Self‐reported characteristics of people seeking primary care physiotherapy in Denmark: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundLimited knowledge exists on the self‐reported characteristics of patients seeking primary care physiotherapy in Denmark.ObjectivesTo describe primary symptom site, co‐occurrent pain sites, pain intensity, symptom duration, and number of symptom episodes in patients seeking primary care physiotherapy using patient‐reported data.MethodsCross‐sectional study of patients seeking primary care physiotherapy within a nationwide network of clinics in Denmark (FysioDanmark®). Data from the FysioDanmark® clinical database with patient‐reported information obtained from questionnaires distributed to patients prior to their first consultation were used. This included primary symptom site, co‐occurrent pain sites, pain intensity (0–10 numeric rating scale), symptom duration, and number of symptom episodes.ResultsData from 61,097 patients (57% female) aged 42 years (interquartile range 29–53) and 63,566 first visits were included. The most common reasons for seeking care were back‐ (22.9%), non‐specific‐ (19.8%) and shoulder symptoms (15.9%). The majority of patients (89.4%) reported symptoms lasting longer than 7 days, and many experienced recurrent episodes. Median pain intensity ranged from 3 to 5 across primary symptom sites and age groups. In general, females reported higher pain intensity than males.ConclusionDanish patients seeking primary care physiotherapy most commonly presented with back, non‐specific, and shoulder symptoms, with mild‐to‐moderate pain lasting longer than 7 days, and many with recurrent episodes.