Assessment of physiotherapists’ sensitivity to palpation pressure

Abstract

Aim: This study was planned to investigate the pressure sensitivity applied by physiotherapists during palpation and the effect of their experience on palpation sensitivity. Methods: 62 physiotherapists with an age of 31.06 ± 5.29 years and a working experience of 6.88 ± 4.76 years were included in the study. The physiotherapists were divided into two groups: those working in the field of manual therapy and those not working. The participants were asked to apply pressure on an electronic scale with four different weights (500 gr, 1000 gr, 2000 gr, and 4000 gr, respectively). The display screen of the scale on which the measurement was made was blinded to the physiotherapists. After the first measurements, a short training was given and the same measurements were repeated randomly. Results: In the first evaluation made before the training, it was found that there was a statistical difference between the two groups in the application of 500 grams of pressure (p=0.003). However, no significant difference was found between the two groups in the measurements made after the training (p>0.05). It was observed that the level of professional experience did not significantly affect pressure sensitivity (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that manual therapy physiotherapists had increased palpation sensitivity when using smaller weights. It is therefore advised that physiotherapists undergo training to enhance their palpation sensitivity, as this is an effective diagnostic and therapeutic technique.