When new patients suffering lower back pain begin their treatment with physical therapy, they spend less and accrue fewer medical costs associated with their condition. Those are the findings posted in a recent study in the scientific journal Health Services Research.
Researchers found that patients who were referred to physical therapy compared to those who were referred for MRI (Magnet Resonance Imaging) for lower back pain paid almost a third of the costs. Initial referral for physical therapy cost $504 on average (for an average 3.8 visits), compared with an average of $1,306 for MRI. Subsequent costs over the next year also came in less—nearly 72% lower for patients who began with a physical therapy referral.
The study also discovered that patients who receive imaging as a first referral increased the likelihood of surgery and injections as well as specialist and emergency department visits within a year. “This is one of many studies demonstrating that physical therapy is a cost-effective alternative to medication and surgery,” said American Physical Therapy Association President Paul Rockar Jr, PT, DPT, MS. “Patients benefit from an active approach to their care and, in turn, society is transformed through the benefits from reduced financial burdens on our health care system.”
