What are participant beliefs regarding physical therapy led treatment? A qualitative study of people living with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome.
Emily Bell, Andrea Mosler, Christian Barton and 5 others
PMID 38838417WHAT IT FOUND
People with hip pain often believe exercise damages their joint, a view reinforced by how clinicians discuss imaging.
They struggle with access due to cost and time, but prefer telehealth and clear education on the poor link between structure and pain.
Key findings
01Participants held strong beliefs that their hip pain was caused by structural damage and that exercise would worsen it, often influenced by how health professionals explained imaging findings.
02Barriers to physical therapy included cost, travel time, and competing life commitments, while facilitators included telehealth options, subsidised care, and clear goal setting.
03Patients expected physical therapy to reduce pain and allow return to activity, but varied widely in their beliefs about the appropriate dose of exercise and the role of adjunct treatments like manual therapy.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (14 participants) and drawn from a specific cohort already recruited for a physical therapy trial, suggesting they may have been more motivated towards conservative care than the general population. All participants were white and from a high-income, metropolitan area in Australia, limiting the generalisability of findings to other cultural or socioeconomic groups. The study did not seek data saturation, which is standard for reflexive thematic analysis but may limit the breadth of themes identified. Interviews were conducted via Zoom during a lockdown, which may have influenced responses compared to face-to-face settings.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these beliefs as evidence that exercise is harmful or that physical therapy is ineffective. These are patient perceptions, not clinical outcomes, and the study did not measure whether addressing these beliefs improved pain or function.