The concept of maintenance physiotherapy

This paper explores the concept of maintenance physiotherapy. Firstly, a consensus definition of maintenance physiotherapy is proposed following consultation with 11 senior physiotherapists throughout Australasia. This consensus definition is compared retrospectively with a definition of maintenance physiotherapy given in response to interview of 91 physiotherapists treating non-catastrophically injured motor vehicle patients more than five years post-accident (treating physiotherapists). Comparison was made by distilling the experts' definition into nine check points and scoring definitions given by the treating physiotherapists against these nine points. The results demonstrated a concurrence between the two groups of between zero and seven with a median of four. This paper supports maintenance physiotherapy as an accepted treatment form. To adhere more closely to the consensus definition of maintenance physiotherapy, treating physiotherapists should consider referral to non-physiotherapy alternatives, to ensure all possible treatment options are exhausted before the rehabilitation phase is complete. In addition, current objective outcome measures to justify and measure continued treatment should be used regularly. Patient education, consistent clinical diagnosis and categorisation of long-term patient groups should be more fully incorporated into the practice of maintenance physiotherapy. The paper aims to provide a reference from which the concept of maintenance physiotherapy can evolve.