Saskia Baltrusch

29 Chapter 2 Three patients expressed their frustration about not being taken seriously by their doctors, who would mainly say “it [the pain] is all in your head”. Dependency and social exclusion Patients also centred the discussion on being dependent on other people and being socially excluded due to their low-back pain. They all experienced situations in which they could not attend social events or decided not to attend in view of their low-back pain. “[…] but if you’re going to a party, everywhere bar tables. Well that’s not possible of course […] those are things that you do miss. (Kai, P) “I’m not joining anymore […] cause that takes me about a week I think, and then already days before I think oh save a bit of energy well that’s not worth it anymore.” (Paula, P) Limitations in daily activities Patients reported having problems due to their low-back pain with prolonged standing and sitting, movements that require trunk flexion, such as bending forward and lifting, asymmetric movements, rotations, and unexpected movements. “[…] but she [her daughter] still has to be lifted onto the bike, I don’t do that anymore. I’m doing something with my back I‘m not prepared for.” (Mette, P) Even though they all developed methods to deal with their limitations, they emphasized: “[…] the pain always stays […]” (Kai, P). Underestimation and fear of movement Prominent in the focus group with healthcare professionals was the self- perception of patients they encounter during their job. One of the reintegration coaches, who performs functional performance tests with patients to assess their functional capacity, described: 2