Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is a commonly utilized “diagnostic” term given to patients frequently after neck and low back MRIs. It is hard to think of a more uninformed and harmful diagnosis in musculoskeletal medicine than DDD. Initially utilized to describe age related changes in the spinal structures secondary to aging, DDD continues to induce...
Direct access to Physical Therapy services was first written into a state’s law (Nebraska) in the 1950s and since has been shown in the literature to be safe, effective, and less costly than seeing a physician first for musculoskeletal pain. Due in part to its’ cost effectiveness large organizations including fortune 500 companies and the...
The black and white areas of health care are easy to navigate but the grey areas separate the novice from the experienced clinician. Uncertainty is part of health care and often clinicians make absolute statements in order to make themselves more comfortable in the grey areas of practice. In Physical Therapy, statements including “do not...
Healthcare demonstrates significant swings of the pendulum in examination and treatment trends. Thankfully the medical evidence helps balance these swings allowing us to come to a more appropriate balance in clinical practice. Unfortunately, unchecked bias in a clinician, such as confirmation bias, can lead to missed diagnoses and inappropriate treatments. In Physical Therapy, this can...
Early access to Physical Therapy services (direct access) has been previously shown to reduce a patient’s cost of care by up to $1500. In addition to its’ cost savings, direct access to Physical Therapy treatment has been shown to be a safe and effective short and long term treatment plan for patients with musculoskeletal pain....
Low back pain, along with death and taxes, remains one of the certainties of life. This condition affects over 90% of Americans and is often benign, but painful, in nature. Currently spending on low back pain is over 100 billion dollars a year and much of this spending can be attributed to unnecessary and unwarranted...
Low back pain remains the most common musculoskeletal diagnosis seen by primary care providers including Physical Therapists. While the majority of cases of low back pain are not serious in nature symptoms tend to be recurrent and can become chronic (> 3 months) if left untreated. As low back pain progresses from acute to chronic...
The statement, “Your treatment is only Physical Therapy if it is provided by Physical Therapists or Physical Therapist Assistants” rings true in today’s healthcare environment. Unfortunately, some high patient volume and Physician Owned Physical Therapy clinics in an effort to strengthen their bottom line utilize individuals such as technicians or aides to provide their treatments....
Strengthening the muscles of the hip, gluts, is a key component of rehabilitation for patients with low back pain, hip pain, and knee pain. These muscles help to optimize movement in the lower quarter improving joint mechanics and force distribution during life and recreational activities. In our Facebook posts, we have shown videos on optimizing...
In any profession, utilized interventions and methods change with incoming ideas and evidence. New concepts and treatments often advance ahead of clinical research trials aiming to support or refute their utilization. Within Physical Therapy, pain neuroscience education has become a popular topic of late. Education topics regarding the development and chronicity of persistent pain are...