The Connection Warren-Watchung Edition Dec 2018/Jan 2019

www.theconnectionsnj.com SUSAN R. CARTER, M.D. Director of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Diplomat American Board of Ophthalmology Fellow American Society Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons Former Professor at the University of California at San Francisco With over 15 years of cosmetic and reconstructive experience Restore Your Natural Beauty 65 Mountain Blvd. Ext. Warren, NJ 07059 In the Warren Medical Center Across from the ACME COSMETIC EYELID ENHANCEMENTS BOTOX JUVEDERM RESTYLANE RECONSTRUCTIVE EYELID SURGERY LIKE us on Facebook CALL FOR YOUR CONSULTATION TODAY (732) 356-6200 www.The-Eye-Center.com 3322 Route 22 West, Suite 1207-1208, Branchburg, NJ 08876 908-218-0300 908-218-0301 (fax) www.branchburgoralsurgery.com We Accept Most Major PPO Dental Plans Karl Maloney, D.D.S. Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon Wisdom Teeth Dental Implants Bone Grafting General Anesthesia 3D Cone Beam CT Jaw Surgery Oral Pathology Facial Trauma Quail Run Center 125 Washington Valley Road Warren, NJ 07059 908-741-8404 www.AmeriCarePT.com By: Susan Rele, PT, DPT, Cert. MDT Adding to a growing body of evidence for physical therapist treatment of low back pain (LBP), a new study shows that using it as a first-line approach not only saves money, but also dramatical- ly reduces the chance of receiving a prescription for dangerous opioids. The study, Physical Therapy as the First Point of Care to Treat Low Back Pain: An Instrumental Variables Approach to Estimate Impact on Opioid Prescrip- tion, Health Care Utilization, and Costs, was published in the May 2018 issue of Health Services Research. Researchers followed the health insur- ance claims of more than 150,000 patients for 1 year after an initial visit to a health care provider for LBP. They sought to examine differences in the type of health care utilized and how much it cost over the course of a year for those who saw a physical therapist first, those who saw a physical thera- pist at a later time after the initial visit, and those who never visited with a physical therapist during the study period. The team concluded that patients with LBP who received care from a physical therapist first experience lower out-of- pocket pharmacy and outpatient costs. They also reduced their likelihood of receiving an opioid prescription by 87% compared with patients who never visited a physical therapist. The “physical therapist first” group also experienced a 28% lower probability of having imaging services and 15% lower odds of making a visit to an emergency room. At any given time, about 25% of peo- ple in the US will report having low back pain within the previous 3 months. And more than 60% of peo- ple with low back pain in the US have a prescription for opioids. The US is struggling to combat an unprecedent- ed opioid epidemic, resulting from the misuse of prescription painkillers, which come with dangerous side effects including depression, addiction, overdose, and death. © 2018 American Physical Therapy Association. All rights reserved. https://www.moveforwardpt.com. We at AmeriCare Physical Therapy are movement experts who optimize quality of life through prescribed exer- cise, hands-on care, and patient edu- cation. You will be empowered to be active participants in your own treat- ment, and we work collaboratively with other health professionals to ensure you receive comprehensive care. A team approach and hands on care, we encourage you to try AmeriCare Physical Therapy before you undergo expensive or invasive surgery for some conditions, including meniscal tears and knee osteoarthritis, rotator cuff tears, spinal stenosis, and degenerative disk disease, Physical therapy has been found to be as effective as surgery. Our physical therapists bring an inter- esting list of certifications and special- izations to work with your muscu- loskeletal needs. Orthopedic Board cer- tified (OCS), McKenzie Method for all spinal conditions (Cert. MDT), Certified Hand Therapy (CHT), Pelvic Floor Phys- ical Therapy, Lymphedema (CES) and certified in sports injuries (SFMA) CHOOSE PT FIRST Susan Rele, PT, DPT, Cert. MDT Practice Owner PAGE 66