Date

12-16-2025

Department

School of Health Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)

Chair

Theodore Croy

Keywords

Physical therapy, migraines, preparedness, and utilization

Disciplines

Higher Education

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative survey experiment was to examine the referral to and utilization of physical therapists in Georgia for assisting with the management of migraine patients, explore the preparedness of Georgia physical therapists to provide evidence-based interventions for migraine patients, and compare the differences between the utilization and preparedness of rural physical therapists and urban physical therapists within the state. The theories guiding this study were the behavioral and biopsychosocial models. The behavioral model demonstrated that individuals' behaviors affect their access to care and perceived need for medical interventions. Due to the demographics of Georgia, characterized by a high rate of minority populations and disparities in access to care, this study examined whether regions with high minority concentrations (rural) had different access to prepared physical therapy care for migraines compared to regions with lower minority concentrations (urban). The biopsychosocial model considered the individual’s biological, psychological, and social influences that affected the disease process and treatment. Several interventions were studied in the survey and implemented by physical therapists to enhance biological and psychological well-being, as well as migraine management. Data collection was obtained using an online survey distributed by Qualtrics. The data was downloaded from Qualtrics in Microsoft Excel format, and data analysis was performed utilizing Excel and Microsoft SPSS software. The data were examined using the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test to determine whether significant differences existed in the utilization and preparedness of physical therapists for migraine management across years of experience, degree type, advanced certifications, and practice location.

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