NZ physios may lag behind in beliefs on self-managing back pain, small study finds

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-02-17 12:00

New Zealand

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Some physiotherapists lack awareness of the latest research on how low back pain develops, and what patient “self-management” involves, according to interviews with 17 New Zealand physios in private practice. Most thought that a pain episode should resolve within 6-12 weeks, whereas it's now known that only a third of people with low back pain recover within 12 weeks. Many of these physios tended to attribute persisting or recurring pain to the person’s failure to follow treatment, overlooking social and economic factors that contribute to ill-health. These physios felt threatened by self-management concepts, so the authors want to see more education and reflection on professional identity to fully support self-managing low back pain.