Pain Neurophysiology Knowledge Enhances Attitudes toward Biopsychosocial Management of Low Back Pain among Japanese Physical Therapists

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to investigate whether a postgraduate academic degree, longer clinical experience, and pain neurophysiology knowledge influence attitudes toward the balance between biomedical and biopsychosocial management of low back pain (LBP).

Methods: Ninety Japanese physical therapists completed the revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (revised NPQ), the Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapists (PABS-PT) questionnaire, and a survey on their degree qualifications and clinical experience. Their attitudes toward the balance between biomedical and biopsychosocial management of LBP were assessed using the mean biomedical scale scores divided by the mean biopsychosocial scale scores of the PABS-PT. Multiple regression modeling of the attitudes toward the balance between biomedical and biopsychosocial management of LBP was carried out using three independent variables: possession of an undergraduate or postgraduate academic degree, length of clinical experience, and the score on the revised NPQ.

Results: Of the 90 therapists, 72 had an undergraduate degree and 18 also had a postgraduate degree. Only the revised NPQ score (β=−0.364, P <0.001) was a statistically significant contributing factor to attitudes toward the balance between biomedical and biopsychosocial management of LBP (R²=0.14). Neither having a postgraduate degree (β=0.017, P=0.871) nor the length of clinical experience (β=−0.107, P=0.303) had a significant effect.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated that pain neurophysiology knowledge, but not the possession of a postgraduate academic degree or the length of clinical experience, promotes attitudes toward biopsychosocial management of LBP among Japanese physical therapists.