The latest medical research on Osteopath
The research magnet gathers the latest research from around the web, based on your specialty area. Below you will find a sample of some of the most recent articles from reputable medical journals about osteopath gathered by our medical AI research bot.
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Request AccessImpact of Health Education Programme on Adherence to Treatment in Knee Osteoarthritis: An Interventional Study on Egyptian Patients.
Musculoskeletal careTo measure the level of adherence of patients with primary knee osteoarthritis (KOA) to an interventional therapeutic and rehabilitation programme and investigate factors that hinder patients' adherence.
A total of 154 participants with primary knee osteoarthritis (KOA) were divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention protocol included patient education on the nature and treatment of KOA, therapeutic exercise, a weight loss programme for overweight patients, and a physical therapy programme. Participants were followed for 3 months. The Visual Analog Scale for Pain (VAS-p), the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and knee Kellgren-Lawrence OA grading were measured before and after the intervention. Additionally, the Morisky adherence questionnaire and the WHO Multidimensional Framework for factors affecting adherence were assessed.
One fifty four participants with KOA were randomly allocated into intervention and control groups. A low level of adherence was detected in both groups (68.8% in the intervention group vs. 84.4% in the control group). Patients who followed the interventional programme were more adherent. Adherence to therapy was associated with a reduction in the Visual Analog Scale for Pain (VAS-p) (p = 0.016) and improved function as measured by WOMAC (p = 0.018). Factors primarily associated with patient non-adherence included unemployment (67.8%), low income (59.3%), no previous response to therapy (58.5%), less frequent follow-up visits (55.1%), lack of insurance (66.9%), difficult access to services (59.3%), and high cost of services (55.1%).
Adherence to treatment in OA patients is a significant concern and a common problem, appearing to be associated more with socioeconomic factors than with pain and function.
First Contact Physiotherapy: A 4-Year Service Evaluation of UK Primary Care Data.
Musculoskeletal careThe First Contact Physiotherapist (FCP) role offers patients direct access to musculoskeletal (MSK) specialists in primary care settings and is designed to reduce GP workload while providing high-quality care. Despite positive early evaluations of FCP services, there remains a need for up-to-date assessments of their impact.
To evaluate the FCP model of care implemented in an NHS Primary Care Network (PCN) against pre-defined service objectives.
A service evaluation was conducted using data from April 2020 to March 2024. Key performance indicators were based on national FCP evaluation criteria. Data included appointment utilisation, wait times, referral patterns, patient and staff satisfaction surveys, and audit results from clinical data.
Over 4 years, 12,185 patients were seen. Of these, 69% of patients were seen as true first contacts. The majority of patients (86.4%) were managed within primary care, with a referral rate of 8.5% to outpatient physiotherapy and 5.1% to orthopaedics. Patient satisfaction was high, with 82% rating their FCP experience as excellent or outstanding.
This evaluation demonstrates that FCP services provide a viable solution for managing MSK conditions in primary care. Future research should explore the most effective MSK service delivery models and incorporate digital solutions for comprehensive outcome and experience measures.
Physical Activity, Kinesiophobia, Pain Catastrophizing, Body Awareness, Depression and Disease Activity in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Explorative Study.
Musculoskeletal careThe aim was to compare the levels of physical activity, kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, body awareness, and depression in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and to explore the associations between these outcomes and disease activity.
Seventy-eight patients with AS (n = 30) and RA (n = 48) were included. Outcomes were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Body Awareness Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Disease activity levels were determined using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index for AS and the Disease Activity Score 28 score for RA.
AS patients were younger, had a higher proportion of men, and were more physically active than RA patients (p < 0.05). Both groups exhibited high levels of kinesiophobia but low levels of pain catastrophizing, similar body awareness and mild depression scores. Moderate correlations (r ≥ 0.5) were observed between kinesiophobia and depression, body awareness and pain catastrophizing and depression, and pain catastrophizing and disease activity in AS patients. In RA patients, moderate correlations (r ≥ 0.5) were found between kinesiophobia and pain catastrophizing.
