What are the benefits of cultivating self-compassion in adults with low back pain? A systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Low back pain is one of the most prevalent public health problems in the world, generating psychosocial impacts on quality of life and a high demand for medical care. Self-compassion may be beneficial for low back pain control, however, studies in the area are scarce. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to investigate the benefits of self-compassion-related interventions on low back pain and mental health in adults. Methods: The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO and the method was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. Searches were conducted using the keywords “self-compassion” and “low back pain” in Portuguese, English, and Spanish in the following databases: PubMed, LILACS, SciELO, PePSIC, PsycInfo, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane. Additional searches were also conducted through the references of the included studies. Results: Thirty-three articles were identified and analyzed by two independent reviewers using Rayyan. Four of these studies were included. RoB 2 was used to assess the risk of bias of each study. The main findings suggest that self-compassion-related interventions demonstrate benefits in the treatment of low back pain, as well as reduction in pain intensity, psychological stress, and improvement of pain acceptance. Discussion: However, these positive data must be analyzed carefully, as only two studies presented a low risk of bias. Despite growing interest in this field, more research self-compassion-related interventions for low back pain are suggested, since biopsychosocial aspects associated with low back pain can impact the outcome of treatment. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier (CRD42022376341).