ABSTRACT
Background: The lived experience is irreducible, and can give access to pre-reflective and implicit, embodied knowledge. There is a lack of research concerning how specialists in Norwegian Psychomotor physiotherapy (NPMP) utilize their patients’ embodied knowledge. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore if the NPMP therapists experience the phenomenon “listening to the body” as a useful source of personal knowledge and motivation in the patient’s process of’ recovery, and if there could be too much “listening to the body”? Design and methods: A qualitative study based on empirical data from the interviews with 12 specialists in NPMP. The research data were analyzed using systematic text condensation as analyzing method. Results: Four themes emerged: (1) “The negative imperative of the body”; (2) “The embodied traumatic experiences”; (3) “The process of creating meaning”; and (4) “The embodied person emerges—who am I and what choice do I have?” The results revealed the importance of becoming aware of embodied experiences, which might represent different aspects of the patients’ lives. Conclusion: Embodied knowledge can support the physiotherapists in their clinical practice. The learning and knowing body represents resources of empowerment for the patients.
Acknowledgment
We are very grateful to the 12 NPMP specialists who agreed to participate in the interviews.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest.