Sample Solution

The PICOT question I have chosen to focus on is: “In patients aged 65 and over with lower back pain, what is the effectiveness of physical therapy compared to other conservative treatments in reducing pain levels after 12 weeks?” To answer this question, a literature review was conducted using the following scholarly sources, all published within the last five years.

The first source examined was an article by Brown et al (2020) which assessed how effective physical therapy treatment can be for older adults who suffer from chronic low-back pain. The study found that physical therapy could reduce pain levels by up to 50% and improve overall functional ability by 68%. Furthermore, it concluded that exercises designed specifically for strengthening core muscles were particularly beneficial in improving patient mobility and decreasing the risk of falls.

A second source reviewed was a systematic review conducted by Zhang et al (2018) which looked at several studies concerning non-surgical interventions for treating low back pain in elderly individuals. The authors concluded that both individualized exercise programs as well as interdisciplinary rehabilitation approaches had positive effects on patient outcomes such as reduced disability, improved quality of life, and decreased medication use.

Finally ,the third source analyzed was an article authored by Shamsi et al (2016). This study measured the efficacy of physical therapy combined with medications versus medications alone in managing chronic low-back pain among elderly participants. Results indicated that those who participated in physical therapy experienced greater reductions in pain intensity than those who only took medication.

Overall ,the evidence suggests that physical therapy can be an effective treatment option for reducing lower back pain among seniors . While further research needed fully assess its long term benefits combining therapies such exercises medications may result most successful outcomes .