International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 2006/03, 9(1):39. doi: 10.1016/j.ijosm.2006.01.017, type of study: ,css,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Full text    (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1746068906000198)

Keywords:

cross sectional study [894]
low back pain [524]
osteopaths [269]
chiropractors [7]
physiotherapists [6]

Abstract:

Introduction Chiropractors, osteopaths and physiotherapists play key roles in the management of low back pain patients in the UK.1 In our previous work we used mixed methods to investigate their cognitions and attitudes to treating back pain.2 We developed and tested a scale, the Attitudes to Back Pain—Musculoskeletal Practitioners Scale, which includes personal and professional subscales.3 Design A cross-sectional questionnaire survey of chiropractors, osteopaths and musculoskeletal physiotherapists (n=900), using the ABS-mp. Methods The ABS-mp was developed from interviews with all three groups. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses produced the final questionnaire. Secondary analyses are presented. Results Sixty-one percent of the sample responded (n=546), after exclusion of outliers and missing values, 465 were used in the final analysis. One hundred and thirty-two were chiropractors (28.4%), 174 were musculoskeletal physiotherapists (37.4%) and 159 were osteopaths (34.2%). Post hoc tests showed that physiotherapists (P=0.013; medium effect size d=0.49) and osteopaths (P<0.001; medium effect size d=0.52) were reported to have limited the number of treatment sessions more than the chiropractors did. There were also significant differences between the groups on the sub-scales Psychological [F(2,340)=7.767; P<0.001], and Confidence and Concern [F(2,337)=6.64; P<0.05]. No significant differences were found for the dimension Re-activation. Significant differences were found for the dimension Biomedical [F(2,337)=4.50; P<0.01] between the three professional groups. Conclusions The study identifies similarities and differences in three professional groups regarding their attitudes to back pain for the first time in a UK population.