Posted on: Wednesday, 22 December 2010, 00:01 CST

A 2010 study in the journal Spine reports that patients with low back pain can reduce their odds of needing costly ongoing care by seeking physical therapy within the first thirty days of onset. ProRehab physical therapists in Evansville, Indiana, help patients solve the problem of low back pain and avoid injections, surgery, and frequent doctor office visits.

Evansville, IN (Vocus/PRWEB) December 21, 2010

A 2010 study in the journal Spine reports that patients with low back pain can reduce their odds of needing costly ongoing care by seeking physical therapy within the first thirty days of onset. ProRehab physical therapists in Evansville, Indiana, help patients solve the problem of low back pain and avoid time-consuming, expensive, and invasive injections, surgery, and frequent doctor office visits.

The 2010 Spine Journal reports on the relationship between early physical treatment for low back pain and other healthcare procedures, such as injections, surgery, and office visits. The study group in this report consisted of 432, 185 Medicare patients, 66 years of age or older, who received treatment for low back pain from 2003-2004. The odds of requiring surgery for low back pain were reduced by 62% in the group of patients who received physical therapy within thirty days of the onset of the low back pain. likewise the odds of receiving an injection was reduced by 54% and the odds of frequent physician office visits were reduced by 53%.

Also noted was that primary care, internal medicine, and emergency doctors refer the lowest rate of patients to physical therapy out of any other specialties. Referrals from these doctors is where the most opportunity exists for physical therapy to effectively help patients avoid higher costs and more invasive treatments, because they typically see patients “upstream” or within the first thirty days of the onset of pain.

Physical therapy provides a solution to back pain, rather than masking the symptoms, like prescriptions and injections can sometimes do. Physical therapists at ProRehab not only provide helpful hands-on therapy in the clinic, but they also provide at-home exercises and stretching that patients can use for the rest of their lives in order to stay healthy and pain-free. “My improvement in motion and in being able to take care of myself and my wife without pain,” a recent patient recalls when asked about his most memorable moment at ProRehab. Another patient says, “My problems are solved.”

“There are many options for patients out there, and if they don’t know what to ask for, they may not get the very best treatment for their problem. Physical therapy is an effective alternative to surgery, injections, prescriptions, and frequent doctor office visits, especially if patients come in during the first thirty days that they start feeling pain,” says Bethany Richerson, PT, DPT, OCS, a ProRehab physical therapist in Henderson, Kentucky. “Patients need to actively seek the pros and cons of their treatment options in order to navigate the complicated health care world.”

When physicians refer patients to physical therapy, patients have a choice regarding who they see. ProRehab invites patients to choose their physical therapists. To learn more about ProRehab visit ProRehab-pc.com.

About ProRehab:ProRehab is a private physical therapy practice with locations in Evansville, southwest Indiana and western Kentucky. known for teaching and training physical therapists throughout the region, ProRehab physical therapists are proud that patients ask their doctors to send them to ProRehab for orthopaedic care. they deliver hands-on physical and occupational therapy based on the newest research to achieve the best results for patients with bad backs, achy joints, wounded hands, and sports and work injuries. Along the way, the ProRehab family has fun and makes friends with their patients; patients are actually sad to leave after their treatment is over! find ProRehab on Facebook, @ProRehab on Twitter, and FourSquare.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: prweb.com/releases/prwebProRehab/BackPain/prweb8031752.htm

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