Addressing physical activity, kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, body awareness, and depression is important in managing AS and RA patients. Notably, correlations among outcomes differed between groups, with more significant correlations in AS. Further studies are needed to explore these in greater detail.
Attitudes and Beliefs Toward Non-Specific Neck Pain Among Physiotherapists in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Musculoskeletal carePhysiotherapists' attitudes and beliefs play a crucial role in the management and treatment outcomes of non-specific neck pain (NSNP).
To investigate the attitudes and beliefs of physiotherapists in Jordan towards NSNP, and to identify factors influencing these attitudes and beliefs.
A Cross-sectional survey of registered physiotherapists working in Jordan was conducted. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the attitudes and beliefs of physiotherapists towards NSNP. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used.
A total of 301 PTs completed the survey, 155 females (51.56%). Most respondents held bachelor's degrees, with an average of 9.5 ± 6.6 experience years. The total score for PABS-PT (Z = 11.4, p < 0.001) and its BM (Z = +11.9, p < 0.001) and PS (Z = 3.6, p < 0. 001) subscales were significantly positive. The score of the biomedical subscale was more significantly positive than psychosocial subscale. The treatment orientation was positively correlated with education level, and negatively with age and experience. The most reported treatments were manual therapy followed by general exercises and electrical modalities. No significant relationship was observed between treatment orientation and treatment selection.
This study created the initial profile for pain attitudes and beliefs in Jordan. Physiotherapists hold positive attitudes and beliefs towards the NSNP treatment orientations with a superiority of the BM approach. Engaging educational sectors and stakeholders in the current situation of PTs' attitudes and beliefs is important.
Clinical Course and Prognostic Factors of Older Patients With Back Pain and Radiating Leg Pain in General Practice: BACE Cohort Study.
Musculoskeletal carePatients with back pain (BP) and radiating leg pain have poorer clinical outcomes compared to patients with BP alone. We aimed to describe the 1-year clinical course and to identify prognostic factors associated with non-recovery in older BP patients with radiating leg pain.
Patients in the BACE cohort aged >55 years with a new episode of BP and radiating leg pain were included (n = 377). Data on clinical outcomes were collected until 1-year follow-up. Uni- and multivariable regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between potential prognostic factors and three non-recovery outcomes at the 1-year follow-up.
More than half of the patients (65%) did not recover after 12 months. In multivariable analyses, poor self-rated health (odds ratio [OR] 2.34, 95% CI: 1.20-4.56) and BP duration at baseline (OR 1.48, 1.12-1.96) were significantly associated with non-recovery for BP as outcome; age (OR 1.04, 1.03-1.05), smoking (OR 1.14, 1.00-1.30), depressive symptomatology (OR 1.03, 1.02-1.04), kinesiophobia (OR 1.03, 1.02-1.04), poor self-rated health (OR 2.09, 1.83-2.39), baseline disability (OR 1.16, 1.14-1.17), BP duration (OR 1.49, 1.41-1.57), leg pain (OR 1.52, 1.37-1.68), pain during rotation (OR 1.71, 1.53-1.90) and other musculoskeletal complaints (OR 1.34, 1.17-1.52) were associated with disability. No factors were associated with leg pain.
Several prognostic factors were associated with non-recovery in older patients with BP and radiating leg pain. Primary care clinicians should be aware of these factors in managing these patients.
Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Osteoarthritis Knowledge Scale Into Turkish.
Musculoskeletal careThe Osteoarthritis Knowledge Scale (OAKS) is a validated tool for assessing knowledge about hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, to date, there has been no translation and adaptation of the OAKS for the Turkish population.
To translate and cross-culturally adapt the OAKS into Turkish and to assess its psychometric properties in the Turkish population with and without hip or knee OA.
The OAKS was translated following accepted guidelines. A validation study assessed internal consistency, test-retest reliability and measurement error. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to assess the factor structure.
A total of 278 participants (n = 70 with hip OA, n = 105 with knee OA, and n = 103 without OA) were included. Internal consistency was 0.72, 0.79 and 0.79 for participants with hip OA, knee OA, and no OA, respectively. The test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.72 (95% CI; 0.45-0.85), 0.89 (95% CI; 0.82-0.93) and 0.88 (95% CI; 0.79-0.93) for participants with hip OA, knee OA and no OA, respectively. It had three principal components accounting for 57.2% of the total variance.
