This study investigated the mindset of people with low back pain (LBP), to see if those patients perceive the need for specific assistance other than the physical treatment of their condition. The reason for this slant on research into back pain is interesting.

Evidence has built up in favour of the notion that LBP is not just a physical affliction and - in line with that - treatment guidelines are have changed from a purely biomedical approach to a more inclusive biopsychosocial approach. In other words, the biopsychosocial approach considers and addresses non-physical factors (such as fear of movement or perception of who is repsonsible for recovery) as well as purely biomedical factors.

Therefore the authors of the current study wanted to examine the broader non-biomedical experiences and perceptions of people with LBP - especially in relation to what they felt they needed to help them recover. Their idea was that this information would help physiotherapists and other clinicians who manage LBP to tailor their advice about self-management and better inform their use a biopsychosocial approach.