Objectives: To explore the extent to which physiotherapy facilitated chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients to self-manage following discharge, and to explore patients' perceptions of their need for self-management interventions or support and their preferences in terms of delivery.
Design: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews to explore patients' perceptions of various aspects of physiotherapy management of CLBP.
Setting: Physiotherapy departments in one geographical area of the UK National Health Service.
Participants: Twenty-five people who had received physiotherapy for CLBP within the previous 6 months.
Results: Adoption of self-management strategies was not achieved consistently in this group of participants. There was a strongly perceived need for self-management support following discharge from physiotherapy. Exercises were reportedly the most common self-management strategy in use. However, it was common for participants to perceive that physiotherapy had little influence on their CLBP management following discharge.
Conclusions: These results suggest that CLBP patients could be better facilitated to manage their condition. Providing self-management education in addition to the patient information and education provided traditionally, and providing self-management support in the form of direct access and/or review appointments or telephone calls is worthy of further investigation in this patient group.