The attitudes and beliefs about manual therapy held by patients experiencing low back pain: a scoping review

Manual therapy (MT) is commonly used to manage low back pain (LBP) and involves a complex interaction between the practitioner and patient. Attitudes and beliefs about MT may play a role in the outcomes seen in patients experiencing LBP. However, knowledge of patients' attitudes and beliefs regarding MT is currently limited.

To map the existing published literature on the attitudes and beliefs about MT in patients experiencing LBP.

Scoping Review.

A systematic search was conducted across the PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Scopus databases. Study selection involved screening 1) title and abstracts and 2) full text articles. Data was analyzed to provide a descriptive summary of the studies and to develop themes of patients' attitudes and beliefs about MT.

A total of 767 records were identified from the initial search strategy. Following study selection, 14 articles were included for data analysis. Five themes related to patients' attitudes and beliefs about MT were developed from the existing literature. Attitudes and beliefs about MT are explored and measured inconsistently with only one validated tool available.

MT is believed to be a preferential and effective treatment with accepted levels of post-treatment soreness. This review indicated that patients believe that MT has a biomedical mechanism of action and is suitable for biomedical causes of LBP. Several gaps in the literature are present that require further investigation.