Patients' experiences of living with persistent back pain

Abstract

This Masterclass discusses findings from a growing body of qualitative research studies that have investigated the subjective experience of having persistent non-malignant low back pain. These studies have found that people with experience changes in self image, personal relationships and life roles. They have also reported on how subjectivity affects the therapeutic relationship, what patients have found helpful in dealing with healthcare professionals, and what it is like to go through a healthcare system for a pain that may not be curable or even diagnosable. The findings are of great importance for clinicians who wish to provide person centred care for patients with persistent low back pain, so this Masterclass ends with key lessons for practitioners

‘I just don't have the tools’ - Italian osteopaths' attitudes and beliefs about the management of patients with chronic pain: A qualitative study

“…This may involve providing practitioners with clear guidance on how to balance the patient's psychosocial problems and the biomechanical approach in daily clinical practice, and the development of specific strategies of implementation in their clinical behaviours. This is consistent with the need to expand the scope of osteopathic practice towards a more embedded and embodied clinical reasoning process [26,38], considering patients' beliefs [81], pain control strategies, pain neuroscience education [50] and expand the adoption of multidisciplinary care [37].…”

Socioanthropological contributions to physical therapy in chronic back pain

“…Pain is always subjective (10) and people learn and use it based on their individual life experiences. Griensven (11) studied the subjective aspects of experiencing chronic LBP and found that the long-term condition made patients feel trapped in the health system and despondent in the face of repeated treatment failures, resigned to a life of pain. The author reports that patient's pain and dysfunctional symptoms were invalidated when the initially enthusiastic healthcare professionals lost interest because treatment did not produce the expected results and they were unable to provide a clear explanation for the pain, leading to feelings of frustration and anxiety.…”

Contextual factors in persistent severe back pain: A longitudinal analysis among German employees

“…Furthermore, patients describe difficulties in social relationships and concerns regarding illness stigma, threatening their quality of life (Froud et al., 2014). Living with persistent pain can be experienced as isolating, unfair, feeling a lack of control and helplessness (van Griensven, 2016). Against the background of these manifold consequences of ongoing pain, this article will pay special attention to the stagnation of severe back pain.…”