Back pain is a leading musculoskeletal disorder with a high occurrence, costly treatment, and significant effect on a person's quality of life. It is the leading cause of missed work days and work limitations. Although many cases of acute low back pain resolve without intervention, 1 in 3 patients still have symptoms a year later.

Our independent economic analysis examined the cost-effectiveness of physical therapist services compared with usual primary care to manage acute low back pain*. We discovered physical therapy is a cost-effective approach to improve strength and reduce pain for patients with acute low back pain.

What does this mean?

If you consider the dollar value assigned to the quality-of-life benefits from receiving treatment, minus the payments for services and all the hidden costs of a patient’s time, pain, and missed life events; and compare the net result of each treatment, physical therapy comes out ahead by over $4,000.

Physical therapy also helps patients:

• Gain knowledge about factors that contribute to pain and techniques for self-management, empowering them to avoid or manage any future actue low back pain issues.
• Reduce pain without the need for prescription medications, such as opioids.

Learn more about the economic value of physical therapy. 

Download Report

*The analysis is based on the 2017 study "Cost-Effectiveness of Primary Care Management With or Without Early Physical Therapy for Acute Low Back Pain: Economic Evaluation of a Randomized Clinical Trial," by Fritz and colleagues and published in Spine.

Download Report