Patients’ Expectations and Experiences of Spinal Mobilisations
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Patients’ Expectations and Experiences of receiving Spinal Mobilisations. A Phenomenological Study.
IRAS ID
122486
Contact name
Clair Hebron
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Brighton
Research summary
Spinal mobilisations are a selection of techniques which are commonly used by physiotherapists in the treatment of patents’ who present with spinal pain or dysfunctions’. Spinal mobilisations require the therapist to physically palpate the patient’s spine in order to locate areas which produce pain and identify any reduction in spinal movement. Mobilisations can then be used as part of the treatment program to reduce the patient’s pain and improve movement. This study will aim to gain an in depth understanding of the expectations and experiences of three patients who have received spinal mobilisations as part of a treatment program.
The patients will be volunteers who have been referred to an outpatient physiotherapy service due to back pain and who have then been identified by their physiotherapist as requiring spinal mobilisations as part of their physiotherapy care. Each patient will take part in three interviews which will explore their thoughts and feelings regarding their experience of spinal mobilisations. The mobilisations will be administered by a Chartered Physiotherapists in an NHS physiotherapy outpatient department as part of their normal care. This study will in no way interfere or alter the normal package of care received by the participants
The reason for this study is to address a gap in the current knowledge regarding spinal mobilisations. In clinical practice the use of mobilisations produce variable levels of success. To date research investigating mobilisations has focused on its physical application and how varying that application can change physiological measures. These studies fail to acknowledge the patients experience in this process and how their expectations may influence the success of the outcome.It is hoped that this study will add to the available research on spinal mobilisations by identifying subjects or themes which could help explain the variable results achieved by them. This may help physiotherapist to apply spinal mobilisations in a way that would improve patient outcomes and make treatment more effective. It may also help identify other areas of future research.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/NW/0592
Date of REC Opinion
8 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion