Musculoskeletal Pain: Current and Future Directions of Physical Therapy Practice

Brona M Fullen; Harriet Wittink; An De Groef; Morten Hoegh; Joseph G McVeigh; Denis Martin; Keith Smart

doi:10.1016/j.arrct.2023.100258

Musculoskeletal Pain: Current and Future Directions of Physical Therapy Practice

Arch Rehabil Res Clin Transl. 2023 Feb 1;5(1):100258. doi: 10.1016/j.arrct.2023.100258. eCollection 2023 Mar.

Authors

Brona M Fullen¹, Harriet Wittink², An De Groef^{3

4

5}, Morten Hoegh⁶, Joseph G McVeigh⁷, Denis Martin^{8

9}, Keith Smart¹

Affiliations

¹ UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Ireland.
² Research Centre Healthy and Sustainable Living Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands.
³ Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Leuven, Belgium.
⁴ Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy MOVANT, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
⁵ Pain in Motion International Research Group, www.paininmotion.be.
⁶ Aalborg University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Health Science and Technology, Denmark.
⁷ Discipline of Physiotherapy, School of Clinical Therapies, College of Medicine and Health, University College Cork, Ireland.
⁸ Centre for Rehabilitation, School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, United Kingdom.
⁹ NIHR Applied Research Collaborative North East and North Cumbria, Cumbria, Northumberland, United Kingdom.

Abstract

Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is 1 of the most common problems managed by clinicians in MSK care. This article reviews current frameworks for the assessment and management of MSK pain within evidence-based physical therapy practice. Key considerations related to the biopsychosocial model of pain, evidence-based practice, assessment, treatment, physical activity/movement behavior, risk stratification, communication as well as patient education and self-management skills within physical therapy and physical and rehabilitation medicine are addressed. The future direction of MSK pain management is also discussed, including strategies to promote evidence-based practice, behavior change, social prescribing, and the use of technologies.

Keywords: Biopsychosocial model; Musculoskeletal pain; Physical therapy modalities; Rehabilitation; Therapeutics.