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To explore the lived experience of physical exertion for persons living with advanced multiple sclerosis (MS) An interpretive (hermeneutic) phenomenological approach was undertaken with 8 persons living with advanced MS. Interviews were conducted with exploratory questions that explored participants' experiences of physical exertion. Data was analysed using phenomenological methods and the findings presented as hermeneutic stories. Participants conveyed physical exertion as a means of influencing their connection with the world. Interpretation identified four subthemes; Lived Body, Sense of Self, Purpose of exertion, and Attributes of the World and an overarching superordinate theme Body-World engagement. Hermeneutic stories illuminated the intertwined relationship between the themes and the idiographic nature of physical exertion. The experience of physical exertion was meaningfully related to participants' sense of self, agency, and 'being in the world'. For persons living with advanced MS: Physical exertion has the potential to enhance sense of self through regaining a lost, or creating a new identity. Physical exertion can enhance bodily consciousness and cause individuals to dwell on inability, consequently health care professionals should consider how their language and therapy focus may intensify this. Attempting to meet societally accepted standards of normal had a shaping influence on the exertional experience. The meaning of physical exertion is influenced by an individual's preconceptions and healthcare professionals should take time to understanding these, in order to optimise engagement in physical exertion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) are multidisciplinary, 'hospital at home' services which have developed over the last 10 years, aiming to improve recovery from illness more efficiently, prevent unnecessary hospital admission, and prevent early admission to residential care. However, little is known about the experience of professionals working in these roles. The aim of this study was to explore how working in an RRT is experienced and perceived by physiotherapists. This study used phenomenographically inspired methodology. Six participants who were working in RRTs were recruited to this study and all were working in the South of England. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews, and phenomenographic analysis was undertaken. Participants working in RRTs described a range of varied, concrete lived-through experiences in addition to a more rhetorical discussion of how they conceptualized their work. Six main categories of description were generated from the analysis; each was assigned a metaphor. These included 'the detective,' 'the guru,' 'the lone ranger,' 'the team player,' 'the bricoleur,' and 'an emotional rollercoaster'; all categories were present with varied meanings. 'An emotional rollercoaster' was present within and throughout participants' descriptions of all other categories. This study provides valuable insights into physiotherapists' experience and conceptualization of working within this discipline, which may have implications for physiotherapy practice, workforce development, new and current RR physiotherapy services, RRT health professionals, and physiotherapy education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent low back pain (PLBP) is the biggest global cause of disability. Persons with PLBP experience biographic disruption and existential crisis. Guidelines recommend a biopsychosocial approach to management, with the emphasis on coping strategies. However, there is a paucity of research exploring the lived experience of persons who self-identify as coping with PLBP. The study used an interpretive phenomenological approach, analyzing transcripts from 1:1 interviews with six persons who self-identify as coping with PLBP. Poetic language was used to elicit empathic, embodied relational understanding and convey a richer understanding of the phenomenon that authentic quotations might not able to reveal. Participants' descriptions conveyed the sense of a journey, starting with the loss of a sense of self as they engaged in the pain battle, followed by a transition toward a new 'normal,' in which time, acceptance and trust in their own intuition were meaningful components. Although anxiety and fear were a continued presence, but they became more manageable. Society's role in the coping process was significantly meaningful and is something which requires reflections from therapists' and more widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]