Blog post from our board member Dr. Robert Bacci: Physical therapy or surgery for musculoskeletal injuries – Courtesy of Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy
EXERCISE THERAPY IS A SAFE INTERVENTION WITH A LOW RISK FOR ADVERSE EVENTS
Physical activity and exercise are regarded as integral components of physical therapy for most musculoskeletal disorders (eg, knee osteoarthritis, shoulder, neck, back pain, ankle sprains, etc.), as well as for losing weight and for treating various other conditions, such as depression, heart disease, and high blood pressure. These interventions are generally extremely safe, with reported adverse events—or side effects—expected to be less frequent and less severe than those associated with pharmaceutical or surgical interventions.
Nonetheless, it’s important to report on the severity, type, and frequency of adverse events that do occur from exercise interventions so that patients are aware of the potential risks involved and how these risks compare with other interventions. Therefore, a powerful study called a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the relative risk of serious and non-serious adverse events from exercise therapy.
RESEARCHERS ANALYZE 180 REVIEWS THAT INCLUDE 778 PRIMARY STUDIES
Before discussing the details of the study, it’s important to state some key definitions:
- Physical activity: as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure
- Exercise: a subset of physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive, and has a final or intermediate objective of improving or maintaining physical fitness
- Exercise therapy: a regimen or plan of physical activities designed and prescribed for specific therapeutic goals
- Adverse event: an undesirable or harmful outcome that occurs during or after the use of an intervention; can be serious (ie, leads to death, hospitalization, or serious risk of health deterioration) or non-serious (all other reported events)