Back Pain Treatment: Do You Have The Right Physical Therapist Treating Your Back Pain?

Back pain treatment by a physical therapist is very common. But did you know that there are light years of differences in the skill levels of physical therapists that treat back pain?

Make no mistake about it, physical therapists ARE NOT all the same. In fact the vast majority of physical therapists really have no business treating patients with back pain. Why? Because most physical therapists treat only the patient’s symptoms rather than the underlying cause of the problem.

If you are suffering with back pain and physical therapy has been recommended, here are a few questions you really need to ask before getting started. The answers to these questions may surprise you.

7 Questions Most PTs Hope and Pray You Never Ask…

1. What is your treatment philosophy?
Simply stated, the BEST practices will integrate the clinical experience and expertise of the therapist with the values of the patient and utilize the best scientific evidence in making decisions about the individual care of the patient. In other words, don’t settle for useless treatment (see my December 22, 2007 post)

2. Are you a Board Certified Specialist?
Less than 5% of all physical therapists are board certified in a clinical specialty. Does it make a difference? Studies looking at the clinical outcomes of board certified specialists clearly show that clinical specialists are more efficient in their treatment methodology, perform fewer treatment procedures, require fewer patient visits, and generate greater positive outcomes with less incurred treatment costs.

3. What particular expertise do you possess that makes you uniquely qualified to treat my condition?
Therapists possessing specific advanced training in a focused area of clinical practice utilize a more structured approach to clinical reasoning resulting in greater consistency in clinical diagnosis and more confidence in choosing an appropriate treatment intervention. Moreover, these therapists know their limitations and are more willing to refer to other health care professionals as the need may arise.

4. What are the typical recovery times for my particular condition?
Based on clinical experience coupled with the latest evidence based research, your therapist should be able to supply you with a predictive outcome for your case.

5. What contributions have you made to your profession?
Look for evidence of published papers in pier reviewed journals, authorship of chapters in books, and any other published book or manuscript. Letters to the Editor don’t count. A good source for this information is to look at the therapist’s CV (professional resume’). A good therapist will be more than happy to give you a copy.

6. How much time do you spend outside the clinic advancing your knowledge base?
An important question considering that research clearly demonstrates that only 17% of all therapists read fewer than 2 articles in a month and that most of those articles tend to be more case study oriented or anecdotal in nature.

7. How do you assure that I will get the best care for my unique situation?
The only acceptable answer is that they incorporate Evidence Based Practice into the day to day treatment of patients. The research indicates that only 25% of all physical therapists actually use the latest research in their clinical decision making. As a prospective patient looking to get better faster, while experiencing less inconvenience, and incurring the least amount of out of pocket expense, you absolutely want a physical therapist that incorporates evidence based practice into their patient treatment programs.

In any given area of the country, less than 5% of the physical therapists treating patients with back pain would make my A list. In fact, in my area alone, out of the hundred or so practicing physical therapists, there’s ONLY 1 I would allow to treat me if I had a back problem.

Look… I don’t mean to be harsh and I know I’m stepping on more than a few toes, but facts are facts. Most physical therapists simply don’t cut it when it comes to physical therapy to treat back pain.

This isn’t a personal thing against these people; you won’t find a nicer or more caring group as a whole. But “nice and caring” doesn’t translate necessarily into effective spine care.

Bottom line: the use of physical therapy to treat back pain CAN be effective if you do your homework and ask the right questions. With a little effort on your part, it is possible to feel better fast and begin enjoying your life again.

If you want to get on the fast track to ending your back pain, the Erase Your Back Pain program is a treatment option I created to help you. You can see what it’s all about here ==> No More Back Pain!

Remember, I personally answer all of your questions. Just fill in the form below.

Dedicated to Erasing Your Back Pain,

Malton A. Schexneider, PT, MMSc
Clinical Specialist
Orthopaedic Physical Therapy