International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Open Access

Abstract

Perceptions of Korean Women with Chronic Lower Back Pain on Medical Intervention: A Narrative Approach

Jaeho Choi, Young Uk Ryu, YeiBeech Jang and Jungsik Park

Background: This paper purports to conduct an in-depth analysis of chronic LBP patients’ opinions about their medical services and their efforts to understand chronic LBP patients’ need for comprehensive medical help through narrative approach. Methods: Study subjects were drawn from the patients with chronic LBP for at least 10 years. After identifying a group of patterned themes by coding and categorizing, we examined the stories to get general knowledge; coded a group of themes that reflect various aspects of the patients’ experiences; generalized the meanings and themes according to the coded groups; and summarized the description of each code group to reflect the lived experiences of the women. Results: The expressions of the study subjects regarding chronic LBP indirectly show how chronic LBP influences their lives. All participants described their chronic LBP in negative ways and showed emotional submission to LBP in their lives. Even though they showed negative, passive attitudes toward their LBP, they also tended to have active attitudes toward their medical services-rather from their desire to obtain psychological comfort than from the expectation to overcome the pain. Besides the medical services, they actively pursued other methods such as yoga, stretching, bath therapy, herb cure, and massage to relieve their pain and symptoms of chronic LBP. Conclusion: Study subjects strived to gain a psychological stability, and most patients wanted better individualized medical service. For chronic LBP patients, improved individualized medical services are needed to offer better quality of medical treatment, as well as psychological and emotional comfort.