A critical phenomenological investigation in the use of touch as "know how" in practical physiotherapy in primary care with children and adults.
Wenche Schrøder Bjorbækmo, Anne Marit Mengshoel
PMID 36545129WHAT IT FOUND
Physiotherapists in these encounters used touch as embodied know-how: watching small bodily signs, adjusting space and words, and letting patients set boundaries.
The examples show touch as responsive, not a fixed technique.
Key findings
01After a child showed embarrassment, the therapist accepted the reaction and let the situation rest instead of explaining or joking.
02A patient's closing of her hand during head support was interpreted as a sign of pain, discomfort, or unacceptability, and the therapist continued without verbal explanation.
03With another adult, the therapist kept more physical space and used words to explain his intentions.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This is a qualitative phenomenological analysis, not a test of whether touch improves patient outcomes. The findings rest on three selected examples from two small studies, so they show possibilities in those encounters rather than patterns across all physiotherapy. Participants were children aged 4 to 12 with serious congenital heart disorders or motor function disability and adults with chronic neck pain, so the themes may not transfer to other patients or settings. The authors' phenomenological framework shapes the interpretation, and patients' and therapists' accounts may be influenced by being observed.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that touch improves patient outcomes. The paper is a qualitative phenomenological analysis of selected physiotherapy encounters, so it describes how therapists and patients communicated through touch, not whether a touch technique worked.