Who Are the Experts? — Low Back Pain
This is part of our “Who Are the Experts?” series — where we pull the research from PubMed, the world’s largest database of peer-reviewed medical studies, and let the numbers answer a simple question: which profession is actually leading the research on treating your pain?
We have all been there. It hurts when you bend down. Maybe it’s shooting pain down your leg. You can’t roll over in bed without bracing yourself. You’re afraid to tie your shoes.
Or maybe it’s your kid. Your son comes home from football practice and his back is locking up. Your daughter walks in from volleyball grabbing the right side of her low back.
So what do you do? Who do you call? For most people, the answer is their doctor. Maybe a chiropractor. Maybe an orthopedic surgeon if it’s bad enough. Physical therapist? Almost never.
The Search
I searched PubMed — the largest database of peer-reviewed medical research in the world, maintained by the National Institutes of Health. Every study listed has been reviewed by other scientists before publication.
I looked at two things. First, the numbers: “[profession]” + “low back pain” — same search, same database, same rules, for every profession that treats back pain. Second, the quality: where each profession publishes, and whether anyone outside that profession actually reads it.
The Results
Source: PubMed. Data as of April 2026.
Physical therapy has published more peer-reviewed studies on low back pain than chiropractic, orthopedic surgery, and primary care combined — and nearly twice as many as pain management.
Where They Publish
Journal quality is measured by impact factor — how often other researchers cite that journal. Higher means more trusted, more scrutinized, harder to get published in.
PT publishes in the same journals that orthopedic surgeons and pain physicians read. Chiropractic research mostly appears in journals that only chiropractors read.
So What Does This Mean for You?
90% of low back pain resolves with conservative care. No surgery. No injections. No imaging.
The profession that has published 5,892 studies on how to do exactly that — and publishes them in the journals that the rest of medicine actually reads — is physical therapy.
In the United States, these are Doctors of Physical Therapy. Their training is built on evidence-based practice — meaning the standard is to follow clinical research-based evidence guidelines. The same research you see in the numbers above is what drives how they are trained to examine and treat you.
The good news is now you know. And in Wisconsin, you can access one directly — no referral needed.
PT First
Wisconsin is a direct access state. You can call a Doctor of Physical Therapy today and be seen — often the same day. No referral. No MRI. No waiting. Same insurance billing whether you have a referral or not.
The next time you or a family member experiences low back pain, remember what profession is leading the charge. Be your own advocate. See a PT first.
Physical therapy is the best-kept secret in American healthcare.
The profession that produces more clinical research on musculoskeletal pain than any other is also the one most people never think to call first.
Jedd Wellenkotter, PT, DPT, MS, EPC
Co-Owner | Head of Clinical Operations & Technology
Doctor of Physical Therapy, exercise scientist, and the developer behind Return+ and Lune.