Why you should turn to physical therapy first

Through Mike Basten PT, DPT, MTC

Over the past two decades, more and more states have provided patients with pain with direct access to physical therapy without a physician referral. Although the state of Arizona has offered this type of access for several years, insurance companies have only recently begun paying for physical therapy without a doctor’s referral. Direct access is just one of many reasons why you should look into physical therapy first. There are many more.

There is increasing data showing that seeing a physical therapist first can reduce costs and improve the overall outcome of injury rehabilitation. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) just published a groundbreaking study: ‘The economic value of physical therapy in the United States,’ confirming that physical therapy (PT) can help Americans live better lives while saving the healthcare system millions of dollars annually.

Historically, the process from injury to recovery has involved seeing a doctor, trying medications, receiving diagnostic imaging, resting, and hoping for a resolution. If the problem was not resolved, the next step was to try physical therapy and perhaps some type of medical intervention such as injections or surgery. However, due to the rising costs of medical care, insurance companies and patients have started looking for methods to reduce the costs of rehabilitation. One of these methods is to first try PT for musculoskeletal problems.

Top three reasons to seek PT for pain first

1. Reduce or eliminate pain without drugs or opioids.

Physiotherapy offers the opportunity to reduce or eliminate pain through specific therapeutic exercises and hands-on manual therapy techniques. Additional treatments such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and taping techniques can also reduce pain during recovery.

Physiotherapy has come a long way in the past 20 to 25 years, as have the patients it helps. Due to costs and other factors, the goal now is to solve the problem as quickly as possible with as little use of health care as possible. PT allows the therapist to treat the cause of the pain early and begin rehabilitation by restoring the correct mechanisms that may be causing the pain.

A 2018 study analyzed 200,000 commercial and Medicare Advantage insurance beneficiaries seeking treatment for low back pain. It found that those who were initially referred by a physical therapist, chiropractor, or acupuncturist, compared to those who had an index visit by a primary care provider, reduced the likelihood of early opioid use by 85%-91% and long-term opioid use by 73% reduced. %-78%.

2. Savings on diagnostics

Being able to go straight to physiotherapy is cost-effective. For example, a patient avoids paying to see a doctor for a referral, and the doctor may order expensive diagnostic tests before determining that PT is the appropriate treatment method. A qualified therapist will work to avoid unnecessary diagnostics during your recovery, which can increase out-of-pocket costs and affect your long-term well-being. They will also work with your doctor to explore pre-surgery, post-surgery, and non-surgery options for a full recovery.

If physical therapy can address the reasons contributing to the pain, in many cases you can avoid surgery altogether. If you do need surgery, preoperative physical therapy can improve mobility and strength and help you get into better shape, allowing you to recover from surgery faster and with better results more easily with postoperative physical therapy.

When we look at patients who went to physical therapy first, there was an average savings of over $250 in one study and over $1,000 in another. Overall, there were significant savings across the board with less imaging, less medication, and even less treatment.

3. Improve mobility.

If you have difficulty standing, walking, or with transitions, such as moving from a sitting to a standing position, exercises to improve flexibility and strength can improve your ability to move more easily, making daily activities more enjoyable. Physical therapists can help you identify areas where you’re not moving correctly, predisposing you to future injuries, and correcting those movements to keep you injury-free. A PT can also instruct and fit you for an assistive device such as a cane, crutches, or other aids designed to improve your mobility.

PTs are also trained to recognize when physical therapy is needed not the correct or best first course of action and can point patients in the best direction. The physician-PT team is still the standard in treating musculoskeletal problems and guiding people with pain to a full recovery.

The search for full recovery is a journey without shortcuts and without a finish line. A journey that will lead to astonishing and satisfying results. At Foothills Sports Medicine Physical Therapy, our therapists embrace the journey. We take you, your pain and your full recovery seriously and do not believe that a good enough recovery is good enough. We strive to do everything we can to help you regain your full, healthy life.

If you have questions about immediate access to physical therapy, contact the Foothills Sports Medicine Physical Therapy clinic nearest you and schedule a free pain assessment.