19/12/2025
🔍 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆: 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲
In physiotherapy practice, pain is often the primary reason patients seek care. However, pain intensity alone is an incomplete and potentially misleading indicator of recovery.
A pain-centred approach may fail to capture meaningful improvements occurring across other critical domains of health and function. As physiotherapists, our clinical reasoning should therefore extend beyond symptom reduction and focus on functional restoration and participation in daily life.
📌 Clinically meaningful indicators of progress include:
👉 Improved movement quality and motor control
👉 Increased load and activity tolerance before symptom onset
👉 Reduced frequency and severity of flare-ups
👉 Restoration of previously avoided functional and daily activities
These outcomes are measurable, patient-relevant, and clinically significant, and should be recognised as key markers of therapeutic success—often equal to, or more meaningful than, short-term pain reduction.
🔆 Recommended physiotherapy approach:
👉 Prioritise strength and capacity building
👉 Address functional movement performance
👉 Develop long-term physical and psychological resilience
👉 Educate patients to reduce reliance on pain as the sole indicator of recovery
By shifting the focus from pain elimination to function-centred rehabilitation, physiotherapy interventions can support patients not only in symptom management, but in regaining autonomy, confidence, and sustainable long-term outcomes.
📌 Key takeaway
𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.
Disclaimer:
👉 Sharing a study is NOT an endorsement.
👉 You should read the original research yourself and be critical.
