Get PT First During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Like most physical therapy clinics, we here at Elite Sports Performance & Physical Therapy in Stoughton and Foxboro have seen first-hand the negative effects of the COVID-19 crisis on patients suffering from musculoskeletal injuries or conditions. Because of the recent closures of physician’s offices, delays in elective surgeries, and social distancing guidelines resulting from COVID-19, many people with pain or joint issues have had appointments or surgeries delayed. If you’re one of them and you haven’t seen your physical therapist yet, you should consider it. Here are some reasons why:

Early PT Leads to Better Outcomes

Studies have shown that people who receive physical therapy sooner have better outcomes, lower costs, are less likely to have surgery, use opioids or have unnecessary testing. Because back pain is so common, there is a lot of outcome data from people with back pain. A study of 150,000 insurance claims published in Health Services Research found that those who saw a physical therapist at the first point of care had an 89 percent lower probability of receiving an opioid prescription, a 28 percent lower probability of having advanced imaging services, and a 15 percent lower probability of an emergency department visit. Unfortunately, only 2% of people with back pain start with PT, and only 7% get to PT within 90 days (Frogner, BK et al, 2018).

Early PT Saves Money

The rising cost of healthcare is well known and early physical therapy is something that has been shown to reduce costs without reducing the effectiveness of treatment. A study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy showed that patients who obtained physical therapy via direct access had significantly lower medical costs—an average of $1,543 less per patient than those who chose referral from a physician. They also had significantly fewer visits and spent significantly fewer days in care (Denniger et al, 2018).