The Influence of Kinesiophobia on Clinical Practice in Physical Therapy: An Integrative Literature Review

Objective: To analyze how kinesiophobia influences clinical practice in physiotherapy through an integrative analysis of the literature of several published articles. Design: An integrative literature review. Methods: Integrative literature review conducted at the Pedro, b-on, PubMed, Cochrane, and Research Gate databases, using the descriptors physiotherapy, physical therapy, and kinesiophobia between May and June 2019. Articles on the physiotherapist’s work with kinesiophobia, available in full-text, in English, Portuguese or Spanish, with a 10-year publication restriction, were searched. Results: Ultimately, a total of 15 articles fulfilled all inclusion criteria and were selected for the integrative literature review. Conclusion: Kinesiophobia is a frequent condition in many musculoskeletal conditions. Is it a concept that has been increasingly studied and approached, recognizing its importance in clinical practice in physiotherapy? Physiotherapists should not neglect their evaluation through the validated TSK tool. Kinesiophobia should be addressed through the CBT program, coupled with the exercise program. The physiotherapist’s expectation of the patient influences the outcome, and should always offer support and encouragement.