“When to Choose PT Over Surgery” A 2-Minute Decision Checklist for Back, Knee, and Shoulder Pain
We regularly help people prevent and recover from surgery. Physical therapy can reduce pain to avoid surgery when possible, improve recovery after surgery, and make you stronger faster.
Our skilled therapists find the root cause of your pain, use hands-on methods to ease it, and teach you exercises and habits to keep pain away for good.
Check out our checklist below to see if you are a good candidate for ReBalance!
The Checklist:
☑ You haven’t tried a full 4–6 week course of skilled physical therapy.
(Spoiler: Most orthopedic guidelines recommend this before imaging or surgery.)
☑ Your pain changes with movement or position.
(That often points to mechanical, treatable dysfunction—not structural damage.)
☑ You can still do most of your daily activities—just not without pain.
(Surgery is usually for severe, function-limiting cases.)
☑ You’ve only been told your imaging shows “arthritis,” “a tear,” or “disc degeneration.”
(These are common age-related findings that don’t always require surgery.)
☑ You want to avoid medication, injections, or downtime.
(PT helps build long-term solutions, not temporary fixes.)
Bottom Line:
If you checked 3 or more, book a free consultation and get clarity from a movement expert before committing to anything invasive.