Choosing Physical Therapy First May Reduce Opioid Risk – According to the British Medical Journal

Good afternoon:

Below is some new information about the benefit of physical therapy in lowering the risk of opioid dependence, which has reached epidemic proportions and may, unfortunately, have already affected someone you know. We value all our patients, your friends, and your families, and treat them like our own. If you feel anyone you know would benefit from physical therapy, pass this along to them. Visit motionptg.com to contact us or to request an appointment.

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that people who chose conservative treatment first for low back pain – physical therapy, acupuncture or chiropractic – used opioid pain medicine at a significantly lower rate than those who pursued conventional medical treatment first. That means they had a lower risk for becoming dependent on opioids. Choosing PT and other conservative treatments first resulted in 85-91% lower initial opioid use and 73-78% lower long-term use in the data studied.

Over the past decade, opioid use has skyrocketed. More than 12 million Americans now report long-term use or abuse of these powerful drugs. The BMJ study suggests that conservative treatments like PT, which is available without a referral from a physician in many states and generally covered by insurance, may help to reduce this trend in the future.

Read the study here.