«Use your intuition and your fantasy» – an analysis of the view of body and knowledge in Aadel Bülow-Hansen’s practice and Norwegian Psychomotor Physiotherapy

• Main Authors: Ingvild Teigen, Britt-Vigdis Ekeli, Randi Sviland
• Format: Article
• Language: Danish
• Published: Norwegian Physiotherapist Association 2020-03-01
• Series: Fysioterapeuten
• Subjects: norwegian psychomotor physiotherapist; aadel bülow-hansen; evidence-based practice; view of body; view of knowledge.
• Online Access: https://fysioterapeuten.no/Fag-og-vitenskap/Fagartikler/Bruk-intuisjonen-og-fantasien-ein-analyse-av-kropps-og-kunnskapssynet-i-Aadel-Buelow-Hansen-si-fagutoeving-og-norsk-psykomotorisk-fysioterapi
• ISSN: 0016-3384; 0807-9277

Background: Norwegian Psychomotor Physiotherapy (NPMF) has been criticized for the lack of scientific documentation. The criticism can be seen against the background of evidence-based practice (EBP). The founder of the tradition, Aadel Bülow-Hansen, encouraged her students to use their intuition and fantasy in clinical practice, which may be regarded contradictory to the perspective of scientific knowledge in EBP. The aim of this study is to illuminate and discuss the implicit view of body and knowledge in her practice and the professional community`s continuation of it. Method: A qualitative approach with open interview of three different nestors who comment what they see in one and the same video of Bülow-Hansen in clinical work. Results: The results are presented in two themes: 1. Sensing in communication and interaction. 2. Clinical competence and reasoning. The informants pointed out a view of the body as three dimensional, as biology, experience and relational, and that the expertise is based on a sensuous and bodily knowledge. Conclusion: NPMF is based on a view of the body and of knowledge, where bodily and sensuously based knowledge are integrated with theoretical and technical knowledge. This knowledge cannot be subordinated to criteria for what is considered to be the best knowledge in the EBP system. Rather, the tradition represents a complex understanding of body knowledge, and reflects the complexity and peculiarity of the sufferings each individual patient needs help with.