The 'lived body' of a physiotherapist: A qualitative research exploring the construct and meaning of body awareness for a physiotherapist

Abstract

Background In a therapeutic setting, the body of the physiotherapist plays an important role in constructing the therapeutic identity. Taking into account the holistic approach, this body should be seen as one that is influenced by interaction with the mind and the surrounding world. Objectives The aim of this study was to deepen the knowledge concerning the bodily experience of a physiotherapist. The incentive for the study was a curiosity about this phenomenon and a need for understanding. Design A qualitative research method was used for the research. Six physiotherapists, three holistic physiotherapists and three biomechanical physiotherapists, were selected and agreed to participate to the study. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gauge the bodily experience of the physiotherapists. Each interview was audiotaped and transcribed ad verbatim. The data was analyzed using a modified version of the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) divided in four steps. Results The findings consisted of four dimensions, each divided into different themes and respectively subthemes. The first dimension was 'the construct of body awareness' in which the different aspects regarding the bodily experience of the therapeutic population became clear. The dimension 'Importance of body awareness' explains why having an amount of body awareness is meaningful. The third dimension elaborates on influencing factors on body awareness. The last dimension 'unawareness of body' indicates that a physiotherapist no