Attitudes and beliefs of Brazilian physical therapists about chronic nonspecific low back pain and its impact on clinical decision-making: An Online Survey Study.

INTRODUCTION: Recent clinical practice guidelines recognize the importance of the biopsychosocial model in the management of patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain, and the attitudes and beliefs of physical therapists are believed to directly influence clinical decision-making. OBJECTIVE: To investigate factors associated to biomedical and biopsychosocial approaches and its impact on attitudes and beliefs to treat patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study conducted online with 302 Brazilian physiotherapists who treat patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain. The HC-PAIRS and PABS-PT were used to investigate attitudes and beliefs low back pain. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were performed for association tests, comparing the scores on the scales between groups. In addition, multiple linear regression analyses were also used. RESULTS: The overall mean score of HC-PAIRS was 54.0 (9.0), and the biomedical and biopsychosocial factors of PABS-PT were 29.7 (9.0) and 36.2 (5.3), respectively. Significant associations were identified between gender (p = 0.04) and level of academic training (p < 0.00) and both scales, HC-PAIRS and PABSPT, respectively. CONCLUSION: Sociodemographic characteristics were associated with the beliefs of physical therapists; a higher score for treatment options for chronic low back pain based on the biomedical mode, was observed in female physiotherapist and in physios with higher education level. Variables such as age and length of professional experience indicated that the lower the age and/or length of professional experience of Brazilian physical therapists, the stronger the belief in the relationship between low back pain and tissue damage.

Effectiveness of Manual and Electrical Acupuncture for Chronic Non-specific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is a common condition that can be effectively treated by acupuncture. However, several treatment point prescriptions and further electrical needle stimulation (i.e., local acupoints, distal acupoints, and sensitized acupoints) may be used. There is an implicit yet unexplored assumption about the evidence on manual and electrical stimulation techniques. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to identify effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) and manual acupuncture (MA) on pain and disability in patients with chronic nonspecific low back. METHODS: This study is a randomized controlled clinical trial. Sixty-six patients between 20 and 60 years of age with non-specific chronic low back pain experiencing low back pain lasting for at least the previous three months and ≥3 points on a 10 numerical analogic scale. Patients diagnosed with chronic LBP were assigned to receive either 12 sessions of MA or EA. The primary outcomes measurements were pain intensity on Numeric Rating Scale and disability by Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire. RESULTS: The participants reported improvements post-treatment to pain intensity and disability respectively; however, no differences between groups were observed. Regarding the secondary outcomes, we observed a between-group difference only for kinesiophobia in favor of the manual acupuncture group (difference = -4.1 points, 95% CI = -7.0 to -1.1). The results were maintained after 3 months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: The study provides evidence that EA is not superior to MA treatment. Both therapies had similar efficacy in reducing pain and disability for chronic nonspecific low back pain.

Attitudes and beliefs of Brazilian physical therapists about chronic low back pain: a cross-sectional study / Atitudes e crenças de fisioterapeutas brasileiros em relação à dor lombar crônica: um estudo transversal

OBJECTIVES: To measure the attitudes and beliefs of Brazilian physical therapists about chronic low back pain and to identify the sociodemographic characteristics that are more likely to influence these attitudes and beliefs. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 100 Brazilian physical therapists who routinely work with chronic low back pain patients. The attitudes and beliefs were measured by the Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapists (PABS.PT) and the Health Care Providers' Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS). Multivariate linear regression models were built to identify sociodemographic characteristics that could be associated with physical therapists' attitudes and beliefs. RESULTS: Mean scores on the biomedical and biopsychosocial factors of PABS.PT were 27.06 (SD 7.19) and 24.34 (SD 6.31), respectively, and the mean score on HC-PAIRS was 45.45 (SD 10.45). The score on PABS.PTbiomedical was associated with gender and years of professional experience. No variable was associated with the score on PABS.PTbiopsychosocial. The score on HC-PAIRS was significantly associated with the number of back pain patients seen by the physical therapist each month. These results indicate that male and less experienced physical therapists tend to follow a biomedical approach to the treatment of chronic low back pain patients, and that the lower the professional experience the stronger the belief in the relationship between pain and disability. CONCLUSIONS: Brazilian physical therapists are uncertain of the factors involved in the development and maintenance of chronic low back pain and about the relationship between pain and disability in these patients.

