Treatment preferences among Canadian military Veterans with chronic low back pain: Mixed-methods cross-sectional...

Patients are more willing to initiate and engage in treatments they are predisposed toward; however, Canadian military Veterans' preferences for managing low back pain are uncertain. This study examined Canadian military Veterans' use of, and preferences for, health care providers for managing chronic low back pain, both while serving and after release.

A 33-item survey was emailed, in English and in French, to 1,632 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veterans in February-May 2023. CAF Veterans living with chronic low back pain were eligible to complete the survey, which asked about demographic variables, military service, chronic-low-back-pain-related characteristics, and experiences and attitudes toward health care providers and therapeutic approaches to chronic low back pain.

Of 1,632 individuals, 290 returned a completed survey (18% response rate). Almost all (98%) who responded reported living with chronic low back pain for more than 5 years, and 91% indicated first experiencing low back pain during military service. Among 12 health care provider options for managing chronic low back pain, respondents most preferred massage therapists, physiotherapists, family physicians, and chiropractors. The most-attended off-base practitioners for low back pain while serving in the military were physiotherapists (39%), chiropractors (35%), and registered massage therapists (30%). Most respondents endorsed that registered massage therapy (70%), physiotherapy (60%), chiropractic care (51%), and occupational therapy (50%) should be available on base for serving military personnel.

Findings suggest there may be opportunities to better align on-base health care for low back pain with military personnel's evidence-based treatment preferences.