Alleviate Future Back Problems Physical Therapy From Onset Of Back Pain Can Help

By Sohaila Mosaddegh, DPT

Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Center

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Alleviate Future Back Problems Physical Therapy From Onset Of Back Pain Can Help

Low back pain affects up to 80% of working age people at some time in their lives, though most will recover. Low back pain can be recurring, and some people will continue to suffer with some degree of pain. In 85-90% of cases the pain cannot be attributed to a specific illness or injury.

Immediate treatment by a physical therapist can reduce problems with recurring low back pain, reveals a thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Many people suffer with low back pain, and most get better. However, those who suffer with long-term pain can find that their work, everyday and leisure activities are limited to varying degrees. Given that long-term pain often requires extensive treatment, it is important that the pain be treated at an early stage.

“I wanted to find out whether patients' low back pain could be alleviated in the long run if primary care clinics could offer examinations and treatment by a physiotherapist without any delay,” says Lena Nordeman, a registered physiotherapist and researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy.

As part of her thesis, she therefore carried out a study in a same-day appointment model. The effect of receiving an examination and treatment within 48 hours by a physical therapist was subsequently compared to waiting for four weeks before receiving the same treatment.

Sixty patients with low back pain for 3-12 weeks took part in the study, which was carried out in primary health care in Sdra lvsborg, southwest Sweden.

“We saw that both groups improved after the treatment ended. The group that had been given early access to an examination and individualized treatment maintained their improvement after six months, while the group that had waited for a month before receiving physical therapy treatment were more likely to suffer with recurring back pain,” says Nordeman, who draws the conclusion that early examination and treatment by a physical therapist within 48 hours of having low back pain could be important for reducing low back pain in the long term.