Patients who first saw a physical therapist for low back pain, rather than a primary care physician (PCP), were much less likely to be prescribed opioids, says a study.
“To overcome the chances of short- and long-term opioid use, insurers should incentivize victims to see physical therapists or chiropractors first developing a round of low back discomfort, before noticing a PCP,” said author Lewis Kazis, Professor.
For the research, the team looked at commercial insurance and Medicare Advantage claims data from the OptumLabs database for 216,504 adults who were diagnosed with new-onset low back pain between 2008 and 2013 and had not been appointed opioids before.
For the analysis, the researchers controlled as many socio-demographic, geographical, and medical history factors as they could get from the insurance claims data.
According to the study, published in BMJ Open, patients who first saw a PCP for low back pain were 79 percent more likely to use prescription opioids than patients who first visited a chiropractor and 71 percent more likely than those who first went to a physical therapist.
The researchers also observed victims in states with temporary or unrestricted access to bodily therapy were much more possible to see a dynamic therapist first than patients in states with restricted physical therapy access.
