The experience of adults with chronic back pain in an exercise class

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Exploring the experiences of adults with chronic low back pain in a supervised exercise class

• IRAS ID

  228011

• Contact name

  Valerie Sparkes

• Contact email

  sparkesv@cardiff.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Cardiff University

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 3 months, 8 days

• Research summary

  Chronic low back pain (CLBP) presents a financial and clinical challenge. Low back pain accounts for 20% of UK health spending, is difficult to treat, and is consequently an NHS research priority. Most physiotherapy research involves numerical data (“quantitative data”) which is collected in tightly controlled trials and then statistically analysed. These trials (“randomised controlled trials”) are a way of collecting data which is commonly regarded as the gold standard, despite concerns that they may be inappropriate tools to explore certain areas of patient care such as patient experience. There are, however, other ways of collecting data which allow insight into patient experience of health and illness, such as interviews or focus groups (“qualitative data”).
  It is proposed that interviewing adults with low back pain who have completed a 6 week exercise class in a hospital in South Wales, then collecting and analysing participants’ own verbal reports will help to explore their personal experience and interpretation of this rehabilitation process. It is hoped this will contribute to the smaller body of qualitative literature focusing on patient centered processes. It is further hoped the outcomes and impact of this study will be to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the experience of physiotherapy led exercise in the area, to promote further qualitative research within the physiotherapy trust in which it takes place, and to consequently improve the care of its patients with chronic low back pain.

• REC name

  North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  18/NW/0245

• Date of REC Opinion

  10 Apr 2018

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion