Anyone here have arthritis in lower back & did physical therapy?

groze · 08 Aug 2015

Anyone here have arthritis in lower back & did physical therapy?

Did the physical therapy work or not? Unfortunately, I found out I have mild to moderate arthritis in my lower back. If so, what therapy works and what doesn't? I need to choose the correct therapy that Medicare pays for. I also heard/read water therapy in shallow waters might help. I think Medicare just started covering that. I also have knee problems.

Thank you for this information.

BenjaminPinter · 01 Sep 2015

Hey! Tennis player here, and I often have lower back issues on Summer months where I'm playing a lot more often.

Physical therapy works fantastically, but the trick is to be 100% diligent in actually doing it. Also, understand that physical therapy is not a means of building strength, but of reworking the muscle's basic function.

Before you read any further, I would suggest first and foremost; see a doctor. They can give you the best assessment of your condition, and offer much more apt advice than a random guy on the forums can.

That being said, here is the only thing I can offer...

For me, I have a lot of lower back stiffness, so it may not directly correlate with what you are experiencing, but here are some tips;

Lay on your back, and place a stiff, but forgiving ball (like a tennis ball), under your lower back and roll around. Vary the amount of pressure as you move.
Adjust your seat at your desk so that the back is tilted at a 60 degree angle, and your thighs are angled slightly up. This relieves a LOT of stress on your lower back.
Have spinal decompression done. I don't care what anyone says, or if it even helps in the long run. It just feels amazing.
Do these stretches; http://plontadev.com/ourwellnessrevo...30988245_n.jpg

This is more for muscle/tendon pain, so I don't even know if it is safe for 'back arthritis', so like I said, see a doctor first.

groze · 01 Sep 2015

Thank you for the information.

I already have seen a pain doctor. He left that as an option if the pain pills didn't work. The problem isn't really the doctor or the therapy it is the insurance. Medicare limits the amount of Physical therapy you can get per year.

The reason I asked, I just wanted to know if therapy really works for arthritis or does it very from person to person?

BenjaminPinter · 01 Sep 2015

There are a lot of variables that contribute to the effectiveness of PT. General health and age being the two majors.

But for the most part, if you really abide by the provided PT schedule, then yes, I believe it will work.

Anak · 04 Sep 2015

I don't know if you were aware of exceptions, but if you talk to your providers:

You may qualify to get an exception to the therapy cap limits so that Medicare will continue to pay its share for your therapy services after you reach the therapy cap limits.Your therapist or therapy provider must:

Establish your need for medically reasonable and necessary services and document this in your medical record
Indicate on your Medicare claim for services above the therapy cap that your outpatient therapy services are medically reasonable and necessary

As part of the exceptions process, there are additional limits (called “thresholds”). If you get outpatient therapy services higher than the threshold amounts, a Medicare contractor may review your medical records to check for medical necessity. The threshold amounts for 2015 are:

$3,700 for PT and SLP combined
$3,700 for OT

Source: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/pt...pathology.html

I have Stenosis in L3, 4 and 5 and have been to PT for it and it helped me. Just make sure when you reach the Part B limit (basic or extended) that you have detailed instructions to continue the exercises at home, and do them, the hardest part is when you're home, you don't have the communal support you have in a dedicated physical therapy center.

You may have to purchase equipment or accessories to help you at home, but you can come up with less expensive replacements instead of going to a medical supply store. I was shown some exercises that used a pool noodle instead of a tennis ball because I needed to raise my whole spine (I also have herniated C2 and 3) You can replace those stretch bands with bungee cords.

Next year if you have to receive more PT your Part B will be back to zero for PT and all you'll have to pay is the deductible.

groze · 04 Sep 2015

Anak, some medicare part b will pay for equipment and your supplement insurance will pay some. U.S. Medicaid or U.S. Medicaid qmb will pay the remainder. I just have the Medicare/medicaid qmb part that pay for deductibles, copay's and Medicare monthly premiums. SLMB or QI just pay for Medicare monthly premiums.

Anak · 05 Sep 2015

Okay that's good to know but individual cases can be different depending on the circumstances (usually other income) and what you qualify for. I wouldn't believe you'd be charged an extra copay if you got the exception for PT.