Beliefs, Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behaviors of Physical Therapists Towards Differential Diagnosis in Chronic Neck Pain Etiology
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Participants
2.2. The Questionnaire
2.3. Statical Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Overall (n = 80) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Variable | n | % | |
Gender | Male | 55 | 68.7 |
Female | 35 | 31.3 | |
Age (years) | <25 | 12 | 15.0 |
25–40 | 45 | 56.3 | |
40–60 | 19 | 23.75 | |
>60 | 4 | 5 | |
Work experience * (years) | 10.9 ± 8.7 | ||
Postgraduate studies | 52 | 65.0 | |
| 1 | 1.3 | |
| Never | 39 | 48.8 |
Last year | 13 | 16.3 | |
Last 5 years | 28 | 35.0 | |
| Never | 37 | 46.8 |
Last year | 14 | 17.7 | |
Last 5 years | 28 | 35.4 | |
Self-training | Never | 11 | 13.8 |
Occasionally | 35 | 43.8 | |
Regularly | 34 | 42.5 |
Overall (n = 80) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Variable | n | % | |
Incidence of patients with CNP | 0–10% | 23 | 28.8 |
11–20% | 35 | 43.8 | |
21–30% | 16 | 20.0 | |
31–40% | 5 | 6.3 | |
>50% | 1 | 1.3 | |
Familiarization with CNP red flags | Not familiar | 9 | 11.3 |
Moderately familiar | 49 | 61.3 | |
Highly familiar | 22 | 27.5 | |
Frequency of identification of red flags in clinical practice | Never | 10 | 12.5 |
Once a month | 43 | 53.8 | |
1–3 times a month | 19 | 23.8 | |
>3 times a month | 8 | 10.0 | |
Use of specific exclusion tests for red flags | 42 | 53.2 | |
Variety of systems evaluated | One assessment type | 15 | 37.5 |
Two assessment types | 15 | 37.5 | |
Three assessment types | 10 | 25.0 | |
Familiarization with factors contributing to CNP | Not familiar | 5 | 6.3 |
Moderately familiar | 40 | 50.0 | |
Highly familiar | 35 | 43.8 | |
Frequency of identification of factors contributing to CNP (social, environmental, and cognitive-behavioral) | Never | 4 | 5.0 |
One time per quarter | 3 | 3.8 | |
1–3 times a month | 19 | 23.8 | |
>3 times a month | 54 | 67.5 | |
Use of specific test to assess CNP factors | 6 | 7.5 | |
Confidence in differential diagnosis of CNP | Not Confident | 6 | 7.5 |
Moderately Confident | 21 | 26.3 | |
Confident | 45 | 56.3 | |
Highly Confident | 8 | 10.0 | |
Frequency of performing specific tests for the differential diagnosis of CNP | Never | 6 | 7.5 |
Rarely | 12 | 15.0 | |
Sometimes | 16 | 20.0 | |
Often | 22 | 27.5 | |
Always | 24 | 30.0 | |
Number of CNP specific tests used | None | 2 | 2.9 |
One test | 20 | 29.4 | |
Two tests | 17 | 25.0 | |
Three tests | 16 | 23.5 | |
Four tests | 12 | 17.6 | |
Five tests | 1 | 1.5 | |
Tests used for differential diagnosis | One test | 27 | 65.9 |
Two tests | 11 | 26.8 | |
Three tests | 2 | 4.9 | |
Four tests | 1 | 2.4 | |
Use of specific classifications for CNP | 6 | 7.5 |
Overall (n = 80) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Variable | n | % | |
Identification process of differential diagnosis | 64 | 80.0 | |
Items included in the differential diagnosis | Exclusion of red flags | 74 | 92.5 |
Identification of factors contributing to pain | 62 | 77.5 | |
Identification of elements involved in the patient’s symptoms. | 70 | 87.5 | |
Use of a classification | 29 | 36.3 | |
Dominant underlying dysfunction pattern | Myofascial tissue | 30 | 39.0 |
Neural tissue | 38 | 49.4 | |
Neurocentral factors | 35 | 45.5 | |
Sensor and motor control dysfunction | 46 | 61.3 | |
Biopsychosocial factors | 6 | 7.5 | |
Importance of differential diagnosis in the choice of treatment | Not important | 0 | 0.0 |
Slightly important | 0 | 0.0 | |
Moderately Important | 13 | 16.3 | |
Important | 40 | 50.0 | |
Highly Important | 27 | 33.8 | |
Importance of differential diagnosis in CNP recovery | Not important | 0 | 0.0 |
Slightly important | 4 | 5.0 | |
Moderately important | 12 | 15.0 | |
Important | 38 | 47.5 | |
Highly important | 26 | 32.5 |
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Vigier-Fretey, C.S.; Granados-Santiago, M.; Raya-Benitez, J.; Zamora-Tortosa, J.; Heredia-Ciuro, A.; Valenza, M.C. Beliefs, Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behaviors of Physical Therapists Towards Differential Diagnosis in Chronic Neck Pain Etiology. Hospitals 2025, 2, 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/hospitals2010007
Vigier-Fretey CS, Granados-Santiago M, Raya-Benitez J, Zamora-Tortosa J, Heredia-Ciuro A, Valenza MC. Beliefs, Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behaviors of Physical Therapists Towards Differential Diagnosis in Chronic Neck Pain Etiology. Hospitals. 2025; 2(1):7. https://doi.org/10.3390/hospitals2010007
Chicago/Turabian StyleVigier-Fretey, Camille Suzanne, Maria Granados-Santiago, Julia Raya-Benitez, Jesus Zamora-Tortosa, Alejandro Heredia-Ciuro, and Marie Carmen Valenza. 2025. "Beliefs, Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behaviors of Physical Therapists Towards Differential Diagnosis in Chronic Neck Pain Etiology" Hospitals 2, no. 1: 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/hospitals2010007
APA StyleVigier-Fretey, C. S., Granados-Santiago, M., Raya-Benitez, J., Zamora-Tortosa, J., Heredia-Ciuro, A., & Valenza, M. C. (2025). Beliefs, Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behaviors of Physical Therapists Towards Differential Diagnosis in Chronic Neck Pain Etiology. Hospitals, 2(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/hospitals2010007