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Can a quick PT session in the ER ease back pain and cut opioid use?

NCT ID NCT04921449

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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 having a physical therapist treat people with sudden low back pain right in the emergency department can help them feel better and use fewer painkillers. 360 adults with back pain for less than 30 days took part. Some got usual care (medication, advice), while others also got physical therapy including exercises and education. The goal was to see if this approach improves daily function and reduces opioid use.

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 (exercise, education, home exercise plan)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a way to reduce pain and disability without relying on opioids for people with sudden low back pain.
What could go wrong
This is a completed trial, but the approach may not work for everyone. It was only tested in one hospital during weekday hours, so results may not apply to all settings.

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

360 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jul 2021

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) * Symptom duration ≤ 30 days (current episode) * 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: * Chronic low back pain or prior lumbar surgery * 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

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

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.