“If You Don’t Keep Going, You’re Gonna Die”: Helplessness and Perseverance Among Older Adults Living With Chronic Low Back Pain

Abstract

Abstract Background and Objectives Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide and the most common pain complaint among the rapidly growing older adult population. As part of a larger qualitative study examining the lived experience of CLBP among older adults, the objective of the present study is to understand how older pain clinic patients experience helplessness and also how they foster perseverance amid treatment-resistant CLBP. Research Design and Methods Using van Manen’s phenomenological method, semistructured, in-depth, one-on-one interviews were conducted with 21 older pain clinic patients (aged 66–83) living with CLBP. Data were iteratively analyzed via line-by-line thematic coding. Results Findings dually illustrate how participants were living a battle between helplessness and perseverance; the final thematic structure revealed 5 subthemes: (a) Feeling helpless because nothing works; (b) Feeling down and depressed; (c) Distantly wishing for an end; (d) Accepting the reality of my pain; and (e) The pain stays, I keep going. Discussion and Implications This study contributes a vivid illustration of older adults’ CLBP illness experiences that are substantially underpinned by helplessness, depression, and a drive to continue thriving in old age. Practice implications include the need for clinic-based mood and suicide assessment.