Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) - Restated Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015
Current assets [Abstract]
Allowance for doubtful accounts, patient accounts receivable	$ 1,792	$ 1,770	$ 1,672	$ 1,568	$ 1,444	$ 1,556	$ 1,618	$ 1,633
U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. ("USPH") shareholders' equity [Abstract]
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares)	500,000	500,000	500,000	500,000	500,000	500,000	500,000	500,000
Preferred stock, shares issued (in shares)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	20,000,000	20,000,000	20,000,000	20,000,000	20,000,000	20,000,000	20,000,000	20,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	14,732,699	14,734,963	14,734,963	14,717,463	14,635,874	14,635,874	14,635,674	14,613,374
Treasury stock, shares (in shares)	2,214,737	2,214,737	2,214,737	2,214,737	2,214,737	2,214,737	2,214,737	2,214,737

A valuation allowance for trade and other receivables due to an Entity within one year (or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer) that are expected to be uncollectible.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66008989&loc=d3e5074-111524

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.29,30)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6405813&loc=d3e23239-112655

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