Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hackensack Meridian JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute, Edison, NJ, USA | [b] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA | [c] International Spine Pain and Performance Center, Washington, DC, USA | [d] Center for Interventional Pain and Spine, Wilmington, DE, USA
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Hayk Petrosyan, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute, 65 James Street, Edison, NJ 08820, USA. E-mail: hayk.petrosyan@hmhn.org.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Home exercise programs (HEPs) are cost-effective and efficacious treatments for musculoskeletal pain conditions. Although HEPs are an important part of the continuum of care, non-adherence limits their effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine adherence and specific barriers to clinician-prescribed HEPs in adults with musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a total of 300 patients presenting to an outpatient pain clinic in an academic medical center. Participants’ self-reported information, including HEP completion frequency and barriers, was collected through a survey. RESULTS: The participants’ mean age was 54.1 ± 15.8 years (females = 133 (65.5%)). Of 203 participants, 99 (48.8%) adhered to HEP, 56 (27.6%) partially adhered, and 48 (23.6%) did not adhere. One hundred eighty-seven (92.1%) participants reported receiving adequate instructions, and 175 (86.2%) reported receiving instructional materials. Age and “sufficient instructions” were found to be significant determinants of adherence (p< 0.05), while gender and handouts were not (p> 0.05). Pain in more than one body part was significantly (p< 0.05) associated with motivational barriers for non-adherence. CONCLUSION: Age and participants’ perception of sufficient instructions were significant factors for non-adherence. These results emphasize the importance of therapist-provided instructions to overcome barriers to adherence.
