Reaching further: How physical therapy will scale and engage millions more in need

Millions of Americans suffer from physical pain, yet few are getting access to the treatment they need to improve their quality of life. By bringing telemedicine to physical therapy, PTs can reach more people early on to improve quality of life, lower their overall health costs, and reduce opioid addictions and unnecessary surgeries. Musculoskeletal diseases affect more than one out of every two persons in the United States age 18 and over, and nearly three out of four age 65 and over (cite: <a href="http://www.boneandjointburden.org/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">BoneandJointBurden.org</a>). Yet of all patients with neuromusculoskeletal issues, only about 8% seek out rehab therapy (<a href="https://www.webpt.com/resources/webinars/the-state-of-rehab-therapy-in-2017" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">WebPT</a>). Although treatments delivered by PTs are supported as a first-line treatment for lower back pain, PT referral rates remain low. There also exists <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28441685" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">disparately lower referral rates</a> in populations with more restrictive health plans and simultaneous opioid prescription. <a href="https://blog.physera.com/reaching-further-how-physical-therapy-will-scale-and-engage-millions-more-in-need-c9902f5a2d5b">Website</a>