Exploring how to deliver person-centred physiotherapy with adolescents experiencing musculoskeletal pain: a qualitative study
Exploring how to deliver person-centred physiotherapy with adolescents experiencing musculoskeletal pain: a qualitative study
Musculoskeletal pain in adolescents is common and can become a long-term problem and continue into adulthood. Person-centred care is recognised globally as best practice, but it is unclear how to personalise physiotherapy for adolescents experiencing musculoskeletal pain and injury. The aim was to understand adolescent perspectives on how physiotherapists can deliver person-centred care. A qualitative interview study was undertaken as part of a larger programme of research to design an intervention using the person-based approach. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 11 adolescents (6 young women and 5 young men) aged 14–17 years, receiving physiotherapy at a single NHS site in England. Their perspectives on how best to deliver personalised care within physiotherapy were sought. Six themes were developed from the interview data and portrayed the dynamic nature of person-centred care. These were labelled make it right for me, get to know me, explain to me, encourage me, hear me and let me choose. New perceived needs specific to this population were highlighted. These included recognising the vulnerability and lack of control experiences by adolescents, as well the importance of adults (parents and physiotherapists) acknowledging the extent to which they facilitate or constrain the delivery of person-centred care. Adolescents with non-traumatic musculoskeletal pain expressed different service needs compared to those with traumatic musculoskeletal injuries. However, the need to address the social and emotional impacts of pain, injury, and rehabilitation was universally recognised. The wider programme of research including this qualitative study is registered and listed on the ISRCTN registry with study registration number ISRCTN18918987.
Adolescent, Child, Musculoskeletal, Pain, Physiotherapy, Qualitative
Joslin, Rhiannon
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Roberts, Lisa
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Barker, Mary
374310ad-d308-44af-b6da-515bf5d2d6d2
Donovan-Hall, Maggie
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Harwood, Caroline
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22 October 2025
Joslin, Rhiannon
2724bff5-4248-43db-b2d5-47bc10c1033e
Roberts, Lisa
0a937943-5246-4877-bd6b-4dcd172b5cd0
Barker, Mary
374310ad-d308-44af-b6da-515bf5d2d6d2
Donovan-Hall, Maggie
5f138055-2162-4982-846c-5c92411055e0
Harwood, Caroline
74425e03-dc59-41a0-b93a-dcf6d180579d
Joslin, Rhiannon, Roberts, Lisa, Barker, Mary, Donovan-Hall, Maggie and Harwood, Caroline
(2025)
Exploring how to deliver person-centred physiotherapy with adolescents experiencing musculoskeletal pain: a qualitative study.
Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 80, [103437].
(doi:10.1016/j.msksp.2025.103437).
Abstract
Musculoskeletal pain in adolescents is common and can become a long-term problem and continue into adulthood. Person-centred care is recognised globally as best practice, but it is unclear how to personalise physiotherapy for adolescents experiencing musculoskeletal pain and injury. The aim was to understand adolescent perspectives on how physiotherapists can deliver person-centred care. A qualitative interview study was undertaken as part of a larger programme of research to design an intervention using the person-based approach. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 11 adolescents (6 young women and 5 young men) aged 14–17 years, receiving physiotherapy at a single NHS site in England. Their perspectives on how best to deliver personalised care within physiotherapy were sought. Six themes were developed from the interview data and portrayed the dynamic nature of person-centred care. These were labelled make it right for me, get to know me, explain to me, encourage me, hear me and let me choose. New perceived needs specific to this population were highlighted. These included recognising the vulnerability and lack of control experiences by adolescents, as well the importance of adults (parents and physiotherapists) acknowledging the extent to which they facilitate or constrain the delivery of person-centred care. Adolescents with non-traumatic musculoskeletal pain expressed different service needs compared to those with traumatic musculoskeletal injuries. However, the need to address the social and emotional impacts of pain, injury, and rehabilitation was universally recognised. The wider programme of research including this qualitative study is registered and listed on the ISRCTN registry with study registration number ISRCTN18918987.
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Accepted/In Press date: 15 October 2025
Published date: 22 October 2025
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© 2025 The Authors.
Keywords:
Adolescent, Child, Musculoskeletal, Pain, Physiotherapy, Qualitative
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 506684
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/506684
ISSN: 2468-7812
PURE UUID: e1cd1cf7-b350-4d71-aff3-659e12a916b3
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Date deposited: 13 Nov 2025 17:53
Last modified: 14 Nov 2025 03:03
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Author:
Rhiannon Joslin
Author:
Caroline Harwood
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