The impact of a novel musculoskeletal consult service in an inpatient rehabilitation facility: A descriptive analysis.
Michael Lu, Megan Wieber, Monica Rho and 1 others
PMID 38148275WHAT IT FOUND
Inpatients with refractory musculoskeletal pain saw significant pain reduction after sports medicine consults, especially those receiving injections.
Functional improvement was greater in patients who did not need injections, suggesting those treated with procedures had more severe underlying impairments.
Key findings
01Patients who received injections had a statistically significant reduction in pain scores compared to those who did not.
02Patients evaluated by the consult team who did not undergo injections had a greater improvement in functional independence scores than those who did undergo injections.
03Shoulder pain, knee pain, and hip/groin pain were the most common reasons for consultation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
There was no control group of patients with similar refractory pain who did not receive the consult, so it is impossible to determine if the consult itself caused the improvements. The study was retrospective, meaning factors like patient severity, mood, or sleep quality that affect pain and function scores could not be controlled. Results may not generalize to smaller or non-academic rehabilitation facilities. The lower functional gains in the injection group may reflect more severe baseline injuries rather than a negative effect of the treatment.
Declared interests
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (Extramural).
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lower functional gains in the injection group as evidence that injections hinder recovery. The authors suggest this likely reflects that patients requiring injections had more severe musculoskeletal injuries or higher baseline pain, making functional improvement more difficult regardless of treatment.