Page 175 - THE PERCEPT STUDY Illness Perceptions in Physiotherapy Edwin de Raaij

Introduction
Introduction and aim of this thesis.
Chapter 1
For decades, the number of people with musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and limitations in physical functioning has been increasing. These people regularly seek help from physiotherapists using the BioPsychoSocial model (Figure1) for diagnosis and treatment. In this model, each domain comprises different factors that contribute to the cause or continuity of MSP and to limitations in physical functioning. One of these
factors in the psychological domain is that of illness perceptions.
These illness perceptions (IPs) are the ideas and thoughts that people have about the pain and the limitations in physical functioning that they experience. Ideas and thoughts can affect the continuity of pain and limitations in physical functioning so the assessment and treatment of IPs could be a part of physiotherapy health care. IPs are described in the ‘The Common-Sense Model of self-regulation of health and illness’ (CSM, figure 2).
Figure 1
B PS
Summary
The CSM starts with an experience that threatens the health of a person. This can be an illness or the development of symptoms (such as pain or limitations in physical functioning). Following this experience, for example low back pain (LBP), the person will ask such questions about the pain as:
• What is wrong with me?
• How long will it last?
• What are the consequences?
• What can be done about it?
• What is the cause?
The answers to these questions are called representations or perceptions. These perceptions will influence the different coping styles people use. Some people might stop moving their backs and seek help or treatment from health care professionals, while others continue life as if there is no health threat present. The feedback loop in the model evaluates whether the health threat is reduced because of the person’s perceptions and behaviours.
B = Biomedical; P = Psycological; S = Social
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