Wikström-Grotell C1
1Arcada UAS, Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
Background: The scientific development of the physiotherapy (PT) profession highlighted a need to define basic concepts and core knowledge of PT. The concept of movement has been in focus for theory development and has been studied from different perspectives. Movement is relatively well understood from a biomedical perspective. The knowledge development has been criticized for being anchored in a narrow natural science and biomedical-oriented paradigm, which does not meet the need for knowledge in the complex PT reality. This has led to a gap between research, education and practice. In PT the natural science concept of movement is relatively well explored, while the broader human science concept of movement is less explicit.
Purpose: This paper highlights the concept of movement as a core concept in PT based on a holistic human science approach. The aim is to deepen the understanding of the concept of movement from the PT perspective, and hence broaden the understanding for the discipline of PT, its paradigm and the complex PT practice. Movement needs to be determined as a scientific ideal concept, which means that new concepts can be introduced in PT practice - thus opening up new approaches in practice and possibilities for further development of the PT territory.
Methods: The study used a model for determining concepts that includes both ontological and contextual concept determination, and aims to reach an understanding of the ontological meaning, substance, form and essence of a concept. The concept of movement was explored from different perspectives: the semantic (literature analysis), the everyday life (analysis ofscientific articles), the professional (analysis of scientific papers), the history of ideas (content analysis of historical literature) as well as PT discipline (analysis of doctoral thesis in PT).
Results: The concept of movement in PT contains both intra- and inter-dynamic dimensions as well as three main categories: value, meaning and feeling. The original basic idea of PT is movement as a cure, which initially was described as a health cure that later developed into a biomedical cure and an exercise cure with different perspectives on man, health and movement. The origin and idea of movement is the natural movement, the alleviation of physical suffering and promotion of health. Natural movement, as a means of strengthening the indwelling forces and the body´s natural healing mechanisms, is included in a humanistic approach to PT.
Conclusion(s): Natural human movement as a basic and core concept in physiotherapy enable a systematic further development of the PT discipline as a human science and can provide for a wider understanding of the complex nature of PT. The study includes a wide range of PT literature and research. Nevertheless, further empirical exploration of the concept of movement from the patient perspective in different contexts is still required.
Implications: The understanding of a broad human science concept of movement in PT serves both physiotherapy practice and education and can decrease the gap between research, education and practice
Keywords: Theory development, Concept analysis, PT paradigm
Funding acknowledgements: No funding acknowledgements
Purpose: This paper highlights the concept of movement as a core concept in PT based on a holistic human science approach. The aim is to deepen the understanding of the concept of movement from the PT perspective, and hence broaden the understanding for the discipline of PT, its paradigm and the complex PT practice. Movement needs to be determined as a scientific ideal concept, which means that new concepts can be introduced in PT practice - thus opening up new approaches in practice and possibilities for further development of the PT territory.
Methods: The study used a model for determining concepts that includes both ontological and contextual concept determination, and aims to reach an understanding of the ontological meaning, substance, form and essence of a concept. The concept of movement was explored from different perspectives: the semantic (literature analysis), the everyday life (analysis ofscientific articles), the professional (analysis of scientific papers), the history of ideas (content analysis of historical literature) as well as PT discipline (analysis of doctoral thesis in PT).
Results: The concept of movement in PT contains both intra- and inter-dynamic dimensions as well as three main categories: value, meaning and feeling. The original basic idea of PT is movement as a cure, which initially was described as a health cure that later developed into a biomedical cure and an exercise cure with different perspectives on man, health and movement. The origin and idea of movement is the natural movement, the alleviation of physical suffering and promotion of health. Natural movement, as a means of strengthening the indwelling forces and the body´s natural healing mechanisms, is included in a humanistic approach to PT.
Conclusion(s): Natural human movement as a basic and core concept in physiotherapy enable a systematic further development of the PT discipline as a human science and can provide for a wider understanding of the complex nature of PT. The study includes a wide range of PT literature and research. Nevertheless, further empirical exploration of the concept of movement from the patient perspective in different contexts is still required.
Implications: The understanding of a broad human science concept of movement in PT serves both physiotherapy practice and education and can decrease the gap between research, education and practice
Keywords: Theory development, Concept analysis, PT paradigm
Funding acknowledgements: No funding acknowledgements
Topic: Professional issues
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: N/A
Ethics committee: N/A
Reason not required: The study is based on analysis of literature
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