The Turkish version of the OAKS is a reliable and valid tool for measuring OA knowledge in the Turkish population, including those with and without hip and knee OA. Test-retest reliability was below acceptable levels in the population with hip OA only. Therefore, we recommend that the ICC be interpreted with caution when used in this population.
Drug Survival on First Biologic Therapy Among Late-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Compared to Early-Onset Patients: A Population-Based Cohort Study.
Musculoskeletal careRheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients can be divided according to the age of disease onset and classified as late-onset RA ≥ 60 years old or early-onset RA < 60 years old. Current treatment guidelines do not stipulate any preference regarding the biologic that should be used first in the late-onset group. This study aims to compare the drug survival times on first biological treatment between late and early-onset RA patients.
This is a population based cohort study using the medical records of Leumit healthcare services. We included all eligible RA patients between 2000 and 2017. RA patients were divided into late- and early-onset RA groups and compared according to drug survival time on the first biological therapy.
The final cohort included 3814 RA patients, 2807 (73.6%) of whom had early-onset RA. Overall, biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) were used more often among early-onset compared to late-onset patients (16.9% vs. 7.8%, p < 0.001). Among early-onset patients, etanercept was associated with the longest drug survival time on the first biologic, and adalimumab and infliximab were associated with the longest drug survival times among late-onset patients. No differences were observed in drug survival times between late and early-onset patients on the first bDMARD, except for abatacept and golimumab with longer drug survival time among early-onset patients.
Late-onset RA patients were treated with biologics to a lesser extent than early-onset patients, but no differences were observed in drug survival times at the first bDMARD between the two groups.
The experiences of patients with musculoskeletal conditions accessing first contact physiotherapy practitioner appointments in general practice in the UK: A qualitative study.
Musculoskeletal careFirst Contact Physiotherapy Practitioners (FCPPs) provide expert care for patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in General Practice. Access to FCPPs can facilitate timely care and efficient use of health services. However, there is little evidence about patient experiences of accessing FCPP appointments.
To explore the experiences of patients with MSK conditions who have accessed an FCPP appointment in a General Practice setting in the UK.
Patients with MSK conditions who had experience of accessing FCPP appointments were recruited via social media. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and recorded via MS Teams. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Of 13 patients interviewed, there were 10 females and three males, with an age range between 20 and 80 years. The main themes identified were: (1) Awareness of FCPP, (2) Access routes, (3) Facilitators to access, (4) Barriers to access, (5) Likelihood of re-accessing FCPP. Awareness of FCPP was generally low amongst participants. There were a variety of routes to access FCPP appointments; some were felt to be sub-optimal by participants. Facilitators included quick/easy access to FCPP. Barriers included difficulty contacting General Practitioner (GP) surgeries and public perception of needing to see a GP initially. The likelihood of re-consultation with a FCPP was low when participants had disappointing care experiences.
This study provides new evidence about patient experiences of accessing FCPP. It explores positive and negative aspects of access from patients' perspectives. It also highlights areas for improvement in terms of GP staff/patient awareness and understanding of FCPP.
Patient perspectives of general practice consultation for musculoskeletal disorders: A qualitative study.
Musculoskeletal careMusculoskeletal disorders (MSKDs) are a significant reason for general practice consultations in the United Kingdom. Current models of care include consultation with a General Practitioner (GP) or a First Contact Physiotherapy Practitioner (FCPP). Evidence suggests that FCPP led care is safe, yet it is unknown whether patients share this belief.
To explore patients' perspectives of general practice consultation for MSKDs, including views on safety, satisfaction and recommendations for future practice.
A secondary data analysis utilising qualitative data from the Patient Reported Experiences and Outcomes of Safety in Primary Care (PREOS-PC) questionnaire completed by 426 general practice patients who consulted with a MSKD between December 2019 and October 2022. Responses to the question 'What changes, if any, would you suggest to your GP surgery to make sure that health care is provided safely?' were analysed using content analysis.
