[Current knowledge among German physiotherapists on the subject of pain]

Pain is an omnipresent symptom in the field of musculoskeletal healthcare. Person-centred care in accordance with current scientific recommendations requires comprehensive and evidence-based knowledge about pain. However, there appears to be a lack of knowledge in this area both internationally and nationally.

This study aimed to evaluate the pain-related knowledge and postural-structural-biomechanical (PSB) beliefs regarding pain among physiotherapists practicing in Germany.

An online survey, which included the German version of the revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (rNPQ-D) and the Essential Knowledge of Pain Questionnaire (EKPQ), was answered by n = 105 physiotherapists using SoSci Survey. A satisfactory result is achieved when at least 90% of the participants answer at least eight of the 12 questions correctly. Additionally, the possible influence of the variables 'academic degree' and 'working experience' of the participants on the questionnaire scores was investigated.

The average score of the rNPQ‑D was 70.8 ± 15.4% (95% CI: 67.8-73.8%). The average score of the EKPQ was 51.4 ± 26% (95% CI: 46.4-56.4%). Neither the rNPQ‑D (69.5% of participants; n = 73) nor the EKPQ (30.6% of participants; n = 32) yielded a satisfactory result. The scores of the questionnaires correlated moderately positively and statistically significantly with each other (r = 0.47; p < 0.001). The average score of the EKPQ was significantly lower than the average score of the rNPQ‑D (p < 0.01; d = 0.84). Academically trained therapists achieved higher average scores than those non-academically trained (p < 0.05; rNPQ-D: d = 0.48, EKPQ: d = 0.42). Furthermore, participants with ≤5 years of professional experience achieved significantly higher scores than participants with >5 years of professional experience (p < 0.05; rNPQ-D: d = 0.75; EKPQ: d = 0.68).

The knowledge among physiotherapists in Germany about pain appears to be deficient and strongly PSB-orientated. In addition, academically trained therapists seem to have a more pronounced theoretical and case-related knowledge of pain compared to graduates of vocational physiotherapy training programmes. To ensure successful and effective future treatment of individuals experiencing pain, it is imperative to systematically investigate the potential causes of such deficits. Physiotherapeutic pain care in Germany should strive for a systemic change in favour of evidence-based practice.