ArticlePhysical therapy2021
Therapeutic Alliance: Patients' Expectations Before and Experiences After Physical Therapy for Low Back Pain-A Qualitative Study With 6-Month Follow-Up.
Article in Physical therapy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The Core Components and Instruments of the Therapeutic Relationship in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy: A Systematic Integrative Review.Musculoskeletal care · 2026Pooled it
- Six-month follow-up results of clinic- and telerehabilitation-based motor control exercises in individuals with chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled trial.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Trial
- Comparative Effectiveness of AI-Assisted Telerehabilitation, Telerehabilitation, In-Person Care, and Usual Care for Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Understanding the treatment journey and experiences of knee osteoarthritis patients receiving standard care in Singapore: a qualitative study.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Person-centred care in chiropractic: a foundational but evolving commitment in contemporary practice.The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association · 2025Article
- Perceptions of Low Back Pain and the Role of Physiotherapy in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study.Musculoskeletal care · 2025Article
- Patient perspectives on low back pain treatment in primary care: a qualitative study of hopes, expectations, and experiences.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2024Article
- The development of working alliance in early stages of care from the perspective of patients attending a chiropractic teaching clinic.Chiropractic & manual therapies · 2024Article
- Psychophysiological biomarkers to assess the effectiveness of surface electromyography biofeedback as an alternative therapy to reduce chronic low back pain: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2024Article
- Patient empowerment: a critical evaluation and prescription for a foundational definition.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- "Restoring That Faith in My Shoulder": A Qualitative Investigation of How and Why Exercise Therapy Influenced the Clinical Outcomes of Individuals With Rotator Cuff-Related Shoulder Pain.Physical therapy · 2023Article
- Randomized-controlled trial assessing a digital care program versus conventional physiotherapy for chronic low back pain.NPJ digital medicine · 2023Article
- Predictors of 1-Year Perceived Recovery, Absenteeism, and Expenses Due to Low Back Pain in Workers Receiving Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy: A Prospective Cohort Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- "I've got a spring in my step" participants experience of action observation therapy and eccentric exercises, a telehealth study for mid-portion Achilles Tendinopathy: a qualitative study.Journal of foot and ankle research · 2023Article
- Where best practice pain care and patient expectations for care meet: Exploring patient expectations around chronic pelvic pain, physiotherapy, and the biopsychosocial model of care.Women's health (London, England)Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe aim of this study was to explore patients' expectations before and experiences after physical therapy for low back pain.
methodsQualitative in-depth, semi-structured interviews with patients attending physical therapy were performed before, immediately after, and 6 months after treatment. Data were analyzed from a hermeneutical perspective with decontextualization, recontextualization, and identification of themes.
resultsPatients' pretreatment expectations to physical therapy focused around exercises and a body-oriented diagnosis. After treatment, reassurance, active listening with explanations, and personally adapted strategies for self-managing pain and regaining control over everyday activity were expressed as decisive for a meaningful therapeutic alliance.
conclusionExpectations before treatment focused on exercises and diagnosis. Empathetic and personally adapted education aimed at empowerment was experienced as a meaningful aspect of the therapeutic alliance after treatment. The therapeutic alliance provided a basis to integrate knowledge on the complexity of pain. IMPACT: Our findings indicate that patients emphasize physical therapists' interactional and pedagogical skills as meaningful aspects of the therapeutic alliance, which has implications for clinical practice and training physical therapist students.
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