The Timing of Physical Therapy for Low Back Pain: Does It Matter in Workers’ Compensation?

By Dongchun Wang, Kathryn Mueller, Randall Lea, M.D.

September 8, 2020 Related Topics: Access to Care, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Medical Costs, Outcomes for Injured Workers, Physical Medicine, Prescription Drugs and Opioids, Treatment Guidelines, Utilization

As an increasing number of workers with injuries are receiving physical therapy (PT), this study examines the association between early initiation of PT and utilization of medical services, costs of medical services, and duration of temporary disability (TD) for workers with low back pain (LBP). The study focuses on claims with LBP-only injuries, recognizing that PT is often used as first-line treatment for LBP and other musculoskeletal injuries before considering opioid prescriptions and invasive procedures.

This study is based on nearly 26,000 LBP-only claims with more than seven days of lost time from 27 states, with injuries from October 1, 2015, through March 31, 2017, and detailed medical transactions up through March 31, 2018. The 27 states are Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The Timing of Physical Therapy for Low Back Pain: Does It Matter in Workers’ Compensation? Dongchun Wang, Kathryn Mueller, and Randy Lea. September 2020. WC-20-25.

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Research Questions:

  1. How often do workers with LBP-only injuries receive early vs. late PT?
  2. Does early PT help reduce utilization and costs of medical services and shorten TD duration?
  3. What factors may have considerable influence on PT timing and outcomes?

 

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