Fully Funded PhD: An integrated Biopsychosocial approach to understanding physical activity patterns in people living with chronic low back pain

Chronic, non-specific low back pain (CLBP) is a leading cause of disability globally. CLBP is believed to be maintained by a combination of biopsychosocial factors – where pain is influenced by biological, psychological, and social elements. Rehabilitation approaches rely on this biopsychosocial framework, however limited research has investigated how all three elements affect the way which people with CLBP approach simple tasks.

This study will allow individuals with CLBP to modify the weight lifted in a repeated lifting task; and aims to investigate the decision-making process underlying their alterations, and the impact of these changes on biological and pain outcomes.  Before and after the task, participants will be asked about things that act as barriers and facilitators to completing the task, their decision-making processes around lifting, and how this is influenced by their views on social norms surrounding CLBP. A range of biological, psychological, and social approaches will be used to comprehensively investigate how these factors influence task performance.

A successful candidate will work with experts in chronic pain at the MMU Institute of Sport and collaborate with leading researchers across the globe. The results of this project will underpin the development of novel rehabilitation approaches to improve pain related outcomes.

Project aims and objectives

This project aims to apply an integrated biopsychosocial approach to understand the influence of chronic low back pain on decision-making and performance of a lifting task at self-selected mass increments. Specific objectives include:

• Investigate social factors which influence individual lifting priorities, barriers to lifting, and perceptions of social norms which might influence the choice of lifting approach.
• Investigate psychological elements which influence the decision-making process for selecting mass increments.
• Investigate the impact of lifting approach on muscle activity and movement.
• Characterise the biopsychosocial profile of the individual based on their social beliefs, decision-making and task performance.