Telehealth is transforming healthcare, making it more accessible and personalized than ever—especially for those dealing with low back pain. At the forefront of this shift are digital physical therapy solutions that combine cutting-edge technology with expert care to help you recover and move better.
Curious how this innovative approach can redefine your back pain treatment? Can telehealth help my low back pain? Let’s find out!
What Is Telehealth?
Telehealth is defined as the “provision of healthcare remotely through the form of telecommunications, such as telephones or laptops”. This technology enables providers to connect with patients via video conferencing, mobile applications, laptops, tablets, or phone calls. This innovative approach has been shown to increase access to care, particularly for individuals in rural or underserved areas, while maintaining clinical efficacy.
How Effective Is Telehealth For Back Pain?
According to a study published in JAMA Network Open, telehealth consultations are as effective as in-person visits for many conditions, including musculoskeletal disorders like low back pain.
The terms "telehealth," "telemedicine," "digital health," and "telerehabilitation" are often used interchangeably, though they may refer to specific subsets of remote healthcare services.
Some Key Applications/ Benefits of Telehealth:
Convenience
Safety (reduce exposure to illnesses)
Greater treatment personalization
Improved access to care
These are just some of the reasons why telehealth is still urgently needed as access to care is a growing concern, especially with the increasing physician shortage.
Understanding Telehealth Options For Low Back Pain
Many people wonder how telehealth can effectively help patients without providing in-person visits. The answer lies in two key psychological theories that explain how this technology supports health management: self-determination theory and self-efficacy theory.
These frameworks illustrate how telehealth empowers individuals to take charge of their care, build confidence in managing their condition, and achieve better outcomes—all from the comfort of home. Let’s explore how these approaches make telehealth a valuable tool for managing low back pain.
Self Determining Theory
The self-determining theory has been around for some time now and is often used in behavioral health interventions. This theory helps individuals to identify the reasons why they might not be motivated enough to complete a healthcare program such as physical therapy home exercises. It can help people determine which motivations are autonomous and which are controlled and then give them tools to overcome these barriers.
Self Efficacy Theory
The self-efficacy theory was first proposed by psychologist Alfred Bandura. This theory refers to a person's confidence in their ability to do specific things in different environments. The individual's level of self-efficacy depends on the amount of perseverance and effort that they apply to a specific behavior. Basically, do you believe that you can control your own motivation to do things no matter what the environment?
Many programs that are designed for lower back problems, or for physical rehabilitation rely on individuals completing exercises at home, between sessions, in order to achieve the best possible rehabilitation results. This means that the ability to self-manage your exercise program is essential for a fast recovery.
Understanding Barriers To Virtual Care - How Telehealth Can Help
It is important for healthcare professionals to be able to identify the barriers that might exist for individuals that might stop them from completing their exercise programs. Once these barriers are identified, then they can work to improve adherence to the programs and achieve better results.
Common barriers to treatment could include:
1. Not understanding the program or the exercises
2. Needing support to complete the program
3. Finding time to exercise
4. Needing motivation and encouragement to complete the program.
Telehealth is a great tool to address these barriers. Telehealth can help people improve their belief in themselves and provide them with the motivation to complete their programs and speed up their recovery process.
How Does Telehealth Help Low Back Pain?
International guidelines for the management of low back pain focus on three different areas of treatment: education about the condition, behavioral therapy (the mental aspect of the condition), and exercise. This is often referred to as the biopsychosocial model of treatment.
Clinical studies have found that approaching low back pain in this way has been shown to be the most effective way to manage the condition. All of these components are quite capable of being delivered via telehealth (or digital health) solutions, especially with some of the new technological offerings that are coming to the market with the rise in digital health offerings.
Clinical Studies Supporting the Use Of Telehealth for Low Back Pain
In 2017, a systematic review of 11 randomized controlled trials was published in the medical journal, Spine. The researchers studied more than 2,000 participants to see if telehealth interventions helped to improve their “pain, disability, function, and quality of life” when it came to their lower back pain.
The researchers looked at different telehealth interventions like phone calls, online chats, emails, and websites. While the results didn’t show much of an improvement in pain or disability, the researchers did find that those who participated in a “tailored self-management web-based program involving education and behavior strategies were almost two times less likely to experience low back symptoms again two months after treatment”.
Clinical Studies Support Telehealth For Back Pain
A different study that was published in 2022 looked at 'Behavior Modification Techniques on Patients with Chronic Pain in the Context of COVID-19 Telerehabilitation: An Umbrella Review'. The results of this research showed that telehealth behavior modification techniques were “effective in improving disability, disease impact, and pain-related fear of movement”.
According to a study published in the Journal of Pain Research, a cluster-randomized trial found that patients utilizing a digital program called "Rise-uP" for low back pain reported a 52% reduction in pain within the first 4 weeks.
Other trials have investigated the cost-effectiveness of telehealth services with one study finding that telehealth was significantly more clinically effective, and approximately 50% more cost-effective than the clinical based McKenzie treatment.
Important Considerations For Effective Telehealth Programs
Pros Of Telehealth Programs For Low Back Pain
Telehealth programs have significant benefits for those who use them including:
Increased access to care
More affordable treatment options
Reduced time needing to be taken off work to attend appointments
Reduced need for childcare while at appointments
Lower/ no transportation costs
Easier to see providers/ less waiting time
Greater flexibility with appointments
Improved adherence to home exercise programs
The Cons Of Telehealth for Low Back Pain
Limited internet services/signal
Technological literacy of patients
Not every type of visit can be done remotely (e.g. imaging tests/ blood work)
Data security concerns/ privacy concerns
Can Telehealth Help With Adherence Programs?
Adherence to home exercise programs is a significant challenge when managing lower back problems. Data reports that between 45-70% of patients are noncompliant with their physiotherapy prescriptions.
It is very important to overcome any doubts the patient might have about their ability to complete the exercises in the home exercise program, and motivate them to work towards a successful recovery. Telehealth is also a wonderful tool that providers can use to increase adherence levels to home exercise programs.
How Telehealth Improves Low Back Pain Outcomes
Clinical trials investigating telehealth for managing low back pain highlight the importance of patient education and promoting an active lifestyle. When patients are well-informed about their condition and supported in staying active, their outcomes improve significantly.
Incorporating digital therapeutic tools—such as pedometers or wearable devices like Fitbits—further enhances these benefits. Studies show that these technologies can help reduce pain intensity, as well as alleviate related issues like depression, anxiety, stress, and the overall duration of pain.
Conclusions
Telehealth is transforming the way low back pain is treated, offering significant advantages over traditional care alone. With innovations like wearable technology, digital physical therapy platforms, and virtual musculoskeletal clinics, patients now have unprecedented opportunities to take charge of their recovery—all from the comfort of home.
By leveraging telehealth, healthcare providers can boost exercise adherence, empower patients to stay motivated, and break down geographical barriers, ensuring access to expert care no matter where patients live. This innovative approach not only enhances patient engagement but also fosters better self-management, paving the way for a healthier, pain-free future.
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