The intangible costs of living with low back pain from a patient perspective: a scoping review

Health-related low back pain costs can be direct monetary, indirect monetary, or intangible, non-monetary. The purpose of this review was to identify the intangible, non-monetary costs of low back pain from the perspective of the individual.

A scoping review of literature was undertaken. Four databases were searched up to 6^th August 2024. Data were charted and coded using deductively derived categories in line with our purpose; additional categories were developed for text that did not fit these categories. Data were analysed using directed content analysis.

Forty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. Six categories were derived from the data, which express the experience of the person with low back pain: Perceptions of pain, Experience of healthcare, Becoming defined by low back pain, Life on hold, My social self, and Disrupted work life. Each category explored an aspect of life affected by low back pain.

This review highlights that low back pain profoundly affects many areas, with implications for peoples' personal, social, and work lives. Our findings suggest that suffering can be reduced when healthcare practitioners show empathy and legitimise the lived experience of low back pain, acknowledging the restrictions it imposes on peoples' lives.