Many people don't know when they should visit a physical therapist. Here are eight times you should consider making an appointment. 

1. Medication isn't helping. If you are taking pain relievers regularly and they are no longer keeping your pain under control, it is time to go to the doctor. Normal aches and pains from exercise will usually respond so there might be something more serious going on.

2. Rest doesn't help. If you injure yourself, rest for a few days. Don't exercise and ice your injury twenty minutes a day. If you pick up exercising again and it starts hurting again, make an appointment to see a physical therapist. 

3. Pain is recurring. Do you have the same dull pain come back again and again? Maybe it goes away for awhile then comes back? This is a sign of an injury that never properly healed. A physical therapist can check you out and make a plan for treatment. They will give you exercises and stretches to do to eliminate the problem. 

4. Your pain is sharp. Dull aches and pains can usually be solved with rest (unless it is recurring). If you have sharp pain that is clearly coming from one area, go get it checked out. 

5. There is a visible change. Is your wrist swollen? Does your foot seem like it is turning in or out? Periodically examine your body and if you notice any changes, go see a doctor. 

6. You are losing flexibility. A physical therapist can help you increase your flexibility by giving you appropriate exercises. They can also do a thorough examination to make sure there aren't any underlying causes of your inflexibility (like dehydration or a nutritional deficit). 

7. You have pain doing daily tasks. Does it hurt to walk up the stairs, lift a gallon of milk, or get out of the car? You don't have to live with pain! Go see a doctor because chances are they can at least lower the amount of pain you experience each day. 

8. You are a candidate for surgery after an injury. A study done a few years ago found that many people who regularly attended physical therapy for six months to a year improved as much as those who got surgery. Ask your doctor if you can try therapy before jumping into surgery. 

If any of these eight things fit your situation, make an appointment with a physical therapist.