Listening to Lived Experience: Shaping Culturally Sensitive Physiotherapy

Lead Applicant: Dore Young

Lead Member: Manchester

Background
Low back pain is one of the most common health problems in the UK. When it lasts more than three months, it is called chronic low back pain (CLBP). This can lead to long-term pain, reduced quality of life, and high costs for individuals and the NHS.

People from culturally and linguistically diverse communities may experience and manage back pain differently. They may also face barriers to accessing care that respects their beliefs, values, and preferred ways of managing health. These barriers can affect how people understand their pain, how likely they are to seek help, and how supported they feel by healthcare professionals.

Aim and Objectives
This project aims to better understand the experiences, values, and beliefs of adults from diverse communities who live with CLBP. We want to explore how culture and social factors influence their experience of pain and their access to care.

Our main objectives are to:

Listen to people’s stories of living with CLBP and how their values and beliefs influence their pain and the care they need.

Identify what matters most to them in physiotherapy care.

Understand the barriers they face when trying to access or continue treatment.

Use their insights to help shape future care that is more inclusive, respectful, and effective.

Approach
We will run a series of small group discussions (involvement groups) with people from one or more local communities in Manchester. These will be led by an experienced physiotherapist and supported by trusted community partners. Bilingual physiotherapists and interpreters will be available where needed to ensure everyone can fully take part.

The discussions will be informal and held in safe, non-clinical community spaces. People living with back pain will be invited to talk about their experiences and how their values and beliefs affect the care they want and need. They will also be encouraged to share what would help them feel better supported by physiotherapy services. The group format encourages shared learning and trust-building between the community and research team.

We will summarise the key messages from the discussions in plain English and check them with participants to make sure their voices are accurately reflected. These findings will be used to inform the design of a larger research project focused on co-producing a culturally sensitive physiotherapy intervention.

Amount: £2,050