EARLY REHAB AFTER EVERY SPINE INJURY...OVERKILL OR PRUDENT?

According to the statistics, the odds are in the favor of the insurance adjuster who wants to minimize the cost of a claim — by week six, 65% of low back injuries are pain free; by week 12, 97% are pain free!

But are these statistics deceiving? What is, as Paul Harvey would say, “the rest of the story?” Consider that:

• the recidivism rate for spine pain can be as high as 60%
• the 3% of unresolved pain cases are responsible for about 85% of the costs
• recurrent back pain/injury is the number one cause of disability in persons 45 and under, and the number three cause in persons older than 45
• mimicking the process found after an acute knee sprain, there can be up to a 25% atrophy or loss of mass and strength in the deep spine stabilizers. This leaves the joints of the spine vulnerable to excessive movement and microtrauma (wear and tear).

Well thought out and intelligent early spine care by a physical therapist can help to reduce the tertiary and long-term costs associated with spinal pain.

As early as possible, every spine patient should know:

• how to avoid re-injury both at home and work
• the cause of their injury — both personal risk factors like tight hamstrings or poor mechanics, and requirements at work
• how to address their personal risk factors and how to stay healthy on the job
• how to retrain and strengthen their core stabilizers to prevent atrophy

This does not require multiple visits and we certainly are not promoting passive care and modalities. We know that the pain will naturally resolve over time. However, not giving our injured workers the information and the tools they need to go forth and be well is setting them, and ourselves, up for a potential socioeconomic disaster! Do not be penny wise and dollar foolish — early intervention works!

A last word about those people who might want to "sneak one by" — there are easy ways to distinguish real pain complaints from feigned ones. Wouldn't you want to know about that sooner rather than later?