OBJETIVOS: Avaliar as atitudes e crenças de fisioterapeutas brasileiros sobre a dor lombar crônica e identificar características sociodemográficas que as influenciam. MÉTODOS: Este estudo transversal incluiu 100 fisioterapeutas brasileiros que atendem pacientes com dor lombar crônica em sua rotina clínica. As atitudes e crenças foram avaliadas pela Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapists (PABS.PT) e Health Care Providers' Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS). Foram construídos modelos de regressão linear multivariada para verificar as possíveis características sociodemográficas que poderiam estar associadas com as atitudes e crenças dos fisioterapeutas. RESULTADOS: Os escores médios dos fatores biomédico e comportamental da PABS.PT foram 27,06 (DP 7,19) e 24,34 (DP 6,31), respectivamente, e o escore médio da HC-PAIRS foi 45,45 (DP 10,45). O escore do PABS.PT Fator biomédico foi associado com gênero e anos de experiência profissional. Já o escore do PABS.PT Fator comportamental não foi associado com nenhuma variável. O escore do HC-PAIRS foi significativamente associado com o número de pacientes com dor lombar atendido por mês. Esses resultados indicam que fisioterapeutas experientes tendem a seguir uma abordagem biomédica no tratamento de pacientes com dor lombar crônica. Além disso, quanto menor a experiência profissional, mais forte é a crença na relação entre dor e incapacidade. CONCLUSÕES: Os fisioterapeutas brasileiros mostram-se incertos acerca dos fatores que envolvem o desenvolvimento e a manutenção da dor lombar crônica e também sobre a relação entre dor e incapacidade nesses pacientes. Isso põe em questão as atitudes e práticas em relação ao manejo dos pacientes com dor lombar crônica no Brasil.

Attitudes and beliefs of Brazilian physical therapists about chronic low back pain: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To measure the attitudes and beliefs of Brazilian physical therapists about chronic low back pain and to identify the sociodemographic characteristics that are more likely to influence these attitudes and beliefs. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 100 Brazilian physical therapists who routinely work with chronic low back pain patients. The attitudes and beliefs were measured by the Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapists (PABS.PT) and the Health Care Providers' Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS). Multivariate linear regression models were built to identify sociodemographic characteristics that could be associated with physical therapists' attitudes and beliefs. RESULTS: Mean scores on the biomedical and biopsychosocial factors of PABS.PT were 27.06 (SD 7.19) and 24.34 (SD 6.31), respectively, and the mean score on HC-PAIRS was 45.45 (SD 10.45). The score on PABS.PT(biomedical) was associated with gender and years of professional experience. No variable was associated with the score on PABS.PT(biopsychosocial). The score on HC-PAIRS was significantly associated with the number of back pain patients seen by the physical therapist each month. These results indicate that male and less experienced physical therapists tend to follow a biomedical approach to the treatment of chronic low back pain patients, and that the lower the professional experience the stronger the belief in the relationship between pain and disability. CONCLUSIONS: Brazilian physical therapists are uncertain of the factors involved in the development and maintenance of chronic low back pain and about the relationship between pain and disability in these patients.

Clinimetric testing of two instruments that measure attitudes and beliefs of health care providers about chronic low back pain.

