An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Living with Chronic Low Back Pain in Ethiopia

Background: People with chronic low back pain experience myriads of problems from living with their condition. This study aimed to explore the lived experience of people with chronic low back pain in Ethiopia.

Design: This is a qualitative semi-structured study design which used an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach for data analysis.

Participants: Fifteen adults (10 women and 5 men) with chronic low back pain (duration ≥ 3 months) with age ranging from 19 to 66 years old were interviewed.

Setting: Participants were recruited from the outpatient departments of the University of Gondar hospital in Gondar, Ethiopia.

Methods: Data was collected through an in-depth semi-structured interview. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed through an iterative process, beginning with a line-by-line coding to identify the lived experience of chronic low back pain.

Findings: Five main themes related to the lived experience of people with chronic low back pain emerged: 1) CLBP impacts life on a day-to-day basis, 2) The invisibility of pain results in misunderstanding, misjudgment, and loneliness, 3) The cause of pain is a mystery, 4) The search for the cure is a quest, 5) Each person has their ways of managing, coping, and living with pain.

Conclusion: The findings from this study improve our understanding of the experience of people with chronic low back pain and its impact on their day-to-day life in Ethiopia. The findings from this study could inform the development of culturally centered chronic low back pain interventions such as self-management programs in the Ethiopian context.