Referral to Physical Therapy Lowers Care Utilization for LBP vs Referral for Imaging
A recently published study of patients with new low back pain (LBP) who received referral from a primary care provider concludes that not only is physical therapy a less expensive than advanced imaging, but it is also an approach that results in lower utilization costs over time.
Early Physical Therapy For Low Back Pain Reduces Costs, Resources
A study in the scientific journal BMC Health Services Research shows that early and guideline adherent physical therapy following an initial episode of acute, nonspecific low back pain (LBP) resulted in substantially lower costs and reduced use of health care resources over a 2-year period.
Physical Therapy: A Reasonable Alternative to Surgery for Patients with Meniscal Tears and Arthritis
A recent New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) study which demonstrated that physical therapy is just as effective as surgery in patients with meniscal tears and osteoarthritis of the knee should encourage health care providers to reevaluate their approach to the management of this common medical condition. Patients who suffer from osteoarthritis and who also have a meniscal tear represent a challenge to medical providers because it is often not clear which condition is more adversely contributing to pain as well as their disability. The METEOR study, (Meniscal Tear in Osteoarthritis Research) demonstrated no significant difference in functional improvement after 6 months between patients who underwent surgery with postoperative physical therapy compared with those who received standard physical therapy alone. read more...
