Introduction

Physiotherapy is a movement and rehabilitation based profession. It is impossible to define a generic role for physiotherapists as they are engaged in all major areas of medical practice. Physiotherapists/physical therapists from all backgrounds have frequent contact with patients in pain; it is estimated that over 90% of all patients seen by physical therapists have pain at presentation.

The original aim of the profession was to return people to function. However, during the period from the 1970s to the early 1990s musculoskeletal therapists shifted from rehabilitation to tissue-specific, modality-focused approaches that were heavily dependent on passive interventions. This trend has recently reversed and resulted in the profession receiving growing attention as a valuable tool in the management of pain.

The various modalities used to treat and manage pain can be broadly divided into passive and active therapies. The evidence base for specific modalities remains weak. The problem in the clinic is that therapists tailor concurrent therapeutic inputs and interventions/exercises to the individual, making it difficult to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention and/or a given dosage/regimen.