Managing low back pain: attitudes and treatment preferences of physical therapists

We surveyed physical therapists about their attitudes, beliefs, and treatment preferences in caring for patients with different types of low back pain problems.

Questionnaires were mailed to all 71 therapists employed by a large health maintenance organization in western Washington and to a random sample of 331 other therapists licensed in the state of Washington.

Responses were received from 293 (74%) of the therapists surveyed, and 186 of these claimed to be practicing in settings in which they treat patients who have back pain. Back pain was estimated to account for 45% of patient visits. The McKenzie method was deemed the most useful approach for managing patients with back pain, and education in body mechanics, stretching, strengthening exercises, and aerobic exercises were among the most common treatment preferences. There were significant variations among therapists in private practice, hospital-operated, and health maintenance organization settings with respect to treatment preferences, willingness to take advantage of the placebo effect, and mean number of visits for patients with back pain.

These variations emphasize the need for more outcomes research to identify the most effective treatment approaches and to guide clinical practice.