Abstract
Introduction
Paramedics have physically demanding jobs. Lower back pain is an occupation-related health condition that may cause difficulty with, or inability to, lift. Existing literature on lower back pain in paramedics is scant; no qualitative study specifically of lower back pain experiences or treatment was found. This qualitative study aimed to explore paramedics’ experience of chronic lower back pain, with a focus on their expectations of musculoskeletal treatment.
Methods
Nine paramedics (seven men, two women) who had sought chiropractic, physiotherapy, or osteopathy treatment for one or more episodes of chronic lower back pain, while working as a paramedic, were recruited from the national ambulance service. A general inductive qualitative approach was used and semi-structured interview data were thematically analysed.
Results
The core theme was ‘frustration’. For paramedics, frustration stemmed from the difficulties and delays finding a musculoskeletal practitioner who could ‘help’; the widespread experience of lower back pain among paramedics that apparently went unacknowledged; their inability to make alterations at work; their risk of re-injuring their back at any time; and concerns about their future and job insecurity because they might not be able to continue working as a paramedic in the future due to their lower back pain.
Conclusion
The experience of the nine New Zealand paramedics interviewed for this study was frustration due to difficulties and delays in finding the right provider of helpful treatment, and persistent uncertainty about their future. Participants wished that the industry had better and more explicit organisational processes for managing lower back pain at work, and supporting them to better back health and being fit for work.