title: Current management of pregnancy-related low back pain: a national cross-sectional survey of U.K. physiotherapists.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pregnancy-related low back pain (LBP) is very common. Evidence from a systematic review supports the use of exercise and acupuncture, although little is known about the care received by women with pregnancy-related back pain in the U.K.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe current acupuncture and standard care management of pregnancy-related LBP by U.K. physiotherapists.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey of physiotherapists with experience of treating women with pregnancy-related LBP from three professional networks of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 1093 physiotherapists were mailed a questionnaire. The questionnaire captured respondents' demographic and practice setting information, and experience of managing women with pregnancy-related back pain, and investigated the reported management of pregnancy-related LBP using a patient case vignette of a specific, 'typical' case.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall response rate was 58% (629/1093). Four hundred and ninety-nine physiotherapists had experience of treating women with pregnancy-related LBP and were included in the analysis. Most respondents worked wholly or partly in the U.K. National Health Service (78%). Most respondents reported that they treat patients with pregnancy-related LBP in three to four one-to-one treatment sessions over 3 to 6 weeks. The results show that a range of management strategies are employed for pregnancy-related LBP, and multimodal management is common. The most common reported treatment was home exercises (94%), and 24% of physiotherapists reported that they would use acupuncture with the patient described in the vignette.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides the first robust data on the management of pregnancy-related LBP by U.K. physiotherapists. Multimodal management is common, although exercise is the most frequently used treatment for pregnancy-related LBP. Acupuncture is used less often for this patient group.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK. Electronic address: a.bishop@keele.ac.uk.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Holden
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK.
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Ogollah
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, UK.
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Foster
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D059825:Physical Therapists; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011247:Pregnancy
keywords: Acupuncture; Low back pain; Physiotherapy; Pregnancy; Survey