Chronic pain--assessment of orthopedic physical therapists' knowledge and attitudes

Advanced Master of Science Program in Physical Therapy, MGH-Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA 02108.

Orthopedic physical therapists' knowledge of pain mechanisms and methods of pain management and their attitudes toward working with patients with benign chronic pain were studied. A random sample of 500 members of the American Physical Therapy Association's Section on Orthopaedics received by mail a 36-item questionnaire. Statistical analysis of scores, using frequencies, means, and correlations was performed on the 119 (23.8%) usable returns. All but 4% of the respondents preferred to work with patients who are not likely to have chronic pain. Seventy-two percent believed their entry-level education in pain management and theory was very inadequate or less than adequate to deal with an orthopedic patient population. Pain knowledge scores were low (35.8 out of 46 points), and the scores on positive attitudes toward treating patients with benign chronic pain were lower (20.5 out of 36 points). The study suggests specific deficiencies in orthopedic physical therapists' knowledge of clinical pain mechanisms and management and potentially undesirable attitudes toward treating patients with chronic pain.