather than what other big-box corporate clinics think you need
An expert fellowship trained physical therapist
Years of experience
One-on-One care
Absolutely! The real key is getting to the root of why you are having pain and what you are trying to get back to doing. Using that information and a carefully performed evaluation, your therapist will design just the program you need to return back to normal!
Loose fitting athletic clothes are best in order to best evaluate movement and begin a high quality exercise program
The initial eval is can be a bit uncomfortable in order to do adequate testing to assess your symptoms. Some treatments can be uncomfortable in the short term, but in short provoking the symptom to the point of worsening that day should not be part of your plan.
Depending on the condition dry needling can be extremely useful! And this is definitely a tool we use when appropriate!
The short answer is "No." Louisiana laws allow all physical therapist to evaluate and treat most individuals without a referral at least for some period of time. That being said, we always try to at get a copy of the evaluation to your physician to keep them in the loop. We believe in as much collaboration as possible to help you achieve your goals.