Physical Therapy as a First Defense for Low Back Pain
Despite spending an estimated $80 to $100 billion each year in America alone to help ease back pain, pricey options such as medication, injections, and surgery do not appear to be the best options. When it comes to treatment, a new study suggests that cheaper options, such as physical therapy are more effective. The study, published Wednesday in the journal Health Services Research, suggests trying physical therapy first may cost the patient less in the long term whiling curbing potential reliance on opioid painkillers.
Physical Therapy Costs Less than Medical Treatment
The study looked at new onset of lower back pain cases, and which treatment they received first; Physical Therapy, or Medical treatment. Unsurprisingly, people who sought out Physical Therapy first were found to have “significantly lower out-of-pocket costs,” according to Bianca Frogner, the lead author of the study. "People who get trained in physical therapy have very specialized knowledge about pain management," she says, "especially with the muscular skeletal system. They might actually understand this pain better than the average family physician."
Another benefit of trying Physical Therapy before medical treatment, was that they found these patients had an 89 percent lower probability of eventually needing an opioid prescription. Put into perspective with the current opioid epidemic in Ohio, that could add up to a lot of lives affected by simply starting with more conservative treatments first.
Back Pain Treated by Physical Therapist in N. Olmsted
Back pain
is usually a result of an imbalance in the musculoskeletal system, or the bones and muscles in your back. At our office, our Physical Therapist will perform a thorough evaluation to determine if your pain will respond well to PT. Since each person’s pain can come from a variety of different conditions, we will tailor your plan specific to your problem. Your home exercise plan will consist of simple stretches and gentle exercises to help you begin to manage your back pain. These are taught in our office with your Physical Therapist, and are reviewed and refined on subsequent visits. As your condition improves, you will become stronger and more coordinated in your movements, and your home exercise plan will become more challenging. This is to maintain and continue your improvement and also helps to prevent re-injury.
If you’ve been suffering from lower back pain, and are looking for relief, call our office today for an evaluation to see if we can help you with your recovery. Call 440-716-8400.
