If you’re like most people, you’d rather spend your hard earned money on anything other than healthcare expenses, but the fact is the matter is we all won’t remain perfectly healthy forever. So while you can’t completely prevent healthcare expenses, you do have some control in keeping them from getting out of hand. In our experience, and as seen in some recent studies, physical therapy may be extremely helpful in keeping health-related expenses under control. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the ways connecting with a physical therapist can help reduce overall healthcare expenses for you and your family.
PT Keeps Healthcare Expenses Down
Working with a physical therapist to overcome an injury to make a full recovery after a surgical procedure can save you money in a number of ways.
- Faster Recovery – As we’ve talked about on the blog in the past, physical therapy can help you recover faster after an injury. For example, we recently dissected a study that found that early PT intervention for concussed patients can lead to much faster recovery. Prolonged or delayed rehab can lead to more visits to clinics or rehab centers, and all those costs will add up. Connecting with a PT right away can oftentimes lead to a speedier recovery, which is especially helpful since you don’t need a physician referral to head to a physical therapy clinic.
- Incredible Value – Other treatments like surgery or corticosteroid injections may prove helpful in managing your issue, but these treatments are typically much more expensive than pursuing physical therapy. Since physical therapy is typically an incredibly effective treatment option, you can still experience great recovery results at a fraction of the cost. As one study on patients with low back pain found, patients who sought PT first over other treatments had healthcare costs that were 18 percent lower than those who first sought injections and 54 percent lower than those who first sought surgery. The cost to expected return ratio for physical therapy is higher than any other treatment for many health conditions.
- Save Time And Money – Another study that was published in the journal Physical Therapy found that heading to a PT first could cut down on the number of physical therapy sessions they needed to address their issue. The study found that patients who went to a physician first needed 33 PT visits on average to resolve their issue, but those who went to a PT first only needed an average of 20 sessions. This quick access and ability to start a treatment program sooner effectively saves you both time and money.
- Decreased Need For Additional Treatments – Not only is physical therapy a low-cost treatment method compared to other options, it’s also a very effective option. PT can oftentimes put an end to your issue once and for all, and that means you’re not going to have to continue pursuing treatments or incurring related healthcare expenses. A study in Health Services Research found that patients who saw a physical therapist at the first point of care had an 89 percent reduced likelihood of receiving an opioid prescription, a 28 percent lower probability of having advanced imaging services and a 15 percent lower probability of an emergency department visit.
- Reduced Likelihood Of Setback – Finally, physical therapy can help you get back to a point where your body is fully ready to handle all the physical tasks you throw at it after an injury or surgery. If you just assume that rest and activity avoidance will lead to a full recovery, you will likely be physically underprepared once you try to get back to some normal activities, and that can leave you susceptible to a major setback.
An example we often use is a sprained ankle. You can hobble around on a sprained ankle and eventually it will feel “good enough” to get back to exercise or athletics, but those injured ankle ligaments have not been strengthened following your original injury. This means they will struggle to provide the necessary support to your ankle joint, in turn increasing your risk of a subsequent sprain or a more severe injury like a fracture. These chronic or more severe injuries will not only keep you out of commission longer, but they’ll also lead to additional healthcare expenses. Effectively treat the original issue and reduce your likelihood of a setback with the help of physical therapy.
Physical therapy is oftentimes partially or fully covered by insurance, but check with your carrier to get a better understanding of expected expenses if you have any questions. Even if you have to pay a portion of the bill. There’s a very good chance that you’re pursuing the most cost effective treatment option!
For more information, or for help with a different PT-related issue, connect with the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today at (612) 339-2041.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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