Dennis Kaster, PT
Unfortunately, one of the best-kept secrets around, is that Physical Therapy is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to get rid of back and neck pain. Most back and neck pain is due to muscle weakness, tightness, poor posture, or work stations that are set up poorly and put extra stress on your body. A Physical Therapist will assess which of these issues is causing the pain and help you to get rid of it by doing things such as specific stretches, strengthening, improving posture, performing treatment to decrease pain or swelling, using better lifting mechanics, or helping you to set up your work or home workstations to put less stress on your body.
The typical process in the past has been that when someone injures their back, they go to a medical doctor. The doctor would decide what to do next, which many times included rest, medications, or expensive imaging. Several years ago a large medical organization, Virginia Mason, broke down the process of medical care for back injuries, looking for the quickest, most effective, and cheapest way to treat low back pain. In the end, they found that people who saw a Physical Therapist first for low back pain recovered much quicker, returned to work sooner and the overall cost of care was much less. This is because Physical Therapists specialize much more in the anatomy and mechanics of how the back works and how to stop and prevent pain. Physical therapists also do not prescribe opioid pain medications. Many times medical doctors prescribe opioid prescriptions, advise patients to rest until the pain goes away, or order expensive medical imaging, which many times is not necessary. Many other research studies have found the same results.
As a result of the findings of multiple research studies, many insurance companies no longer require a physician referral to cover physical therapy, as they realize that people with mechanical low back pain respond much quicker and better if they see a Physical Therapist first. Most people are not aware of this. Several studies have shown that as little as 7% of people with low back pain see a Physical Therapist. This is crazy…..when Physical Therapy is one of the most effective ways to treat low back pain. Also, Physical Therapists have the expertise to recognize more serious medical issues that would require a referral to a medical doctor. So if you see a Physical Therapist first and your pain is due to a medical issue, you can rest assured that the Physical Therapist will recognize it and direct you to the appropriate care. PLEASE HELP US TO GET THE WORD OUT!! IF YOU HAVE BACK OR NECK PAIN, SEE A PHYSICAL THERAPIST FIRST. IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS BACK OR ANY MUSCLE OR JOINT ISSUE, LET THEM KNOW THAT PHYSICAL THERAPY MAY BE THE BEST FORM OF TREATMENT FOR IT. If you have questions, please give us a call and we can answer them for you or check with your insurance to make sure our treatment is covered.
References
Furhmans V. Withdrawal Treatment: a novel plan helps hospital wean itself off of pricey tests. The Wall Street Journal. January 12, 2007
Pendergast J, Kliethermes S, et al, A Comparison of Health Care Use for Physician-Referred and Self-Referred Episodes of Outpatient Physical Therapy. Health Research and Educational Trust DOI:10:1111/j.1475-6773.01324.x, Oct. 2011
Mitchell JM, de Lissovoy G. A comparison of resource use and cost in direct access versus physician referral episodes of physical therapy. Phys Ther. 1997;77: 10-18
Moore JH, McMillian DJ, et al. Risk determination for patients with direct access to physical therapy in military health care facilities. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2005;35:674-678
Leemrijse CJ, Swinkles I, Veenoff C. Direct access to physical therapy in the Netherlands: Results from the first year in community based physical Therapy. Phys Ther 88;8:936-946
Kenney. Transforming Healthcare, Virginial Mason Medical Center’s Pursuit of the Perfect Experience. CRC Press, 2011