Den här översättningen är inte klar ännu. Den här sidan är just nu på engelska.

Gå till den engelska sidan

Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

ER-Based physical therapy may ease chronic back pain and cut opioid use

NCT ID NCT05206630

Symptom relief Sponsor: Northwestern University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether starting physical therapy in the emergency department helps people with chronic low back pain. 128 adults were randomly assigned to receive either usual care or physical therapy that included exercise, education, and a home plan. The goal was to see if this approach improves daily functioning and reduces reliance on opioid pain medication.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
physical therapy
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a way to start physical therapy right in the emergency department, helping people with chronic low back pain move better and possibly use fewer painkillers.
What could go wrong
This is a small, completed trial with 128 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The therapy was only available during certain hours, which limits its real-world use.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

128 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jan 2022

Finished

Jul 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 18 years * Low back pain (originating between 12th rib and buttocks) * Evaluated by a physician randomized to either study arm * Evaluated when ED physical therapy is available (e.g., Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm) * Likely to be discharged home (based on physician assessment) * Ability to complete follow-up data collection electronically or by telephone * English-speaking Exclusion Criteria: * Enrollment in the main trial (NEED-PT, NCT04921449) * Serious red-flag signs/symptoms (bladder/bowel incontinence, saddle anesthesia, debilitating motor weakness) * Obvious non-musculoskeletal etiology for low back pain (e.g., shingles, kidney stone) * Other concomitant injuries or pain (e.g., closed head injury, shoulder pain) * Unable to ambulate at baseline * Known pregnancy, under police custody, unable to consent

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Low back pain are added.

Vår säkerhetsrekommendation!

Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome Emergencies Low Back Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Low back pain

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Northwestern Memorial Hospital

    Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.