Unveiling relevant emotions, cognitions, and behaviours from the viewpoint of people with chronic low back pain: A qualitative study with patient involvement

Objective

To gain insight into the emotions, cognitions, and behaviours experienced by people with chronic low back pain (CLBP) undergoing invasive treatment in a pain unit.

Design

A cross-sectional qualitative study based on individual interviews. This study included patient involvement in its design and development.

Methods

An interpretative phenomenological approach was adopted to understand the multidimensional experience of patients. The interview script was a translated, adapted, and expanded version of the one proposed by Cognitive and Functional Therapy. A mixed coding method was applied to structure the interviews. Three themes were created, with the three most frequently reported emotions, cognitions, and behaviours as subthemes. A patient with CLBP approved the initial protocol and the aim of the study. Subsequently, the patient contributed questions to the interview script, checked the coding process, and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Results

Twenty-two patients undergoing epidural infiltrations in a pain unit were interviewed. (i)“Fears”, (ii)“Frustration”, and (iii)“Worry” were the three most commonly expressed emotions. Cognitions related to (i)“Pain predictability”, (ii)“Pain description and perception”, and (iii)“Pain interference/disability” were also widely reported. The theme “Behaviours” was composed of the following subthemes: (i)“Strategies for managing symptoms”, (ii)“Social behaviours”, and (iii)“Strategies for coping with daily tasks”. Noteworthily, cognitions related to the (i)“Diagnosis”, (ii)“Health system attention”, and (iii)“Medical prescriptions” arose from questions provided by patient involvement.

Conclusion

Patients with CLBP expressed a wide variety of emotions, cognitions, and behaviours that must be considered by health professionals with the goal of providing the best patient-centred care.