Questions & Answers · Physical Therapy
Do I need a referral for physical therapy in Texas?
No — Texas allows "direct access": you can book an evaluation and begin treatment with a licensed physical therapist without a physician referral, under a law that expanded September 1, 2025 to allow up to 30 days of treatment without one. Two fine-print items matter: continuing past the window involves a physician (ours are down the hall), and some insurance plans still have their own referral rules for coverage — we verify yours before your first visit.
What this means in practice
- Something hurts this week? Book straight into our therapy team — no doctor's visit required to start.
- The 30-day window covers most acute problems entirely; if yours needs more, the physician conversation happens in our hallway, not in a referral maze. Same building, same chart.
- Insurance fine print: the state allows direct access, but a few plans still require referrals for coverage. Our front desk checks your plan before your first visit, so the surprise rate is zero.
Why start with PT at an orthopedic practice?
Because escalation, in the rare case you need it, is a hallway: therapist spots something surgical, surgeon looks same-week, imaging is on-site. Standalone-clinic escalation is a fax machine. And de-escalation works the same way — plenty of "I probably need surgery" walk-ins leave with a six-week plan and no operation anywhere in sight.
Medically reviewed by Keith W.V. Johnson, MD, FAAOS · Updated September 28, 2026