Early Versus Delayed Or No Physical Therapy For Acute Low Back Pain .
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.
PM R . 2023 Nov;15(11):1466-1477.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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