You have been meaning to get this looked at for a while now. Everything you need to stop putting it off is on this page: where the Cary clinic is, when it is open, and how to reach us. North Carolina has unrestricted direct access to physical therapy, so no physician referral is required, and we verify your insurance coverage before your first visit so you know the cost up front.
Your first visit is a full 40-minute evaluation, one on one with your Doctor of Physical Therapy and nobody else. They ask what happened, what you have already tried, and what you can no longer do. Then they watch you move and tests until the source is clear. You leave knowing what is actually driving your symptoms and what recovery will realistically take.
Chasing the sore spot feels productive and changes very little. Treatment here goes after what is producing the pain: hands-on manual therapy to settle irritated tissue, then targeted movement to restore what the joint or muscle lost. Every technique has a reason, and Heather tells you the reason while she is doing it, because a plan you understand is a plan you will follow at home.
Once the pain has calmed down, the work turns to load. Progressive strengthening teaches the area to hold up under your real demands, whether that is your job, your training, or your sport. Most patients come in 2 to 3 times a week for 4 to 6 weeks, and many notice a change within the first week or two. This is the phase that keeps the problem from coming back.