Self-Management and Self-Management Support on Functional Ablement in Chronic Low Back Pain

This study examined self-management (SM), self-management support (SMS), and functional ablement in chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients and the role of SM in explaining the relationship of SMS to functional ablement. The pervasiveness of CLBP is alarming in today's health care. Although the literature is beginning to explicate the impact of SM and SMS in other chronic illnesses, these are yet to be clarified in CLBP. The adapted chronic care model guided this study. A nonexperimental, cross-sectional, descriptive design with mediation analysis was used. Through convenience sampling, 110 participants were recruited from two pain centers that used similar multimodal pain management practices. Although the findings showed lack of mediation, it was found that SM and SMS were strongly correlated. Furthermore, overall health was found to be a significant covariate to the functional ablement of CLBP patients. This study assists in advancing knowledge and contributing toward understanding SM, SMS, and functional ablement in CLBP. It is important to engage patients and health care providers in SM and SMS. More exploration is necessary to assess the influences of SM and SMS in CLBP outcomes toward improving the complex care of these patients.