Physical therapy utilization by patients with acute low back pain

The purposes of this study were (1) to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of a group of patients with acute low back pain (LBP), (2) to describe those patients who were being treated by physical therapists, and (3) to analyze their use of physical therapy services.

The study sample consisted of 1,580 patients with acute LBP who were treated by 208 practitioners in North Carolina. The initial providers were primary care physicians, chiropractors, orthopedic surgeons, and primary care providers at a health maintenance organization.

A telephone interview was conducted after the initial office visit to assess demographics and medical history, health care services utilization, and functional status. Follow-up telephone interviews were also conducted 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks later.

One hundred ninety-nine (12.6%) of the subjects reported that they saw a physical therapist either by any provider referral or by direct access. Therapeutic exercise was the most commonly reported treatment procedure. Post-high-school education, receipt of Workers' Compensation, prior physical therapy for LBP, LBP and pain below the knee in one or both legs, and a higher baseline Roland-Morris Questionnaire score were associated with being treated by physical therapists.

In this study, physical therapists were utilized in the treatment of patients with greater severity of LBP. The findings demonstrate the importance of controlling for baseline characteristics when comparing outcomes of LBP when treated by different types of providers.