In Honor of National Physical Therapy Month, Learn How Physical Therapy Can Save You Time And Money While Avoiding Unnecessary Tests And Interventions
Every October, physical therapists around the country come together to celebrate National Physical Therapy Month. The purpose of this annual campaign is to highlight the many ways that physical therapists can provide numerous benefits to individuals of all ages with an individualized approach to neuro-musculoskeletal conditions & treatment. In honor of the month, we’d like to discuss a few of the key reasons why seeing a physical therapist first for numerous types of pain is likely to be the best treatment decision you can make.
Quick Access = Quick Relief
For anyone that experiences pain or gets injured, quick relief is often the number one priority. There are many treatment options available to address painful conditions, and it may be difficult to decide what’s best for you. But regardless of your diagnosis or its severity, one universal truth applies: trying physical therapy first is a smart move that will usually help you avoid other unnecessary tests, drugs, injections, and surgery in the future.
Physical therapy is not a cure-all that will immediately fix any physical problem, but it does have vast range of applications and is appropriate for most painful conditions. Every physical therapy treatment program is individually tailored with each patient’s abilities and goals in mind, and by carefully guiding patients through exercises and movement-based techniques, significant improvements are very likely to occur.
Physical Therapy vs. Surgery, Injections, and Opioids
Other popular treatments for pain include surgery, injections, and prescription medications like opioids, but research continuously shows that physical therapy is a wise option that will save patients money and time while leading to similar—if not superior—outcomes.
For example, one study found that physical therapy was just as effective as surgery for patients with various tendon disorders, while another found only minimal differences after five years between patients treated with surgery versus physical therapy for ACL tears. Physical therapy can also help patients avoid taking prescription drugs like opioids, which are a significant problem in the country today due to alarmingly high rates of addiction, overdose, and death. One study found that patients who underwent physical therapy had a lower chance of being prescribed opioids the next year, while another found that those who saw a physical therapist early were 33% less likely to use narcotics like opioids and 50% less likely to receive non-surgical invasive procedures than patients who did not.
Seeing a Physical Therapist First Saves You Money
Seeing a physical therapist early is also associated with better odds to experience a positive outcome with lower overall healthcare costs. This is exemplified in other research that found early physical therapy to be associated with an average savings of $2,172 on healthcare costs over one year compared to late physical therapy, as well as a lower risk for patients being prescribed opioids, having a spinal injection, or undergoing an imaging test.
Physical Therapy in Hospitals Associated with Higher Costs
Avoiding the hospital for elective reasons like surgery will further lower costs for patients, as receiving physical therapy in a hospital is typically lower than receiving it at a clinic. One study compared these costs, and results showed that the average prices were 41% higher for therapeutic exercises and 64% higher for manual (hands-on) therapy in a hospital than a community setting. A 15-minute session of manual therapy, for example, was about $58 in a hospital versus $35 in a clinic.
In addition, you can often see a physical therapist much sooner than some other healthcare professionals. While it could take several days, weeks, or longer to get an appointment with certain healthcare professionals, many physical therapy practices can schedule you as soon as the next day. This yields further dividends, since the sooner you see a physical therapist, the better your outcome will be.
So if you’re currently dealing with any type of painful condition, we strongly recommend seeing us before consulting with your primary care doctor. We can quickly identify the source of your problem and get you started on a tailor-made treatment program right away that factors in your needs, abilities, and goals.
