Blogs by Topic:
Why Physical therapy or Occupational therapy:
Choose PT First to save time and money
Are you a smart consumer of Healthcare?
Conditions:
Pain relief without medication
What you need to know about arthritis
Your x-rays and MRIs show us the wrinkles on the inside
A new way to Treat Fibromyalgia
Share your goals; they’re important to us!
Back and Neck Pain:
Best way to get rid of back and neck pain
Essential Exercises for Back pain
Can PT help with Headaches/ Migraines?
Can PT help Back Pain? What we learned from Starbucks
Shoulder:
Prevent and Treat Shoulder Pain
Elbow:
Elbow Tendonitis, a.k.a Tennis Elbow
Wrist/ Hand:
Foot/Ankle:
Why Flip Flops may not be your best option
Pelvic Health:
What is Pelvic Health Physical Therapy
How to stay active during pregnancy
Surgery:
Tips & Tricks to Prepare for Surgery
Stronger going into Surgery, Stronger Coming out.
Common Interventions:
Should I be Stretching or Strengthening?
Seasonal:
A PTs Guide to Snow Shoveling Safety
Winter Safety in Industry: Navigating Cold Conditions with Confidence
Finding your balance in winter
Keeping your arms and hands safe in the Winter
Protecting your joints with summer activities
Information for all of our Green Thumbs
Athletics:
Preventing Pickleball Injuries
Could early specialization be the problem?
Concussion:
Everything you need to know about Concussions
Importance of Baseline Concussion Testing
Running:
Return to Running, Spring Edition
Injury Prevention, do shoes matter?
Orchestra and Performing Arts:
Industrial medicine:
Impact of Athletic Trainers in Industrial Care
Tactical Medicine:
Return to Work Assessment for an Injured Police Officer
Police Support Staff Person of the Year
Things we learned from participating in a mass-casualty simulation
Office:
Getting more activity during your workday
Decrease Fatigue and Reduce Stiffness
Direct Contracting:
Our role in providing exceptional care to the employees of local School Districts
Wellness:
Importance of physical activity
Why you need a PT on your team
The 4 P’s of Energy Conservation
Hidden Aches and Pains caused by Cell Phones
How to decrease the aches and pains brought on by using your phone
Movement Vital Sign, what is that?
You’re never too old to strength train
Improve your mood with exercise, especially during the holidays
Importance of Building Strength
Meet the Team:
Best Way To Get Rid Of Back And Neck Pain… Physical Therapy!
Written by: Dennis Kaster, PT-- Stevens Point North
Physical Therapy is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to treat back and neck pain, but few people know that.
Most back and neck pain is caused by muscle weakness, tightness, poor posture, or poorly set-up workstations that put extra stress on the body.
A Physical Therapist will assess which of these issues is causing the pain and help you get rid of it by doing specific stretches, strengthening, improving posture, performing treatment to decrease pain or swelling, using better lifting mechanics, or helping you set up your work or home workstations to put less stress on your body.
The typical process in the past has been that when someone injures their back, they go to a medical doctor. The doctor would decide what to do next, which many times included rest, medications, or expensive imaging.
Several years ago a large medical organization, Virginia Mason, broke down the process of medical care for back injuries, looking for the quickest, most effective, and cheapest way to treat low back pain. In the end, they found that people who saw a physical therapist first for lower back pain recovered much quicker, returned to work sooner, and experienced a much lower overall cost of care.
This is because Physical Therapists specialize much more in the anatomy and mechanics of how the back works and how to stop and prevent pain. Physical therapists also do not prescribe opioid pain medications. Many times medical doctors prescribe opioid prescriptions, advise patients to rest until the pain goes away, or order expensive medical imaging, which many times is not necessary. Many other research studies have found the same results.
As a result of the findings of multiple research studies, many insurance companies no longer require a physician referral to cover physical therapy, as they realize that people with mechanical low back pain respond much quicker and better if they see a Physical Therapist first. Most people are not aware of this.
Several studies have shown that as little as 7% of people with low back pain see a Physical Therapist. This is crazy…..when Physical Therapy is one of the most effective ways to treat low back pain.
Also, Physical Therapists have the expertise to recognize more serious medical issues that would require a referral to a medical doctor.
So, if you see a Physical Therapist first and your pain is due to a medical issue, you can rest assured that the Physical Therapist will recognize it and direct you to the appropriate care.
PLEASE HELP US TO GET THE WORD OUT!! IF YOU HAVE BACK OR NECK PAIN, SEE A PHYSICAL THERAPIST FIRST. IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS BACK OR ANY MUSCLE OR JOINT ISSUE, LET THEM KNOW THAT PHYSICAL THERAPY MAY BE THE BEST FORM OF TREATMENT FOR IT.
If you have questions, please give us a call and we can answer them for you or check with your insurance to make sure our treatment is covered.
References
Furhmans V. Withdrawal Treatment: a novel plan helps hospital wean itself off of pricey tests. The Wall Street Journal. January 12, 2007
Pendergast J, Kliethermes S, et al, A Comparison of Health Care Use for Physician-Referred and Self-Referred Episodes of Outpatient Physical Therapy. Health Research and Educational Trust DOI:10:1111/j.1475-6773.01324.x, Oct. 2011
Mitchell JM, de Lissovoy G. A comparison of resource use and cost in direct access versus physician referral episodes of physical therapy. Phys Ther. 1997;77: 10-18
Moore JH, McMillian DJ, et al. Risk determination for patients with direct access to physical therapy in military health care facilities. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2005;35:674-678
Leemrijse CJ, Swinkles I, Veenoff C. Direct access to physical therapy in the Netherlands: Results from the first year in community based physical Therapy. Phys Ther 88;8:936-946
Kenney. Transforming Healthcare, Virginial Mason Medical Center’s Pursuit of the Perfect Experience. CRC Press, 2011