5 research outputs found
Foot orthoses for the management of low back pain: a qualitative approach capturing the patient’s perspective
Background: The onset of non specific low back pain is associated with heavy lifting, age, female gender, and
poor general health, with psychological factors being predictors of it becoming chronic. Additionally, it is thought
that altered lower limb biomechanics are a contributory factor, with foot orthoses increasingly being considered as
an appropriate intervention by physiotherapists and podiatrists. However, research into the effect of foot orthoses is
inconclusive, primarily focusing on the biomechanical effect and not the symptomatic relief from the patient’s
perspective. The aim of this study was to explore the breadth of patients’ experiences of being provided with foot
orthoses and to evaluate any changes in their back pain following this experience.
Method: Following ethical approval, participants (n = 25) with non-specific low back pain associated with altered
lower limb biomechanics were provided with customised foot orthoses. At 16 weeks after being provided with the
foot orthoses, conversational style interviews were carried out with each patient. An interpretivistic
phenomenological approach was adopted for the data collection and analysis.
Results: For these participants, foot orthoses appeared to be effective. However, the main influence on this
outcome was the consultation process and a patient focussed approach. The consultation was an opportunity for
fostering mutual understanding, with verbal and visual explanation reassuring the patient and this influenced the
patient’s beliefs, their engagement with the foot orthoses (physical) and their experience of low back pain
(psychological).
Conclusion: Clinicians need to adopt ‘psychologically informed practice’ in relation to the provision of foot
orthoses. Likewise, researchers should consider all the influencing factors found in this study, both in relation to
their study protocol and the outcomes they plan to measure.
Keywords: Low back pain, Foot orthoses, Qualitative research, Informatio