Saskia Baltrusch

32 Chapter 2 They all agreed on perceived support during forward bending and believed that the exoskeleton would help with lifting. Pain relief was mentioned by one patient. Healthcare professionals mainly felt support when moving up from a forward bent posture or during static forward bending. One reintegration coach stated that “[…] you do get controlled in your movement.” (Kathy, Reintegration Coach) This control was attributed to the resistance of the exoskeleton. Two people perceived this resistance as a hindrance when bending forward. “You do have to put in some effort to move forward […] that costs more energy than doing it by myself.” (Pieter, Consultant) Negative experiences with exoskeleton Both focus groups complained about discomfort at the chest and hindrance during sitting, mainly due to high pressure on the upper legs. Only the group of healthcare professionals raised the guarded movement the user gets forced into: “[…] is a bit artificial I think. A bit forced to move in a certain way […]” (Bram, Movement Therapist) 3.3 Concerns and Fears regarding exoskeletons Treat the root, not the problem When talking about their concerns, healthcare professionals centred their discussion on the fact that an exoskeleton works biomechanically, whereas chronic low-back pain has a variety of causes. Using the exoskeleton in the rehabilitation setting would mean that “[…] all possible causes of pain are immediately set aside […] even though we know it is actually the other way around.” (Robin, Physiotherapist).