Abstract
Background
Low back pain is a common condition amongst Armed Services personnel and can have significant impact upon their ability to undertake military duties, including being deployed into austere environments.
Methods and results
This was a qualitative study of 16 military physiotherapists exploring their attitudes and beliefs towards management of low back pain. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and transcribed. The transcripts were analysed using a method of thematic content analysis. Six themes were identified; military culture, occupational issues, continuing professional development, clinical reasoning, need for a cure and labelling the patient. The highly challenging occupational demands placed on military patients appeared to prompt physiotherapists to request radiological investigations at an earlier stage than recommended in current guidelines. Justification for early investigation was considered to be both in the patients' and the Armed Services best interests, for the patient to initiate treatment with minimum delay whilst also decreasing the number of personnel unable to deploy for medical reasons.
Conclusion
Obtaining investigative procedures at an early stage of the patients' management was justified by reference to the highly demanding physical duties undertaken by service personnel. The military physiotherapists' were very well informed about occupational demands placed on their patients; in this instance results from radiological investigations were used to inform not only the clinical management but more significantly the occupational management. The military physiotherapists regard for the significance of occupational factors sets them apart from those in civilian practice where management is predominantly based on clinical features alone.
Conflicts of interest - None
Sources of funding - None
It is confirmed that this abstract has not been published in whole or substantial part nor has it been presented previously at a national meeting.
