ArticleThe mental health clinician2020
Does early physical therapy intervention reduce opioid burden and improve functionality in the management of chronic lower back pain?
Article in The mental health clinician, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Comparing Digital to Conventional Physical Therapy for Chronic Shoulder Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Trial
- Physiotherapy management strategies for chronic pain control in patients with lumbosacral transitional vertebrae and low back pain: a review of the literature.Reumatologia · 2025Review
- Exploring Racial Disparities in Chronic Pain Management.Journal of pain research · 2025Article
- Randomized-controlled trial assessing a digital care program versus conventional physiotherapy for chronic low back pain.NPJ digital medicine · 2023Article
- Musculature adaption in patients with lumbosacral transitional vertebrae: a matched-pair analysis of 46 patients.Skeletal radiology · 2021Article
- Association of Self-Reported Functional Limitations among a National Community-Based Sample of Older United States Adults with Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Article
- A Model to Implement Standardized Virtual Care for Low Back Pain Amongst a Large Network of Providers in Urban and Rural Settings.Journal of primary care & community healthArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionChronic lower back pain is a leading cause of disability in US adults. Opioid use continues to be controversial despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on chronic pain management to use nonpharmacologic and nonopioid pharmacologic interventions. The objectives of the study were to assess the impact of early physical therapy (PT) intervention on improving functionality and reducing opioid burden in patients with chronic lower back pain.
methodsA single-center, retrospective chart review of patients receiving ≥6 PT visits and treated with either opioids first (OF) or PT first (PTF) therapy for chronic lower back pain were evaluated. Concomitant use of nonopioid and nonpharmacologic therapy was permitted. The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), a survey measuring functionality, was recorded for PTF group. Pain scores and medication use including opioids were collected at treatment initiation and completion.
resultsOne hundred and eighty patients were included in three groups: OF group (n = 60), PTF group (n = 60), and PTF + ODI group (n = 60). The PTF + ODI group had mean ODI reduction of 11.9% ( DISCUSSION: Early PT resulted in improved functionality, decreased pain, and reduced medication use upon PT completion. These findings suggest PT, along with nonopioid modalities, are a viable first-line option for the management of chronic lower back pain.
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Registered trials
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