606 responses across three timepoints were analysed. Two themes and six subthemes were identified; views on safety and satisfaction (inherent trust in the system, provision of face-to-face appointments, prompt access to care, person-centred care) and recommendations for future practice (appointment system: prompt access to face-to-face appointments, delivery of care: co-ordinated and collaborative person-centred care).
Patients commented that FCPP consultations provided quick and accurate diagnoses and targeted advice. Recommendations for future practice included prompt access to face-to-face appointments, phone calls to be answered more quickly, improved communication for test results and follow ups, patients to feel listened to with a more individualised approach, and better continuity of care.
How and why do people with chronic low back pain modify their physical activity? A mixed-methods survey.
Musculoskeletal careThis study investigated the impact of Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) on individuals' physical activity (PA) behaviours, specifically, how they modify, cease, or continue PA when experiencing CLBP. The primary aim was to explore the relationship between CLBP and PA and how this is influenced in different contexts (e.g., necessity of a task).
A mixed-methods survey was administered to 220 participants, including self-reported outcomes, and capturing responses to three distinct questions related to PA and CLBP. The data was analysed via a content analysis.
The findings revealed that individuals with CLBP are most likely to modify PA in work-related contexts and least likely to cease it in the same setting. Housework emerged as the most common domain for cessation of PA, while work/study activities were predominantly continued. Reasons for these trends were typically task-based rather than health or enjoyment based and influenced by the perceived necessity of the task in question.
The study highlights the role of occupational and educational settings in individual responses to CLBP. The findings also highlight a gap in public awareness regarding effective CLBP management strategies, emphasising the need for increased education and awareness programs.
An exploration of low back pain beliefs held by health care professionals in Northern America.
Musculoskeletal carePrior research demonstrated that people in the United States and Canada (Northern America) hold predominantly biomedical beliefs about Low back pain (LBP); such beliefs were attributed to healthcare professionals (HCP). Further investigation is needed to understand HCP' LBP beliefs, preferred management strategies, and sources of beliefs.
Participants were recruited via social media to complete a qualitative cross-sectional online survey. The survey was distributed to assess LBP beliefs in a U.S. and Canadian-based clinician population. Participants answered questions about the cause of LBP, reasons for recurrence or persistence, use of imaging, management strategies, and sources of beliefs. Responses were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis.
One hundred and sixty three participants were included, reporting multiple causes for LBP. However, many references were anchored to biological problems. When psychological variables were mentioned, it typically involved patient blaming. Like prior research studies, minimal attention was given to societal and environmental influences. Management strategies often aligned with guideline care except for the recommendation of inappropriate imaging and a reliance on passive interventions.
These findings align with prior research studies on general population beliefs, demonstrating a preference for biological causes of LBP. Further updates are needed for clinical education, while future studies should seek to assess the translation of clinician beliefs into clinical practice and health system constraints.
Exploring the potential extended role of community pharmacy in the management of osteoarthritis: A multi-methods study with pharmacy staff and other healthcare professionals.
Musculoskeletal careOsteoarthritis is the commonest form of chronic joint pain, which patients often self-manage before seeking healthcare advice. Patients frequently seek advice from community pharmacies, and a recent policy has recommended integrating community pharmacies into long-term condition pathways. This study explored community pharmacy teams' (CPs) and other healthcare professionals' (HCPs) views on community pharmacies providing an extended role for osteoarthritis management, identifying potential barriers and facilitators to this.
A multi-methods study comprising surveys of CPs and other HCPs, followed by qualitative interviews. Descriptive statistics were used in an exploratory analysis of the survey data. Qualitative data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and the identified barriers and facilitators were mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework.
CPs and other HCPs in the surveys and interviews reported that an extended role for osteoarthritis management could include: a subjective assessment, explaining the joint problem and its treatment, medication management and support for self-care. There was less consensus on diagnosing the problem as OA and completing an objective assessment. A key facilitator was training to deliver the role, whilst barriers were high workload and lack of access to General Practitioner medical records.
CPs are well placed to contribute towards evidenced-based osteoarthritis management. Feasibility testing of delivering the extended role is needed and future implementation requires training for CPs and raising public awareness of the extended role.
