Get PT first and save time and money! Getting an MRI before physical therapy can cost on average almost $5,000 more than getting PT first. Not to mention, it takes an average of 30 days to get an appointment with a general practitioner, whom many times doesn't have the time to manage your musculoskeletal issue. Nor do they have the hands-on know-how that a physical therapist has from years of experience guiding people to better health with movement. They are so strapped for time that it's in their better interest, for several reasons—including referral incentives—to send you to a specialist, many times a surgeon in the same group. If a more direct route to recovery is what you're looking for, the numbers are in: Getting PT first can lower your probability of having an opioid prescription, your probability of having advanced imaging services (i.e. MRIs and CT scans), your chance of having an ER visit, and significantly lower your out of pocket costs. Don't put your life on hold.