The Relationship between Physiotherapist and Patient: A Qualitative Study on Physiotherapists’ Representations on This Theme

Abstract

The physiotherapist represents a resource for the psychophysical well-being of an individual. Specific characteristics of the physiotherapist–patient relationship can influence the outcome of rehabilitation. This study aimed to explore physiotherapists’ representations on how they perceive their relationship with their patients, in order to highlight helpful elements in promoting the outcome of the intervention. In this study, 50 physiotherapists (27 females and 23 males; mean age = 42 years; sd = 12.2) participated in an individual interview, conducted remotely via videocall. Socio-demographic and occupational data were collected. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. Texts were analyzed using emotional text mining (ETM). Participants organized their work by means of three categories: (1) work with the patient, in which the physiotherapists described two complementary elements of the therapy, which are the observable-technical aspects of their work and the internal predispositions; (2) the healing process, highlighting the aims of their intervention, including the physical pathology and the relationship with the patients; (3) physiotherapist as a psychologist, describing the attempt to understand patients’ emotional experience to gradually transition to the practical intervention. Understanding the emotional and relational processes that form the basis of physiotherapist practice can contribute to the development of interventions in which the body and the mind can be integrated, resulting in a real person-centered point of view.