Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39514128›Full record

ArticleSchmerz (Berlin, Germany)2025

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

T Reißner, A Bassimtabar

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Article in Schmerz (Berlin, Germany), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Observational
4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

T ReißnerFachbereich Gesundheit und Soziales, Hochschule Fresenius München, Charles-de-Gaulle-Straße 2, 81737, München, Deutschland.
A BassimtabarFachbereich Gesundheit und Soziales, Hochschule Fresenius München, Charles-de-Gaulle-Straße 2, 81737, München, Deutschland. info@ahura-pt.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPain 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.

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

methodAn 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.

resultsThe 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).

conclusionThe 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.

Indexed as

Clinical CompetenceMusculoskeletal PainPain ManagementPhysical TherapistsAdultAttitude of Health PersonnelFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedPain MeasurementPatient-Centered CareSurveys and QuestionnairesBiopsychosocialEvaluationNeurophysiologyPain educationPain knowledge

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.