The Role and Value of Symptom-Modification Approaches in Musculoskeletal Practice

The diversity of models of care in contemporary musculoskeletal physical therapy can be confusing for patients and practicing clinicians. There is, however, a common theme to many of these seemingly disparate models of care: symptom modification. Symptom modification aims at reducing symptoms and improving function with a variety of clinical approaches. This Viewpoint explores the role of symptom modification in rehabilitation and specifically addresses (1) symptom modification within the kinesiopathological model of pain, (2) symptom modification in clinical practice, and (3) potential commonality in seemingly divergent models of clinical practice. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(6):430-435. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.0608.