Patients' experience of health three years after structured physiotherapy or surgery for lumbar disc herniation.

OBJECTIVE To describe the experience of health among patients 3 years after treatment with a structured physiotherapy model or surgery for lumbar disc herniation. DESIGN A qualitative research study. SUBJECTS/PATIENTS Patients were referred to the orthopaedic clinic at Sahlgrenska University Hospital with sciatica due to lumbar disc herniation. Twenty patients who were eligible for surgery were treated either with a structured physio-therapy model or with surgery. METHODS Open-ended interviews were conducted and analysed using content analysis. RESULTS Findings were grouped into two themes: feeling of well-being and feeling of ill-being. In the group treated with structured physiotherapy there were a high number of codes in the feeling of well-being theme. In the group treated with surgery there were a high number of codes in the feeling of ill-being theme. CONCLUSION Patients treated with structured physiotherapy or surgery experienced feelings of well-being and ill-being 3 years after treatment. Patients treated with physiotherapy and surgery described varying experiences of health 3 years after treatment for lumbar disc herniation. It can be speculated that the experience of well-being may be explained by the ability of structured physiotherapy treatments to empower patients.