Rethinking Low Back Pain: A Person-Centred Approach to Care
Dear Readers,
Low back pain is one of the most common and frustrating conditions we treat in clinical practice. Over the years, numerous guidelines have emphasized one consistent message: education and advice should be the first line of management. Yet in reality, there’s often a disconnect between this recommendation and what happens in day-to-day care.
We tend to blame time pressures, system limitations, or patient expectations. But this insightful article by Edel T. O’Hagan invites us to reflect more deeply—not just on the barriers, but on what we can do differently.
Seeing the Person, Not Just the Pain
What this research reminds us is that low back pain is rarely just a biomedical problem. It’s also an emotional, psychological, and social experience. People living with pain often feel invalidated, unheard, and dismissed. That sense of not being believed or understood can compound their distress and interfere with recovery.
The article calls for a person-centred, validating approach. That doesn’t mean agreeing with every fear or worry—but acknowledging them. Empathic communication, active listening, and honest reassurance can have a powerful impact on a patient’s experience and outcomes.
What Can We Do Differently?
Even small, conscious changes in our clinical conversations can help:
- Start by listening without interruption.
- Use language like “That sounds really hard” or “I can see how this has affected you.”
- Focus on what matters most to the patient, not just what the textbook says.
- Use tools like the AxEL-Q questionnaire to better understand patient beliefs and tailor advice accordingly.
Why It Matters
The ultimate goal of first-line care isn’t just information—it’s self-management. But self-management requires belief. Patients need to believe that their pain doesn’t equal damage, that movement is safe, and that they have a role in their own recovery. Those beliefs are shaped in part by how we engage with them, not just what we tell them.
At HealthPlus, we’re proud to support a model of care that values these interactions. This article beautifully aligns with our vision—where honesty, empathy, and personalised education are not “extras,” but essential components of care.
Let’s keep striving to close the gap between what we know and what we do.
Happy reading,
The HealthPlus Team
