Peer-reviewed article
"My aim is to contribute to a meaningful life." Experiences of physiotherapists treating children and adolescents with cerebral palsy experiencing pain-a qualitative study.
Herheim B, Jahnsen RB, Anderzén-Carlsson A ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study explores how physiotherapists experience treating children and adolescents with cerebral palsy who live with pain. Through interviews with eight physiotherapists, the research identifies three key aspects of their practice: using bodily therapeutic work to support wellbeing, managing emotional and ethical challenges when pain cannot always be relieved, and taking an expanded role that considers the whole child's meaningful life and participation. The physiotherapists emphasize the importance of trust, safety and interdisciplinary collaboration in their work.
Key points
- Physiotherapists view pain in cerebral palsy as a biopsychosocial phenomenon requiring a holistic approach
- Core to their practice is establishing safety, trust and respect with the child to facilitate wellbeing through therapeutic body work
- Treating pain in children creates feelings of insecurity, inadequacy and ethical dilemmas when pain cannot be relieved
- Physiotherapists see their role as expanded beyond traditional therapy to that of 'habilitation specialist' contributing to meaningful life and participation
- An interdisciplinary approach is viewed as essential to supporting children's meaningful lives
Limitations
This is a qualitative study of physiotherapists' experiences and perspectives only, not an evaluation of treatment outcomes or effectiveness. The study does not examine whether children's pain or participation actually improved, or include the children's own experiences.
Abstract
Purpose To explore physiotherapists' experiences treating children with CP living with pain and how these experiences influence their clinical practice. Materials and methods Eight individual interviews with physiotherapists were analyzed using systematic text condensation. Results The analysis resulted in three categories: Facilitating wellbeing through bodily therapeutic practice, embracing experiences of the body being a central starting point for interpretation, understanding and treating pain, along with creating an alliance with the child based on safety, trust and respect. Balancing emotional and ethical engagement in clinical practice, focusing on the experienced responsibility to relieve the pain, acknowledging that this was not always possible. Therefore, treating children with pain was associated with feelings of insecurity, inadequacy and ethical dilemmas. Expanding the professional role to contribute to a meaningful life covers experiences of an interdisciplinary approach as the ideal way to contribute to a meaningful life for the child. The physiotherapist's expanded role of a "habilitation specialist" embraced professional knowledge, personal engagement and a holistic perspective. Conclusions Pain in pediatric CP was described as a biopsychosocial phenomenon, encountered through a holistic perspective and expanded role. The physiotherapists believed that they could contribute to a meaningful life filled with activity and participation for the children.