Physical Therapy should be part of Workers Compensation

Workers Compensation have begun adopting physical therapy as necessary for fast recovery.  

Workers Compensation is given to employees when they are out of work due to injuries sustained at work. Physical Therapy has been proven to speed recovery in a variety of studies over the last few decades. Now, many workers’ compensation programs are wondering whether to cover physical therapy. Would the additional cost lead to faster recoveries for workers? Nationwide, local, and regional studies all conclude that Physical Therapy does have a significant effect on recovery speed.

The (Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2005) studied patients with workers’ compensation suffering from back problems.  The Journal studied recovery speeds of patients that received optimistic recovery times from their physical therapist.  The study found that when the physical therapist predicted and encouraged a quick recovery, the patient finished their recovery twenty five percent faster.

Another study (Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2011) of about 4000 people nationwide found that active physical therapy was more productive to returning to work than passive physical therapy. The Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation saw that passive physical therapy, involving fewer visits or check-ups, actually stretched the recovery time. Only active Physical Therapy had the effect of reducing recovery time, and made patients get back to work faster.

These and so many more studies show the importance of physical therapy in recovery, it is a provable asset to recovering and returning to work. A 1996 study by (The Journal of Risk and Insurance 1996) on physical therapy in Oregon recommended that regulations on chiropractor activities be lifted. By January of 2017, the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners endorsed less limits on chiropractic treatment. The Board has come to recognize physical therapy as an integral part of the medical field, and now wants laws to accept them as such

Gross, Douglas P., and Michele C. Batti?? “Work-Related Recovery Expectations and the Prognosis of Chronic Low Back Pain Within a Workers??? Compensation Setting.” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 47.4 (2005): 428-33. Web.

Webster, Barbara S., Santosh Verma, Joanna Willetts, Karen Hopcia, and Radoslaw Wasiak. “Association of Disability Duration With Physical Therapy Services Provided After Meniscal Surgery in a Workers’ Compensation Population.” Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 92.10 (2011): 1542-551. Web.

Durbin, David L., Dan Corro, and Nurhan Helvacian. “Workers’ Compensation Medical Expenditures: Price vs. Quantity.” The Journal of Risk and Insurance 63.1 (1996): 13. Web.

Photo source: http://www.spine-health.com/blog/spine-health-congratulates-top-ranking-orthopedic-and-neurology-hospitals

Moriarty Physical Therapy is a premier PT center in the Hudson Valley with a new office in Lagrange, NY. To find out more about physical therapy or to book your first appointment with a PT, contact Moriarty Physical Therapy at (845) 454-4137 or visit their website.