A good PT who can get you going in the right direction can be very useful- you can then do as much as possible on your own and see them 1-2 times a week for help. It will be cost effective that way. It is useful to rule out cervical spine issues- hence probably the order for the MRI, but if you can find relife with the PT first, you may not need it.

It is somewhat of a gamble either way...if only we all had infinite time and money.

If it is not too much to ask, why will your ins not cover the MRI? Seems perfectly reasonable.