Patients' experience of health three years after structured physiotherapy or surgery for lumbar disc herniation.

Abstract

To describe the experience of health among patients 3 years after treatment with a structured physiotherapy model or surgery for lumbar disc herniation. A qualitative research study. Patients were referred to the orthopaedic clinic at Sahlgrenska University Hospital with sciatica due to lumbar disc herniation. Twenty patients who were eligible for surgery were treated either with a structured physio-therapy model or with surgery. Open-ended interviews were conducted and analysed using content analysis. Findings were grouped into two themes: feeling of well-being and feeling of ill-being. In the group treated with structured physiotherapy there were a high number of codes in the feeling of well-being theme. In the group treated with surgery there were a high number of codes in the feeling of ill-being theme. Patients treated with structured physiotherapy or surgery experienced feelings of well-being and ill-being 3 years after treatment. Patients treated with physiotherapy and surgery described varying experiences of health 3 years after treatment for lumbar disc herniation. It can be speculated that the experience of well-being may be explained by the ability of structured physiotherapy treatments to empower patients.