Save money with physical therapy.

Reference: Image and information used for this blog can be found here: https://www.valueofpt.com/ 

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Physical therapy can be a cost-effective way to manage a range of conditions, with proven results that include improving quality of life through patient education, hands-on care, and prescribed exercise.

Physical therapy is highly effective in treating musculoskeletal conditions, which impact over 127 million Americans and contribute to $213 billion in medical expenditures, lost wages, and decreased productivity annually.

In the report “The Economic Value of Physical Therapy in the United States,” the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) investigated the application of physical therapy across several health conditions to assess the costs and benefits of physical therapist services compared with alternative courses of care.

The report examined the available scientific research on the care delivered for a range of conditions. An economic analysis was performed for each condition, comparing physical therapist services to an alternative treatment based on the costs associated with providing care and the benefits produced for the U.S. health care system.

Included in the report were the following musculoskeletal conditions commonly faced by industrial & tactical workforces:

Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative and progressive joint disease affecting more than 32 million Americans. Knee osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, and its prevalence has doubled in the last 70 years.

Using a scientific study that examined the cost-effectiveness of physical therapy compared with injections for knee osteoarthritis, the report demonstrates that choosing physical therapy over steroid injections to treat osteoarthritis of the knee saves $13,981, including the dollars paid for the services as well as hidden costs of the patient’s time, pain, and missed work and life events.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) affects 50 out of every 1,000 individuals in the United States. CTS is commonly identified as an occupational hazard, as people at the highest risk have occupations that require forceful and often repetitive hand movements, such as office administrative staff and production workers.

Using a scientific study that examined the cost-effectiveness of physical therapy compared with surgery for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, the report demonstrates that choosing physical therapy over surgery to treat carpal tunnel syndrome saves $39,533.

To learn more about how conservative treatments for CTS read: Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by Dr. Ron Lawrence at our Shawano clinic

Low Back Pain

Back pain is a leading musculoskeletal disorder with a high occurrence, costly treatment, and a significant effect on a person’s quality of life. Back pain is the leading cause of work-loss days and work limitations and can result in patients seeking emergency care.

Using a scientific study that examined the cost-effectiveness of physical therapy compared with the usual primary care management for acute low back pain, the report demonstrates that choosing physical therapy early, over typical management of acute low back pain, saves $4,160.

To learn more about how conservative treatments for Lower Back Pain read: Essentail Exercises to Prevent Low back Pain by Joe Hanel from our Industrial Medicine team.

Vascular Claudication

Claudication is a condition that causes pain in the thigh, calf, or buttocks when walking due to restricted blood flow. Vascular claudication is typically the result of peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, caused primarily by plaque build-up in the arteries that restrict proper blood flow to the lower limbs.

Using a scientific study that examined the cost-effectiveness of physical therapy-monitored exercise (walking and treadmill training) combined with “optimal medical care” (a risk factor management method as suggested by guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association) compared with “optimal medical care” alone, the report demonstrates that choosing physical therapy over alternatives to treat claudication saves $24,125.

Tennis Elbow

Lateral epicondylitis, also known as tennis elbow, is an overuse injury caused by an eccentric overload of a muscle in the forearm. Despite its name, tennis players make up only 10% of the tennis elbow patient population; as many as 15% of workers in highly repetitive jobs report having tennis elbow.

Using a scientific study that examined the cost-effectiveness of physical therapy and/or corticosteroid injection for tennis elbow compared with a placebo injection, the report demonstrates that choosing physical therapy over alternatives to treat tennis elbow saves $10,739.

To learn more about how conservative treatments for Tennis Elbow read: Tips and Tricks for preventing and Managing Elbow Tendonitis by Megan Werner from our Sports Medicine team.

Falls Prevention

Falls are a major injury risk and are closely associated with an increased incidence of fractures, such as hip and wrist fractures.

Using a scientific study that focused on the cost-effectiveness of physical therapy-based falls-prevention exercise versus no intervention to compare the isolated impact of exercise treatment on preventing falls and reducing future costs associated with common fractures, the report demonstrates that choosing physical therapy-based falls-prevention exercise saves $2,144 in future expenses related to common fractures due to falls.

