PT for pain relief? Yes, that and more

In addition to helping patients feel better and do more of their normal activities, physical therapy can also reduce the risk of long-term opioid use, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford and Duke.

The study found that physical therapy within three months of a musculoskeletal pain diagnosis reduces patients’ risk of long-term opioid use by about 10 percent.

“Your body wants normal movement,” said Justin Kane, owner of North Idaho Physical Therapy. He’s been a physical therapist in North Idaho for 25 years. “When you promote normal movement as early as possible, it will calm the nervous system.”

Lauren Shafer, a physical therapist at Kootenai Health, said there’s a common misconception that physical therapy is only for people recovering after surgery. In fact, she said, physical therapists see patients who are suffering from virtually all types of pain.

“A lot of people don’t understand what we can actually do for them,” she said. “A lot of what we can do is provide pain relief.”

As an orthopedic therapist, Shafer said she works with patients whose aches and pains have come from daily life, such as neck pain from working a desk job or knee pain in a runner. Some patients seek physical therapy because other forms of treatment, including medication, haven’t helped and they want to avoid surgery.

Joint mobilization, massage, stretching and appropriate exercises can all provide pain relief without medication, she said.

“If we can intervene early and educate about what’s going on, and they don’t even have to touch a pain pill, that’s the ideal,” Shafer said.

In 2016, there were 119 opioid-related overdose deaths in Idaho, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported that, in 2016, Idaho was above the national average for the rate of opioids dispensed per 100,000 population.

Researchers at Stanford and Duke found that the odds of patients filling an opioid prescription three months to a year after their initial pain diagnosis were lower if they had participated in at least one physical therapy session within 90 days of their diagnosis.

In addition to promoting normal movement, physical therapy also helps to alleviate fear. Kane said this is an important part of the healing process.

“When we teach somebody that they can move and it’s not going to cause damage, that reduces anxiety, which reduces pain,” he said. “Anything that can be done to promote normal movement patterns will help your body heal optimally.”