BACKGROUND: There are no clinimetrically tested instruments for measuring attitudes and beliefs of health care providers with regards to chronic low back pain in Brazil. OBJECTIVES: To translate and cross-culturally adapt the Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapists (PABS.PT) into Brazilian-Portuguese and to test the clinimetric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese versions of the Health Care Providers' Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS) and the PABS.PT. METHODS: The PABS.PT was cross-culturally adapted following the recommendations of current guidelines. The PABS.PT and the HC-PAIRS were clinimetrically tested in 100 physical therapists who routinely treat patients with low back pain in their clinical practice. The internal consistency, construct validity and ceiling and floor effects were tested using only baseline values from the participants while reproducibility was evaluated in a test-retest design with a seven-day interval. RESULTS: Both scales demonstrated adequate levels of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.67 to 0.74). Their reproducibility ranged from moderate to substantial (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient2,1 ranging from 0.70 to 0.84; Standard Error of the Measurement ranging from 3.48 to 5.06). The validity coefficients of the scales ranged from weak to moderate (Pearson's correlation coefficient ranging from 0.19 to 0.62). No ceiling or floor effects were detected. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study indicate that both PABS.PT and HC-PAIRS are reproducible scales for the measurement of attitudes and beliefs towards chronic low back pain in Brazilian physical therapists.

Testes clinimétricos de dois instrumentos que mensuram atitudes e crenças de profissionais de saúde sobre a dor lombar crônica / Clinimetric testing of two instruments that measure attitudes and beliefs of health care providers about chronic low back pain

CONTEXTUALIZAÇÃO: Não existem instrumentos clinimetricamente testados que mensuram atitudes e crenças de profissionais de saúde sobre a dor lombar crônica no Brasil. OBJETIVOS: Traduzir e adaptar transculturalmente a escala Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapists (PABS.PT) para o português-brasileiro e avaliar as propriedades clinimétricas das versões em português-brasileiro da Health Care Providers' Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS) e da PABS.PT. MÉTODOS: A PABS.PT foi adaptada transculturalmente seguindo recomendações das diretrizes existentes. Em seguida, as versões em português-brasileiro da PABS.PT e da HC-PAIRS foram clinimetricamente testadas em 100 fisioterapeutas que rotineiramente trabalhavam com pacientes portadores de dor lombar em sua prática clínica. A consistência interna, validade do construto e efeitos de teto e piso foram testados utilizando somente as respostas dos participantes na linha de base do estudo, e a reprodutibilidade foi testada em um delineamento de teste-reteste com intervalo de sete dias. RESULTADOS: Os instrumentos apresentaram valores adequados de consistência interna (Alfa de Cronbach variando entre 0,67 e 0,74). Sua reprodutibilidade variou de moderada a substancial (Coeficiente de Correlação Intraclasse tipo 2,1 variando entre 0,70 e 0,84; Erro-Padrão da Medida variando entre 3,48 e 5,06). Os índices de correlação entre os instrumentos variaram de fraco a moderado (Índice de Correlação de Pearson variando entre 0,19 e 0,62). Não foram detectados efeitos de teto e piso nos instrumentos. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados do presente estudo indicam que ambas as escalas PABS.PT e HC-PAIRS são instrumentos reprodutíveis para mensurar as atitudes e crenças relacionadas à dor lombar crônica em profissionais de saúde brasileiros.

BACKGROUND: There are no clinimetrically tested instruments for measuring attitudes and beliefs of health care providers with regards to chronic low back pain in Brazil. OBJECTIVES: To translate and cross-culturally adapt the Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapists (PABS.PT) into Brazilian-Portuguese and to test the clinimetric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese versions of the Health Care Providers' Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS) and the PABS.PT. METHODS: The PABS.PT was cross-culturally adapted following the recommendations of current guidelines. The PABS.PT and the HC-PAIRS were clinimetrically tested in 100 physical therapists who routinely treat patients with low back pain in their clinical practice. The internal consistency, construct validity and ceiling and floor effects were tested using only baseline values from the participants while reproducibility was evaluated in a test-retest design with a seven-day interval. RESULTS: Both scales demonstrated adequate levels of internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.67 to 0.74). Their reproducibility ranged from moderate to substantial (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient2,1 ranging from 0.70 to 0.84; Standard Error of the Measurement ranging from 3.48 to 5.06). The validity coefficients of the scales ranged from weak to moderate (Pearson's correlation coefficient ranging from 0.19 to 0.62). No ceiling or floor effects were detected. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study indicate that both PABS.PT and HC-PAIRS are reproducible scales for the measurement of attitudes and beliefs towards chronic low back pain in Brazilian physical therapists.