"I stay in bed, sometimes all day." A qualitative study exploring lived experiences of persons with disabling low back pain.

AIM: To explore the lived experiences of persons with low back pain (LBP) and disability within the context of the International Classification of Function, Disability and Health (ICF) framework.
METHODS: Qualitative study using focus group methodology. We stratified LBP patients into two low (n=9) and one high disability (n=3) groups. Transcript-based thematic analysis was conducted through an interpretivist lens.
RESULTS: Four themes emerged: Invisibility, Ambivalence, Social isolation, and Stigmatization and marginalization. Participants described how environmental factors affected how they experienced disability and how their awareness of people's attitudes affected personal factors and participation in social activities. High disability participants experienced challenges with self-care, employment, and activities. The invisibility of LBP and status loss contributed to depressive symptoms.
CONCLUSION: LBP patients experience physical, social, economic and emotional disability. Our findings highlight the interaction between domains of the ICF framework and the importance of considering these perspectives when managing LBP patients with varying levels of disability. © JCCA 2020.