Investigating Functional Impairment in Chronic Low Back Pain: A Qualitative Study from the Patients and Specialists’ Perspectives

Abstract

Prompt and appropriate treatment of chronic low back pain (cLBP) is of the utmost importance for preventing relevant disability, high burden of disease, and increasing costs for the healthcare system. Recently, the concept of functional impairment has been associated with any type of chronic pain, and mounting attention has been paid to extending the aims of treatment beyond mere pain remission, including restoration of working capacity, everyday functioning, mobility, and quality of life. Nevertheless, a shared definition of functionality is still lacking. Notably, different specialists involved in the treatment of cLBP such as general practitioners, orthopedists, pain therapists, and physiatrists, and patients themselves have different opinions on what “functional impairment” actually means. On these premises, a qualitative interview study was performed to investigate how the concept of “functionality” is interpreted by different specialists involved in the management of cLBP, and by patients. Overall, all different specialists agreed that functionality should be assessed in clinical practice. However, in spite of several instruments available for evaluating functionality, no homogeneity of behavior is observable.

Occasional back pain in officers of the FFS of the EMERCOM of Russia depending on age, experience, professional workload and performance at work

“…Однако единого определения функциональности по прежнему не хватает, и разные специалисты, участвующие в лечении, включая врачей об щей практики, неврологов, ортопедов и физи отерапевтов, психотерапевтов, а также самих пациентов, могут иметь разные мнения о том, что на самом деле означает «функциональные нарушения». Это один из многочисленных про белов, наблюдаемых в лечении хронической боли [11]. С целью преодоления этих «про белов» проводятся исследования, и недавно опубликован систематический обзор и мета анализ A. Errabity и соавт., посвященный из учению и сравнению кинематики позвоночника у пациентов с болью в пояснице и без нее для определения возможных инструментов оценки функциональных нарушений.…”