Il ruolo della respirazione consapevole nella gestione del dolore cronico da lombalgia: una scoping review

Background: chronic low back pain is a global health problem that impacts people’s lives, causing a significant reduction in the quality of life in terms of pain and disability. Chronic pain can lead the sufferer to experience high levels of disability and difficulty in different areas of daily life; in this context, the adoption of targeted psychophysical interventions that consider the person as a whole is fundamental. Aim: this article aims to explore what is known in the literature about the effectiveness of conscious breathing techniques in the management of chronic pain from low back pain, providing a comprehensive view on the subject, identify future prospects and highlight any gaps. Methods: bibliographic research began in June 2023 and ended on August 28, 2023, leading to the interrogation of databases: PubMed, PEDro and Cochrane Library. Articles have been included in accordance with the pre-established eligibility criteria and no limits have been set for research. Results: the process of selection and inclusion was represented by flow chart and, from 209 initial articles, led to the inclusion of three heterogeneous evidence sources per study design: 1 descriptive study, 1 retrospective study and 1 experimental study. Conclusions: although there are few studies in the literature dealing with the subject, the analyzed studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of conscious breathing in the management of chronic pain from low back pain. This dissertation should be the starting point for future studies on larger samples, as well as encouraging the inclusion of this practice in physiotherapists' treatment.