Study finds co-occurring chronic conditions associated with rehabilitation use in older adults with back pain

A new study published in Physical Therapy examines the relationship between chronic conditions and rehabilitation service use among older adults with back pain. Researchers used data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, focusing on Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older who reported bothersome back pain in 2015. 

The study found that older adults with a higher number of chronic conditions, particularly arthritis, were more likely to use rehabilitation services. Each additional chronic condition increased the likelihood of rehabilitation use by 21%. However, psychological conditions such as anxiety and depression had no difference in their rehabilitation use. The study suggests that rehabilitation services are being used appropriately for those with more complex physical health needs, but there may be underuse among individuals with psychological conditions since anxiety and depression are important prognostic factors for back pain outcomes and could indicate a greater need for care.

The study was conducted by Associate Professor Sean Rundell, PT, DPT, PhD, as well as Kushang Patel, PhD, MPH, of the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, and Amol Karmarkar, PhD, of Virginia Commonwealth University.