The timing and type of physical therapy directly impact workers’ compensation claim outcomes. MedRisk’s 2022 Outlook Industry Trends report features several studies showing the benefits of early physical therapy, whether treatment targets low back pain, knee injuries or neck pain.
“The type of therapy delivered matters, as well. When manual therapy is recommended, starting it early lowers the average medical cost per claim by 27 percent.”
— MedRisk’s Vice President of Clinical Services and Provider Management Brian Peers, PT, DPT
The report includes an analysis of MedRisk data on the impact of early manual therapy.
“We found that the value of early manual therapy increases with age and is particularly useful for complex cases, Peers adds.
In addition, MedRisk’s 2022 Outlook Industry Trends Report recaps 2021 legislative and regulatory decisions related to physical medicine in workers’ compensation and presents findings of research on patient satisfaction, psychosocial factors, chronic pain, and COVID-19.
The report is available at MedRisk.
