» Therapists embrace partial pay fix
The Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and Innovation was one of several groups to praise Congress’ March adoption of a Medicare pay fix that will restore half of a 3.4% cut for therapists and other ancillary service providers starting Jan. 1. APTQI said the adjustment to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule will “provide some relief to cuts that threaten to disrupt the stability of the nation’s healthcare system and make it more difficult for patients to access the care they need, including physical therapy.”
But APTQI joined ADVION and other advocacy groups in urging Congress to do more to seek a permanent solution to the annual physician fee-setting process, which is likely to produce another cut for fiscal year 2025 without some changes. The goal is for Medicare to link pay to inflation, “thereby stabilizing the system,” the group said.
» Researchers tout pre-transplant regimen
University of San Francisco researchers assert that “structured exercise” may be a key to better kidney transplant outcomes. Their research found that targeted exercise interventions before transplantation have the potential to improve physical function and activity in wait-listed older patients and help maximize their benefit from transplantation.
One caveat: Many frail elderly dialysis patients are unable to participate. Among the potential barriers were inadequate guidance on exercise regimes, lack of motivation and difficulty scheduling exercise around dialysis treatments.
» New PT approach hits low back pain
Older adults with chronic low back pain experienced faster relief after receiving physical therapy focused on strengthening their hip muscles. A study reported in The Lancet Rheumatology, included 184 people aged 60 or more years who reported moderate low back pain, hip pain and muscle weakness for at least six months.
Participants were randomly assigned to a hip-focused approach known as manual therapy and strengthening the hip, or MASH, or more traditional therapy that focused on the spine. Both groups received therapy for eight weeks. Participants who received MASH therapy had more pain relief after eight weeks than the others.
