An important aspect of a positive physical therapy experience often begins with a patient’s confidence in their physical therapist’s ability to understand the reason they are in pain.

Patients who receive more education from their therapists are more likely to perceive their therapy as successful, even when their outcomes are the same as those who do not receive as much information.

As therapists, it is important that we not only understand the pathology, mechanism of injury, and prognosis of their symptoms but also that we are able to convey this knowledge to our patients in a manner they understand, regardless of their prior level of comprehension.

Understanding the Causes of Low Back Pain

An article published in the November 2015 issue of ‘Spine’ tapped into this theory, focusing on the correlation between patient and practitioner views on environmental or mechanical triggers for onset of the patient’s low back pain. The study asked 102 physical therapists what they considered to be likely contributors to short-term acute low back pain. It also asked 999 recent low back pain patients what they considered to be contributory to their low back pain. All responses were then coded and categorized.

Results of this study showed that each group ranked biomechanical factors as the leading cause, (87% of patients; 89% of physical therapists). Similarly, both patients and PTs’ considered lifting, bending, and prolonged sitting as three of the top five contributors in the biomechanical factor category.

Overall, the patients and physical therapists had strikingly similar responses regarding the prevalence of risk-factors of low back pain. There were some differences, however, where physical therapists considered unaccustomed activities and physical trauma to be more of a contributor to low back pain, and patients perceiving sports injuries and posture to be a higher contributor.

This study supports the notion that patients and physical therapists frequently and consistently agree on the causality of low back pain pathology, but that agreement does not substitute for proper education of each patient. That’s why it is important to us at SET Physical Therapy that our patients feel empowered to ask us many questions to reach a true understanding of their body and/or injury, as well as ensuring their treatment is efficient and successful.

To read more on this article, visit the American Physical Therapy Association or check out the research article abstract.