Cracking the code: unveiling the specific and shared mechanisms behind musculoskeletal interventions

Amy W McDevitt; Bryan O'Halloran; Chad E Cook

doi:10.1186/s40945-023-00168-3

Cracking the code: unveiling the specific and shared mechanisms behind musculoskeletal interventions

Arch Physiother. 2023 Jul 6;13(1):14. doi: 10.1186/s40945-023-00168-3.

Authors

Amy W McDevitt¹, Bryan O'Halloran², Chad E Cook^{3

4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, CO, Aurora, USA. amy.mcdevitt@cuanschutz.edu.
² Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Saint Joseph's University, PA, Philadelphia, USA.
³ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
⁴ Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
⁵ Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.

Abstract

Background: Mechanisms reflect the steps or processes through which an intervention unfolds and produces change in a specified outcome variable. Mechanisms are responsible for determining "how treatments work" which has emerged as a critical question for both developing theory and enhancing treatment efficacy. Studies that evaluate "how" treatments work, not just "if" treatments work are of considerable importance.

Discussion: Specific and shared mechanisms research is a promising approach which aims to improve patient outcomes by tailoring treatments to the specific needs of each patient. Mechanisms research is an underexplored area of research requiring a unique research design.

Conclusion: Although mechanisms research is still in its infancy, prioritizing the study of the mechanisms behind manual therapy interventions can provide valuable insight into optimizing patient outcomes.

Keywords: Manual therapy research; Mechanisms of manual therapy; Physiotherapy.