NEED TO Bounce Back? TAKE THE Fast Track

When you’ve got a musculoskeletal problem –a bad back, a bum knee, a pain in the neck –it literally hurts to move. However, the wisdom of taking a wait-and-see approach before seeking care has been challenged by recent studies that show starting physical therapy right away may reduce your costs and improve your outcomes.1

Take lower back pain, for example. It’s the number-one reason GRHS primary care providers refer patients to our rehabilitation services department.

“We tracked more than 225 patients who completed physical therapy for low back pain during the last three years. On average, patients were seen for seven sessions,” explains Clark Christianson, PT, ScD, COMT, director of rehabilitation services. “We asked them to rate the change in how they felt from the start of treatment to the end. Most patients reported they felt ‘quite a bit better.’”

TWO-WEEK WINDOW

Clark says research shows that starting physical therapy within 14 days of the onset of low back pain delivers the best results. Accessing physical therapy care within two weeks has also been shown to reduce the patient’s risk of needing additional physician visits, expensive imaging tests, opioid prescriptions, injections and surgery.

Most people with musculoskeletal complaints wait a while to see if the pain gets better. If it doesn’t, they make an appointment with their primary care provider, who writes a referral to physical therapy. It’s a good process, says Clark, but it takes time.

“If you miss the golden window during which physical therapy is most effective, the possibility that you’ll need a more complex, painful and expensive intervention starts to increase,” Clark says.

Direct Access To Pt

A strategy for speeding up the process is taking the “fast track” directly to physical therapy, Clark notes. “GRHS lets you choose. If you have low back pain or another type of musculoskeletal pain and want to see a primary provider first, you can do that. But if you want to go directly to a physical therapist, and your insurance allows it, you can. Either way is fine. Just remember it’s important to have your first therapy appointment within two weeks of the start of symptoms.”

Check Your Coverage

All 50 states have laws that allow patients to see a physical therapist without first obtaining a referral from a physician. However, there’s a difference between what state law says is permissible and what insurers permit:

Medicare and Medicaid do not allow direct access to rehabilitation services. If you have this type of coverage, you must get a referral order from your primary provider before you can be seen by a physical therapist.

Many of the insurance plans you can buy on your own or get through an employer will provide coverage when you go direct to physical therapy without a referral. But it’s always a good idea to call the number on your insurance card to confirm your benefits before making an appointment.

If you enjoy meeting new people and are fulfilled by helping others, we’d love to have you join the volunteer squad at our new nursing home, GlenFields Living with Care.

See the list of opportunities to the right. No experience is required; training is provided. The only equipment you’ll need is a smile!

To inquire, call Denise Lemke at 320-864-7703 or toll free 1-888-526-4242, ext. 7703. Or send Denise an email from grhsonline.org/volunteer

Denise

Wednesdays & Thursdays: 9 am – noon

Tuesdays & Thursdays: 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Saturdays: 10 am – 11 am GIFT