The American Physical Therapy Association: “In its final version of guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) minces no words about the importance of physical therapy and other nondrug/nonopioid approaches, and delivers a clear message that physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs) have known for some time: there are better, safer ways to treat chronic pain than the use of opioids.”
The post continues: “A draft version of the guidelines were published in late 2015 as part of a CDC call for comments. APTA responded with strong support for the recommendations, writing that approaches such as physical therapy ‘have been underutilized, and, therefore, can serve as a primary strategy to reducing prescription pain medication abuse and improving the lives of individuals with chronic pain.'”
Further: “APTA public awareness efforts include a page on MoveForwardPT.com, the association’s website for consumers looking for information on physical therapy, with information on the risks of opioids and physical therapy’s role in the treatment of pain.”