New publication in Arthritis & Rheumatology
Physical therapist-provided interventions remain the first-line recommendation for managing pain and disability related to knee osteoarthritis. However, utilization of physical therapy remains low vs. use of less effective and potentially harmful interventions including intra-articular corticosteroids and intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections.
Using real-world claims data from 67,245 people with incident knee osteoarthritis, we report that earlier initiation of physical therapy (i.e., within 1 month of diagnosis) and more than 12 sessions of physical therapy are related to lower odds of future intra-articular therapy utilization in this population.
These real-world data provide support for optimizing treatment recommendations and practical guidance for implementation of timing and dose of physical therapy care in people with newly diagnosed knee osteoarthritis while minimizing the need for more invasive therapies that themselves may have minimal (if any) long-term benefit along with concerns about long-term safety.
Read more here: https://acrjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/art.43155.
