Bansal N1, Sharma PC2, Parasher RK3
1GD Goenka University, Gurgaon, India, 2Ansal University, Gurgaon, India, 3Amar Jyoti Institute of Physiotherapy, Delhi, India
Background: Low back pain is reportedly one of the most common musculoskeletal problems that is managed by physiotherapists globally and it constitutes a significant health problem with a heavy economic burden to the patient as well as the community. Studies show that prevalence of LBP among the Indian populations ranges from 6.2% to 92%. The treatment for low back pain, other than conventional physiotherapy (PT) treatment, includes counselling, educational informative sessions, painkillers and exercises under supervision. Furthermore, guidelines for the treatment of low back pain recommend that practitioners identify risk factors and intervene early.
Purpose: In the management of low back pain, it has been suggested that instead of focusing only on conventional management other variables that impact treatment also need to be investigated. Importantly, it has been observed that attitudes and beliefs of a practitioner impacts management the management of LBP and consequently outcomes. A recent study has reported that 10% of musculoskeletal physiotherapists continue to treat patients of subacute back pain, even though they are not responding to the treatment. Accordingly, it has been suggested that factors related to attitudes and beliefs of Indian physiotherapists towards the management of LBP should be comprehensively investigated. Thus, it is believed would facilitate the development and implementation of culturally and socially specific LBP management guidelines.
Methods: The physiotherapist with at minimum one year of work experience after completing their base professional degree were identified and solicited for answering the research survey/questionnaire and the ABS - mp measurement tool. The Online version of the measurement instrument (s) was created with the help of Survey Monkey. The survey was sent electronically to physiotherapists across country. Further, hardcopies were also completed by physiotherapists at conferences and workshops.
Results: Three hundred and nine (309) valid responses were received from all four zones and further analysed. The mean of the total score of the Indian physiotherapists sampled was 95.12 (±12.12), while the mean for the sub-domain, personal interaction was 63 (± 8.4) and treatment orientation was 31.7 (± 5.06).
Conclusion(s): Indian physiotherapist across India, regardless of speciality and who are involved in the management of LBP scored moderately high on the ABS-mp scale. These results suggest that Indian physios are willing to employ a psychological approach, have a preference to continue therapy for longer periods of time, and are open to referring patients to other experts for opinion. Furthermore and interestingly, it appears that physiotherapists, who use primarily a bio-medical approach, promote a fear of avoidance by advising their patients to delay their return to work and limit their physical activity.
Implications: Current research suggests that it's management is diverse and the supportive evidence limited. Increasingly however, the evidence, including information gathered in this study suggests that the effective management of LBP necessitates a multidisciplinary approach - as the disorder directly or indirectly has a psychological as well as a social dimension to it. Accordingly, it is important that clinicians that are actively involved in the treatment of LBP, such as physicians, chiropractors, osteopaths, physiotherapist, psychologists etc., all work as a team.
Keywords: Attitude & Belief, Low Back Pain, Indian Physiotherapists
Funding acknowledgements: Nil
Purpose: In the management of low back pain, it has been suggested that instead of focusing only on conventional management other variables that impact treatment also need to be investigated. Importantly, it has been observed that attitudes and beliefs of a practitioner impacts management the management of LBP and consequently outcomes. A recent study has reported that 10% of musculoskeletal physiotherapists continue to treat patients of subacute back pain, even though they are not responding to the treatment. Accordingly, it has been suggested that factors related to attitudes and beliefs of Indian physiotherapists towards the management of LBP should be comprehensively investigated. Thus, it is believed would facilitate the development and implementation of culturally and socially specific LBP management guidelines.
Methods: The physiotherapist with at minimum one year of work experience after completing their base professional degree were identified and solicited for answering the research survey/questionnaire and the ABS - mp measurement tool. The Online version of the measurement instrument (s) was created with the help of Survey Monkey. The survey was sent electronically to physiotherapists across country. Further, hardcopies were also completed by physiotherapists at conferences and workshops.
Results: Three hundred and nine (309) valid responses were received from all four zones and further analysed. The mean of the total score of the Indian physiotherapists sampled was 95.12 (±12.12), while the mean for the sub-domain, personal interaction was 63 (± 8.4) and treatment orientation was 31.7 (± 5.06).
Conclusion(s): Indian physiotherapist across India, regardless of speciality and who are involved in the management of LBP scored moderately high on the ABS-mp scale. These results suggest that Indian physios are willing to employ a psychological approach, have a preference to continue therapy for longer periods of time, and are open to referring patients to other experts for opinion. Furthermore and interestingly, it appears that physiotherapists, who use primarily a bio-medical approach, promote a fear of avoidance by advising their patients to delay their return to work and limit their physical activity.
Implications: Current research suggests that it's management is diverse and the supportive evidence limited. Increasingly however, the evidence, including information gathered in this study suggests that the effective management of LBP necessitates a multidisciplinary approach - as the disorder directly or indirectly has a psychological as well as a social dimension to it. Accordingly, it is important that clinicians that are actively involved in the treatment of LBP, such as physicians, chiropractors, osteopaths, physiotherapist, psychologists etc., all work as a team.
Keywords: Attitude & Belief, Low Back Pain, Indian Physiotherapists
Funding acknowledgements: Nil
Topic: Education: clinical; Professional issues; Professional practice: other
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: Ansal University
Ethics committee: Institutional Ethics Committee
Reason not required: Since there is no Intervention, Ethical approval is not required.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
