An effective coaching intervention for people with low recovery expectations and low back pain: a content analysis.
BACKGROUND
A health coaching intervention in addition to usual physiotherapy care increased recovery expectation and activity in people with non-chronic NSLBP and low recovery expectation.


OBJECTIVE
We aimed to fully describe the coaching intervention to allow replication and enable a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind health coaching in this setting.


METHODS
A qualitative analysis was conducted using notes taken by the coach during the health coaching intervention. Two researchers independently applied open coding and content analysis, using the factors of low recovery expectation identified in a previous qualitative investigation as a framework.


RESULTS
For the majority of participants coaching rapidly progressed to goal setting and action planning, with less time spent on increasing the importance and confidence to return to activity. The factors of the person, progression, pain, performance and treatment were addressed across all phases of the coaching intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
This effective health coaching intervention for people with non-chronic NSLBP and low recovery expectation concentrated on goal setting and action planning and addressed the essential factors of recovery expectations. This study suggests that coaching interventions are likely to be different in this population compared to similar interventions in chronic conditions due to pre-existing levels of readiness to change.
Department of Physiotherapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
Ross A
RA
Iles
Department of Physiotherapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia Eastern Health, Melbourne, Australia.
Nicholas F
NF
Taylor
Department of Physiotherapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
Megan
M
Davidson
Department of Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
Paul
P
O'Halloran
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D012648:Self Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
Low back pain; coaching; content analysis; motivational interviewing; qualitative; recovery expectation