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Low back pain LBP is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders worldwide. Although LBP is the most frequent diagnosis resulting in physical therapy treatment, information on the current management of patients with LBP and guideline adherence is limited.
Participants were recruited using a snowball sampling approach and invited to complete the questionnaire. Guideline adherence was evaluated by comparing the survey findings with the recommendations of the NVL. In total, physical therapists 41 years of age SD 11 ; female, male; 16 years of clinical experience SD 10 completed the survey. The guideline adherence across the entire management process i. German physical therapists predominantly provide active interventions, e. Massage and Kinesio Taping were frequently used despite being not recommended.
Widespread employment of implementation strategies and removal of existing barriers against the application of evidence-based guidelines could facilitate the transfer of scientific evidence into clinical practice and contribute to optimize the quality of health care. Low back pain LBP is defined as pain or discomfort in the lumbosacral region, localised below the last rib and above the gluteal crease, with or without referred leg pain [ 1 , 2 ]. While most episodes are short-lasting and without, or with little lasting consequences, recurrent episodes are common and LBP is increasingly being understood as a long-lasting condition with varying trajectories [ 3 ].
As one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders in modern society with a global point prevalence of 9. A biopsychosocial approach is recommended for the assessment and management of non-specific LBP, consisting of self-management, physical and psychological interventions, as well as some forms of complementary medicine [ 9 ].
