GP045: Physiotherapy Beyond the Biopsychosocial Model with Karime Mescouto

The biopsychosocial model has been touted as an effective approach towards addressing physiotherapy-related health conditions for its ability to guide clinicians to think beyond biomedical factors. The shift to integrate subjective experiences, psychological and social aspects to understand a patient’s lived experiences is a step forward beyond purely patho-anatomical explanations of pain and disability. However, this model is not immune to critique and challenges. Today, our guest is Karime Mescouto (she/her/ela/dela), a Brazilian physiotherapist and a Postdoctoral researcher at RECOVER at The University of Queensland, Australia. Her research examines the assumptions and the application of the biopsychosocial model within clinical settings. Furthermore, drawing on social theories, she aims to provide insight on how power structures, cultural and sociopolitical dimensions intersect with clinical care. She argues a clinical approach that integrates ethical multiplicity and critical reflexivity can help account for the interconnectedness between bodies, objects and the environment towards more equitable and just practices. Her doctoral research examines how to enhance low back pain healthcare delivery by critically looking at the biopsychosocial model of health. She uses a variety of critical qualitative methodologies and collaborated with clinicians and people with lived experience of back pain to explore the social, cultural and interpersonal aspects of clinical and research practices. Resources: – Karime’s Thesis: “Enhancing low back pain care: thinking and practising critically beyond the biopsychosocial model” available at: https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:fb040ca – Karime’s Twitter: @KarimeMescouto