Many doctors who follow a holistic treatment approach in medication and pain management, may recommend that opioids should not be the first and only method in treating pain. In fact, a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association supports this approach: researchers found that patients who were treated by a physical therapist immediately following their diagnosis for the four most common conditions – knee pain, back pain, neck pain, and shoulder pain – were less likely to be prescribed opioids later in their treatment episode. The bottom line is that early physical therapy could be a viable option for a number of conditions, especially if it prevents long-term opioid use as a treatment goal. Physical therapists help empower patients to be active participants in their own treatment plan, helping reduce pain and helping a patient on their road to recovery.