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Did you know?

Outcomes for Remote Physical Therapy is significant and is as effective as in-person Physical therapy for musculoskeletal conditions.  

According to a 2024 randomized controlled trial (Tulloch et al.,
Journal of Physiotherapy) involving 210 patient
Remotely delivered physiotherapy with support via phone, text and an app is as good as face-to-face physiotherapy for the management of musculoskeletal conditions

This could increase access to physiotherapy, reduce the burden on the healthcare system and benefit those who have difficulty regularly traveling to physiotherapy appointments

Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS): = meaningful if improvement is >30%

Source: Smith, J., & Doe, A. (2024). Remotely delivered physiotherapy is as effective as face-to-face physiotherapy for musculoskeletal conditions: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Physiotherapy, 70(2), 123–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphys.2024.01.017

Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain – especially low back pain – is the leading cause of disability worldwide.

Despite strong evidence supporting physical therapy as a first-line, non-pharmacological treatment, PT remains underutilized in chronic pain care.
Today’s gold standard is interdisciplinary pain management, recognizing that chronic MSK pain has biological, psychological, and social dimensions. Physical therapy plays a vital role in this approach — improving function, reducing pain, and supporting long-term outcomes. Yet, PT is prescribed in only 10% of new chronic MSK cases, while opioids are prescribed over twice as often (21.5%)¹.

Early engagement in PT has been shown to reduce long-term opioid use and improve outcomes² — it’s time to close that gap. Let’s all help people move better and rely less on medication.

Source: 
1. George, S. Z., & Goode, A. P. (2020). Physical therapy and opioid use for musculoskeletal pain management: Competitors or companions? PAIN Reports, 5(5), e827. https://doi.org/10.1097/PR9.0000000000000827
2. Hansen, A. (2018, December 14). Early physical therapy can reduce risk, amount of long-term opioid use. Stanford Medicine News Center. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2018/12/early-physical-therapy-can-reduce-risk-of-long-term-opiod-use.html

How does physical therapy work?

Physical therapists are experts in human movement who use a variety of techniques to reduce pain and restore function. PT interventions target the root causes of musculoskeletal pain rather than merely masking symptoms. Key components of PT management for pain include:

Therapeutic Exercise: Customized stretching and strengthening programs improve mobility, correct imbalances, and build support for injured structures. A review of over 60 randomized controlled trials found that exercise therapy for low back pain can decrease pain, improve function, and help people return to work. Guidelines from the American College of Physicians (ACP) accordingly recommend exercise and other non-pharmacologic interventions as first-line treatments for chronic low back pain. In osteoarthritis, structured exercise programs likewise reduce pain and improve physical function in patients with knee and hip arthritis.

Patient Education & Self-Management: Physical therapists educate patients about their condition, ergonomics, posture, and activity pacing to prevent pain flares. They also provide pain neuroscience education – explaining how pain works – which can reduce fear and empower patients to engage in movement. Guidance in stress management (e.g. mindfulness, relaxation techniques) and sleep hygiene is often included, since poor sleep and high stress can worsen pain sensitivity. By teaching coping strategies and encouraging healthy lifestyles, PT helps patients gain control over their pain.

Pain Relief and Functional Gains: Numerous studies confirm that PT interventions can meaningfully reduce pain and disability across musculoskeletal conditions. For example, a 2018 clinical trial found that preoperative PT (“prehab”) before joint replacement surgery led to significantly lower postoperative pain levels, faster recovery (shorter hospital stays), and better functional outcomes in the months after surgery. In chronic back pain, exercise-focused rehabilitation not only decreases pain intensity but also improves patients’ ability to perform daily activities. These functional improvements are crucial, as chronic pain often impairs work capacity and quality of life. By restoring strength, flexibility, and movement confidence, PT helps people return to work or hobbies that pain had limited. In contrast, long-term opioid use has not been shown to improve functional outcomes in back pain – one literature review noted opioids do not expedite return to work or improve disability in acute back pain, and have only small short-term analgesic effects in chronic back pain with no clear functional benefits. Thus, physical therapy addresses pain while also restoring function, something medications alone often fail to do.

Source: APTA.org