Learn more about Advanced’s premier balance and fall’s prevention program.

You should consider attending physical therapy first when it comes to everyday aches, pains, sprains, and strains. Look at all the money you could save!

Ready to start?

Contact us to schedule your initial evaluation or free injury screen today!

The Most Common Cause of Vertigo is also the Most Treatable

Chris Hupf, PT, DPT, CSCS

Do you ever feel a sense that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving? Do you experience bouts of sudden unsteadiness or dizziness? Vertigo is a type of dizziness defined as an illusory sensation of motion of either the self or the surroundings in the absence of true motion (1).

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, it’s estimated that close to 40% of the population will experience dizziness or balance problems over the course of their lifetime(2). 

One of the most common causes of vertigo is a condition called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). In fact, of the 5 million people in the United States who seek care for complaints of dizziness every year, between 17% and 42% end up receiving a diagnosis of BPPV.1 

BPPV is a type of positional vertigo caused by a disorder of the inner ear. Those who have it experience repeated “spinning” sensations or unsteadiness when they move their head in a certain direction. This could occur when rolling over or getting out of bed or tipping the head back to look up. A feeling of lightheadedness and nausea can occur as well. 

It’s widely understood that BPPV is caused by small calcium carbonate crystals that become dislodged from their normal resting place and end up free-floating within one of three semicircular canals used by the inner ear to sense movement. With changes in head position, these crystals migrate within the fluid-filled canal, causing movement of fluid and subsequent pressure changes that result in an abnormal sensation of rotation or spinning.

In the clinic, a physical therapist can assist in diagnosing BPPV through physical examination and understanding your history. This includes observation of involuntary eye movements that occur when the patient is placed in specific positions that provoke their dizziness. Depending on the canal affected, treatment involves a sequence of specific maneuvers designed to clear these crystals from the canal. These maneuvers are highly effective, with studies showing a complete resolution of symptoms 74-95% of the time in as little as one visit. (3-6) 

Almost 90% of people with BPPV will experience some interruption to their daily lives, including anxiety, depression, an increased risk for falls and impaired performance at home or at work.1,7 And, because most people who seek treatment are unaware that physical therapists can help, many ultimately end up undergoing expensive and unnecessary diagnostic testing and treatment first. (7) 

Physical therapists quickly and easily treat BPPV. Many of our therapists have undergone additional training to diagnose and treat BPPV, so please don’t hesitate to reach out and schedule an appointment. It could be your next and final step in ending this debilitating condition, allowing you to live life uninterrupted once again.

References: 

1. Bhattacharyya, N., Gubbels, S. P., Schwartz, S. R., Edlow, J. A., El-Kashlan, H., Fife, T., ... & Seidman, M. D. (2017). Clinical practice guideline: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (update). Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 156(3_suppl), S1-S47. 

2. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2005). Strategic plan (FY 2006-2008). Retrieved from http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/StaticResources/about/plans/strategic/strategic06-08.pdf [PDF]. 

3. Wang, Y. H., Chan, C. Y., & Liu, Q. H. (2019). Benign paroxsymal positional vertigo–recommendations for treatment in primary care. Therapeutics and clinical risk management, 15, 719. 

4. Fyrmpas, G., Barkoulas, E., Haidich, A. B., & Tsalighopoulos, M. (2013). Vertigo during the Epley maneuver and success rate in patients with BPPV. European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology, 270(10), 2621-2625. 

5. Helminski, J. O. (2014). Effectiveness of the canalith repositioning procedure in the treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Physical therapy, 94(10), 1373-1382. 

6. Bruintjes, T. D., Companjen, J., van der Zaag‐Loonen, H. J., & van Benthem, P. P. G. (2014). A randomised sham‐controlled trial to assess the long‐term effect of the Epley manoeuvre for treatment of posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Clinical Otolaryngology, 39(1), 39-44. 

7. BPPV: Experts Update Best Practices for Diagnosis and Treatment. (2017, March 1). Retrieved from https://www.entnet.org/content/bppv-experts-update-best-practices-diagnosis-and-treatment

Image of Inner Ear: Blausen.com staff (2014). "Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014". WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. - Own work.