Diabetes-related disability, driven by peripheral neuropathy, balance impairment and mobility loss, contributes substantially to healthcare costs and reduced quality of life. While physiotherapy is clinically recommended, its economic value as a preventive strategy remains under-documented in low- and middle-income settings. This study evaluates the role of physiotherapy in preventing disability among diabetic patients by integrating clinical outcomes with economic indicators using primary OPD-based data. A cross-sectional empirical study was conducted on 87 adult diabetic patients attending a physiotherapy outpatient department. Functional outcomes (balance, mobility, fall incidence) and economic outcomes (out-of-pocket expenditure, hospitalization frequency, productivity loss) were compared between patients receiving physiotherapy and those not receiving regular physiotherapy. Results indicate that patients undergoing physiotherapy demonstrate significantly better balance and mobility, lower incidence of falls and hospitalizations and reduced annual healthcare expenditure despite modest physiotherapy costs. The findings establish physiotherapy as a cost-effective and potentially cost-saving intervention for preventing diabetes-related disability.
Khurshid et al. (2026) studied this question.