New England Journal of Medicine strongly supports importance of early rehabilitation on enhancing patient outcomes…refer within 2 days of injury!
We would like to share with you a very interesting article that was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine regarding the importance of early referral rehabilitation on enhancing patient outcomes.
It’s not a secret that many major or professional athletes who suffer an injury are “hurried” back to sport since they lose their profits by being on the sidelines. For major athletes, there is always an aggressive strategy for return-to-play. But what is the risk of this? Monika Bayer, a post-doctoral researcher at the Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen in Denmark chose conduct a research study on this specific topic through clinical trials to determine the risk vs. benefit of this approach of early rehabilitation.
The researchers followed 50 patients who suffered thigh or calf muscle injuries such as soccer and tennis. All were assigned to a standardized 12-week progressive rehabilitation program where the only difference is that 50% of them started 2 days after injury, while the other 50% started 9 days after injury. What they had found is that the early rehab group (rehabilitation after 2 days) were cleared back to sport at a median time of 62.5 days, whereas the delayed rehabilitation group (rehabilitation after 9 days) were cleared to return at a median time of 83 days. The results seem to suggest that putting off rehabilitation for one week could lengthen their injury time by 3 weeks!
(N Engl J Med 2017; 377:1300-1301 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc1708134)
What does this mean for clinical practice and for the general population that we treat for rehabilitation?
Bayer says, that common clinical practice is often to wait until pain decreases before commencement of exercise. However, what this study suggests is that danger does not come from beginning rehabilitation too early – the real danger comes when we rest too much.
This is a strong indication that when you make an immediate referral to physiotherapy you are helping your patient recover well.
At Meridian Spine & Joint Physiotherapy, we can make an impact on your patients lives by helping facilitate EARLY rehabilitation. Our experienced team of physiotherapists know exactly how to progress a patient through early recovery and all of the following stages.
Assessment by a Trained PhysiotherapistYour patients will be assessed by our trained physiotherapists beginning with a detailed subjective assessment of the onset of the symptoms, history and factors that affect their pain. Further objective musculoskeletal assessment includes observation, ROM, joint mobility, strength and resistance testing, muscle balance testing, ligamentous and soft tissue viability testing, neurological evaluation, functional abilities evaluation (FAE), and passive joint mobility/joint play findings while considering all possible contributing factors.
Individualized Active Rehabilitation and Treatment Program Developed
Our physiotherapists will use hands on treatment techniques to mobilize the joints and soft tissues.
In addition, your patients will be involved in an active customized exercise program that is unique for your patient. This will include active stretching and strengthening exercises to mobilize, condition and stabilize muscle imbalances.
Education and Unique Home Exercise Plan
Education is included in each treatment session to ensure your patient understands their injury, rehabilitation process, and future prevention. Patients are also instructed on specific home exercises to stretch and strengthen the injured area and core muscles of their body.
AT MERIDIAN, YOUR PATIENTS WILL EXPERIENCE OUR FULL RESTORATIVE CARE as we guide them to full return to sport, work, school and play. We care for each patient and will incorporate the required treatment to get the results they need. Your patients will thank you.
Refer your patients with any musculoskeletal injury or concern to us, we won’t let them or you down!
IN ORDER TO GET REHAB GOING WITHIN A DAY OR TWO OF INJURY – YOU DO NEED TO ACTUALLY REFER YOUR PATIENT FOR CARE – HOPEFULLY TO US AT MERIDIAN SPINE & JOINT PHYSIOTHERAPY – OTHERWISE THE PATIENT MIGHT DELAY STARTING PHYSIOTHERAPY.
Its helpful when you said to wait until pain decreases before commencement of exercise. My dad just recovered from spinal surgery but he is still having some pain on his back. Thanks for the information on the importance of early rehab and I will share this article to him so that he can follow these tips to reduce his pain.