Your findings suggest that patients often prefer specific labels, even though these can lead to fear and unnecessary interventions. How should physiotherapists navigate this tension in day-to-day practice?

Specific labels (eg, disc bulge) can offer patients a sense of validation and clarity but they may also increase fear, reinforce structural beliefs and drive demand for imaging or surgery. 

Our review suggests that such labels should generally be used with caution. 

However, there may be situations where a specific diagnosis is strongly desired by the patient or required for administrative reasons, such as insurance. 

In these cases, offering a specific label may be appropriate but it should be accompanied by reassurance and a clear explanation to minimise potential harm. 

Education about the multifaceted nature of pain can also support patient understanding and help reduce fear.

Many patients reported that their diagnosis wasn’t explained clearly or was full of jargon. What can physiotherapists do differently when discussing diagnostic labels?

Many patients in our review felt unclear about what their diagnosis meant—often due to inadequate explanations or unfamiliar medical jargon. 

Using plain, non-technical language is a starting point but it’s equally important to tailor explanations to the patient’s existing beliefs, concerns and level of health literacy. 

Strategies like the teach-back method (asking patients to explain the diagnosis in their own words) can be useful for checking shared understanding.

Non-specific labels were linked with more positive beliefs about recovery and conservative treatment. But they also led to confusion. 

What’s the best way to use non-specific labels effectively?

Non-specific labels (eg, non-specific low back pain) can reduce fear and encourage conservative management but only if explained thoroughly. 

Without explanation, they may be interpreted as vague or dismissive. 

Our review suggests that how labels are explained makes a big difference. 

When paired with a thoughtful, biopsychosocial explanation of pain, they may offer a less threatening but still meaningful way for patients to make sense of their experience.

Your study suggests that how a diagnosis is explained may matter as much as the diagnosis itself. How can we train or support physiotherapists to communicate more effectively? 

Communicating diagnoses in a way that validates patients’ experiences without causing harm is a challenging skill. 

University education should include training on diagnostic uncertainty and the psychological impact of language. 

In practice, clinicians can benefit from mentorship, observation and feedback on their communication style. 

Further research is also required to determine how best to communicate diagnoses to patients, particularly when uncertainty exists.

What message would you most like physiotherapists to take away from this research—and what changes might it prompt in their clinical conversations?

Words matter. The way we label and explain pain can either support recovery or undermine it. 

We hope that this research prompts physiotherapists to reflect on how they use diagnostic labels and to consider whether their explanations align with best evidence, reduce fear and foster patient understanding.

Click here to access the paper featured in this article.

>> Stephen Martin is a lecturer in physiotherapy at the University of Winchester and a PhD student. His research explores how diagnostic labels influence patient beliefs, behaviours and outcomes in people with musculoskeletal pain.

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