Effect of physical therapy timing on patient-reported outcomes for individuals with acute low back pain: A systematic review with meta analysis of randomized controlled trials.
OrthoEvidence Journal (OE Journal) - ACE Report
OE Journal. 2024;12(14):28 PM R . 2023 Nov;15(11):1466-1477.What this means for my practice?
This meta-analysis indicates a potential minor advantage of early physical therapy compared to non-physical therapy care in the short term, which does not persist over the long term. When evaluating the long-term effects (beyond 6 months), no significant benefit was observed in comparing early physical therapy with delayed or non-physical therapy care. The results of this meta-analysis were limited by the small number of included trials and the population variance among the included studies.
Study Summary
Seven randomized controlled trials (833 patients) comparing early versus delayed versus no physical therapy (PT) for acute low back pain were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Outcomes of interest included normalized pain on a Visual Analog Scale or Numeric Rating Scale and normalized disability. All outcomes were similar between the groups with the exception of short-term pain and disability which favored early PT when compared to non-PT care. The results indicate that there are no advantages to early PT versus delayed PT.
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