Purpose of research: The objective of this article is to investigate, from the perspective of patients, the disruptions of the biographical trajectories induced by chronic low back pain and the impact of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program on their reconstruction.
Based on an interdisciplinary qualitative research, we investigated the experience of 20 participants with chronic low back pain following a three-week rehabilitation program at the hospital. Semi-directive interviews were conducted before and after inclusion in the program.
Although affecting each person in a singular way, chronic low back pain induces biographical linearity disruptions related to the apparition of pain, and the disruption of daily and professional activities. For the majority of participants, the rehabilitation program provided a repairative space to restore continuity between past, present and future life. Whether or not there is a significant improvement in pain, most participants report benefits that give them the feeling of getting back to normality. Nevertheless, they identify those more for the domestic, family, and social spheres than at the professional level, effects remaining moderate to mitigated in that area.
The rehabilitation program influences the dynamics of biographical trajectories and promotes a return to what is perceived as normality. By providing individuals with theoretical and practical tools and increasing their functional capacities, it promotes autonomous pain and problem management. Immediate effects are seen as restorative for domestic, family and social activities, but remain limited on the professional level.