Understanding How Physiotherapists in Türkiye Follow Low Back Pain Guidelines and What Affects Their Use of Research in Practice

Assessing Compliance With Low Back Pain Treatment Guidelines: Attitudes of Physiotherapists and Internship Students

The goal of this observational study is to understand how physiotherapists and physiotherapy students in Türkiye manage low back pain and how closely they follow clinical practice guidelines and use research evidence.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Do physiotherapists follow evidence-based guidelines when treating low back pain?
• What factors influence their treatment choices and use of research in practice?

Participants will:

• Complete a short online survey (about 5-10 minutes)
• Answer questions about their education, clinical decisions, and treatment approaches for low back pain

Inclusion Criteria:

• Be a licensed physiotherapist currently practicing in Türkiye OR be a physiotherapy intern student enrolled in a clinical internship in Türkiye
• Have experience managing patients with low back pain (LBP)
• Ability to provide informed consent and complete an online questionnaire.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Are not currently practicing physiotherapy or not currently enrolled in a clinical internship
• Have no experience in managing low back pain patients
• Are unable to complete an online questionnaire due to technological or literacy limitations
• Decline to provide informed consen