Adolescent and Parent Experiences and Perceived Effectiveness of Physical Interventions for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Qualitative Study

IntroductionThere is a paucity of evidence on the effectiveness of physical interventions for chronic musculoskeletal pain affecting adolescents. This study explored adolescent and parent experiences and perceived effectiveness of physical intervention for chronic musculoskeletal pain in the UK.MethodsUsing semi-structured interviews, 21 young people receiving treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain and 21 parents were interviewed regarding their healthcare experiences. Data regarding experiences of physical interventions were analysed in this secondary qualitative analysis using inductive reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsThree themes that captured why adolescents and parents perceived physical interventions to be effective or not were (1) feeling in control, (2) the right person and an explanation that makes sense and (3) make a difference to me not my foot.DiscussionCore concepts that appeared to influence the perceived effectiveness of physical interventions from the perspectives of adolescents and parents included facilitating adolescent autonomy, establishing a therapeutic alliance on the basis of trust and focusing physiotherapy treatment on meaningful participation in life.ConclusionThere were no ideal physical interventions. The themes convey the importance of therapeutic alliance, intervention context and the need for personalised care.