What are the essential components of a self-management program designed to help workers with chronic low back pain stay at work? A mapping review

Abstract

Purpose

For many workers suffering from chronic low back pain (CLBP), the main challenge after a disabling episode is not returning to work in itself, but rather sustaining this reinstatement. The goal of this study was to identify key elements that should be included in a self-management (SM) program in order to facilitate a sustainable return to work for patients suffering from LBP.

Materials and methods

We conducted a mapping review to examine the current evidence surrounding this issue in four databases (CINAHL, PudMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library). Key content elements of SM programs, as well as facilitators/barriers associated with sustainable RTW were extracted and analysed.

Results

Only three studies that met our eligibility criteria. Results from these studies suggest that, in the context of RTW, the two most valuable components of an SM program are educational materials and strategies specifically tailored to the work context.

Conclusions

Among this admittedly scarce evidence, we were able to identify valuable elements that should be included in SM programs in order to promote a sustainable RTW. Additional studies assessing the effectiveness of both current SM programs and programs developed based on our recommendations will be called for to further support our results.

Keywords:

• Rehabilitation
• self-management
• stay at work
• low back pain
• occupational health

Author contributions

YTL, CL and GL were the lead authors. They undertook the background research to the review, the literature review, the electronic database searches, collated the results and led the conception of this systematic search and review. MFC, NG, DK and IN collaborated on the conception of the review by reviewing and editing each section of the review in order to give their insights. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a research grant from the Quebec Rehabilitation Research Network (REPAR) and the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité au travail (IRSST). Guillaume Leonard is supported by FRQS (Quebec).