Lived Experiences of Older Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain and Implications on Their Daily Life: A Metasynthesis of Qualitative Research.
Chelsia K C Cheung, Esther T C Cheung, Veronika Schoeb and 5 others
PMID 40678287WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults with chronic low back pain often hide their struggles to avoid burdening family, leading to isolation and despair.
They actively seek explanations for their pain to gain credibility with clinicians. Therapists should validate invisible pain and involve families in care plans.
Key findings
01Participants frequently concealed their pain and limitations to avoid being a burden on family members, which contributed to social withdrawal and feelings of worthlessness.
02Because chronic low back pain is often invisible and lacks a clear medical cause, older adults actively constructed narratives about the origin of their pain to legitimize their condition and gain trust from healthcare professionals.
03The experience of pain significantly impaired daily function and social roles, with some participants describing a loss of identity and expressing thoughts that life would be better if they died.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review included only 1 study from Africa, Asia, and Australia, limiting the generalizability of findings in those regions. Qualitative synthesis involves interpretation; alternative themes could have been constructed by different reviewers. Gray literature was excluded, potentially missing some perspectives. Reporting quality of included studies varied, with many lacking details on researcher reflexivity and interviewer characteristics.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the findings as evidence that any specific intervention reduces pain or improves function. This paper describes the lived experience and coping mechanisms of older adults; it does not test treatment efficacy.