The Opinions of Physiotherapists With And Without Training in Manual Therapy on Undergraduate Anatomy Education: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare the views of physiotherapists with and without training in manual therapy on undergraduate anatomy instruction and to examine the influence of manual therapy training on their views. Methods: The study was conducted among 178 (119 females, 59 males) physiotherapists who graduated from Trakya University between 2018 and 2021. The questionnaire used for the study consists of 3 sections and 39 questions. Results: One hundred seventy-eight questionnaires were completely filled and returned (55% response rate). Most of the training completed by physiotherapists is referred to as manual therapy. The results show that 87 (48.9%) postgraduate physiotherapists received training in manual therapy and 91 (51.1%) postgraduate physiotherapists did not receive training in manual therapy. 96.6% of physiotherapists indicated that training on cadavers increased their interest in anatomy, and 78.7% indicated that examining cadaver parts was the most effective way to learn anatomy. Conclusion: No significant differences were found between the responses of physiotherapists who had received manual therapy training and those of physical therapists who had not, except for responses to the statement "After my anatomy education, I can easily find anatomical formations and points on myself or another person." Keywords: physiotherapists, anatomy, education, manual therapies