How Do Physiotherapists Explain Influencing Factors to Chronic Low Back Pain? A Qualitative Study Using a Fictive Case of Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain.
behaviour; belief; biopsychosocial; chronic; physiotherapy; Humans; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Attitude of Health Personnel; Physical Therapists/psychology; Low Back Pain/etiology; Low Back Pain/psychology; Chronic Pain/psychology; Chronic Pain; Low Back Pain; Physical Therapists; Pollution; Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Abstract :
[en] [en] BACKGROUND: While pain is influenced by multiple factors including psychosocial factors, previous research has shown that physiotherapists still favour a biomedical approach.
PURPOSE: To evaluate: (1) how physiotherapists explain the patient's chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP); (2) whether physiotherapists use one or multiple influencing factors, and (3) whether these factors are framed in a biopsychosocial or biomedical approach.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This exploratory qualitative study uses a vignette depicting chronic non-specific LBP and employs a flexible framework analysis. Physiotherapists were asked to mention contributing factors to the pain based on this vignette. Five themes were predefined ("Beliefs", "Previous experiences", "Emotions", "Patients behaviour", "Contextual factors") and explored.
RESULTS: Physiotherapists use very brief explanations when reporting contributing factors to chronic pain (median 13 words). Out of 670 physiotherapists, only 40% mentioned more than two different themes and 2/3rds did not see any link between the patients' misbeliefs and pain. Only a quarter of the participants mentioned the patient's worries about pain and movement, which is considered to be an important influencing factor.
CONCLUSION: The lack of a multifactorial approach and the persistent biomedical beliefs suggest that it remains a challenge for physiotherapists to fully integrate the biopsychosocial framework into their management of chronic LBP.
Disciplines :
Orthopedics, rehabilitation & sports medicine
Author, co-author :
Vanderstraeten, Rob ; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy (MOVANT), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
Fourré, Antoine ; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy (MOVANT), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium ; Department of Neurosciences, Université de Mons, 7000 Mons, Belgium
Demeure, Isaline; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy (MOVANT), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
Demoulin, Christophe ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la motricité > Kinésithérapie spécifique et réadaptation motrice ; Faculty of Motricity Sciences, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Michielsen, Jozef; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy (MOVANT), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium ; Anatomy and Research Centre (ASTARC), University Hospital of Antwerp, Antwerp Surgical Training, 2650 Antwerp, Belgium
Anthierens, Sibyl ; Department of Family Medicine and Population Health (FAMPOP), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
Bastiaens, Hilde ; Department of Family Medicine and Population Health (FAMPOP), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
Roussel, Nathalie ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la motricité ; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy (MOVANT), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
Language :
English
Title :
How Do Physiotherapists Explain Influencing Factors to Chronic Low Back Pain? A Qualitative Study Using a Fictive Case of Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain.
Publication date :
16 May 2023
Journal title :
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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