ArticleBMC public health2025
Relationship between the timing of physical therapy commencement and the duration of work disability: a retrospective cohort analysis of work-related low back pain claims.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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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.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Antecedents of Long‑Term Work Disability After Mental Health-Related Sickness Absence: The Role of Occupational Health Care Pathways.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Timing of rehabilitation initiation and rehabilitation duration, and related factors in occupational injuries: a single-center retrospective analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
backgroundEarly physical therapy for workers reporting low back pain (LBP) may reduce disability and improve return to work. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the timing of physical therapy commencement and the duration of work disability after the onset of compensable LBP.
methodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of workers with workers' compensation claims for LBP in two Australian states. We investigated the association between the timing of physical therapy commencement and work disability duration using an accelerated failure time model. Median duration of work disability in paid calendar weeks was the principal outcome.
resultsWe examined 9160 accepted workers' compensation claims for LBP. Patients who had not seen a physical therapist had the shortest duration of disability (median, 4.1 weeks). In those who had seen a physical therapist, the median duration of work disability was associated with the timing of commencement of physical therapy, from 8.0 weeks for care within 7 days of the injury to 34.7 weeks when care was commenced greater than 30 days after the onset of injury. Our adjusted model demonstrated that, compared to physical therapy within 7 days of injury onset, commencement of physical therapy between 8 and 14 days, 15 and 30 days, and greater than 30 days was associated with a 37.0% (Time ratios (TR) 1.37; 95% CI (1.23, 1.52)), 119% (TR 2.19; 95% CI (1.96, 2.44)) and 315% (TR 4.51; 95% CI (4.06, 5.02)) increased likelihood of longer disability duration, respectively.
conclusionsIn workers with work-related LBP undertaking physical therapy, early commencement of physical therapy was associated with a significantly shorter duration of disability. Although we cannot establish causality, our findings highlight the potential benefits of initiatives that promote timely initiation of treatment in reducing extended work disability for injured workers undergoing physical therapy for LBP.
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