The Impact of Chronic Low Back Pain on Daily Occupations: A Qualitative Study in Iranian Context

Objectives: Low back pain is one of the main health problems which affect many people worldwide. The daily course of life is highly disrupted due to the chronic back pain problem. This study aims to explore the occupational performance of individuals with chronic low back pain. Methods: Fifteen people with chronic low back pain were included in this study using purposeful sampling. The participants were interviewed, and a qualitative content analysis was employed to analyze the data. Results: The three main resulted themes were: 1) Occupational disturbance because of low back pain; 2) Difficulty in moving around and remaining in any given position; and 3) Permanent mind struggle owing to back pain. People with chronic low back pain experience difficulty in all areas of daily occupation including self-care, work, and leisure, plus having trouble with being physically active and being persistent in certain positions. Furthermore, mind struggle with back pain which implies preoccupation with back pain in addition to fear of movement are other findings of present study. Discussion: Chronic low back pain greatly influences the daily occupations of individuals. Mind struggle with back pain, which implies preoccupation with back pain, in addition to the fear of movement are significant findings of the present study. Occupational therapists can play an important role in re-engagement of people with chronic low back pain in their daily occupations.