Lived experiences of recovery following musculoskeletal trauma 6 months following injury in the UK: a qualitative study

Middlebrook, Nicola, Heneghan, Nicola R, Moffatt, Maria ORCID: 0000-0002-8385-7418, Silvester, Lucy, Falla, Deborah, Rushton, Alison B and Soundy, Andrew (2025) Lived experiences of recovery following musculoskeletal trauma 6 months following injury in the UK: a qualitative study BMJ OPEN, 15 (11). e108425-e108425. ISSN 2044-6055, 2044-6055

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Abstract

Objectives Traumatic musculoskeletal injuries arecommon and often lifechanging. The6-month period following injury is a critical phasein recovery, during which engagement with rehabilitation professionals can bekey to achieving positiveoutcomes. However, thereis limited understanding of which aspects of recovery matter most to patients, how they definea successful recovery and what this looks likewhen captured during thelived recovery process. Theaim of this study was to explorepatients' views and perceptions of recovery following musculoskeletal trauma and to understand what constitutes successful recovery at 6 months postinjury. Design Qualitativestudy using interpretativephenomenological analysis through semi-structured interviews. Setting Major trauma centrein theUK. Participants 13 participants (mean age(SD) 51 (17) years, 69% male) completed theinterview. Eligibility criteria: adults >18 years, musculoskeletal injury from a traumatic event and ability to communicatein English. Purposivesampling included age, gender, injury severity and injury type. Interviews wereaudio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Results Threemain themes wereidentified: (1) Therecovery journey: participants reflected on their recovery whilestill processing theaccident/injuries. They often drew on other people's experiences to makesenseof their recovery. Recovery was accompanied by a rangeof negativeemotions and personal challenges. (2) Theoutcome: participants used multiplestrategies to work towards recovery, guided by personalised individual goals. A successful recovery was defined as their ? €? normal'. (3) Healthcare/clinicians impact recovery: Participants reported confusion and mixed messages from healthcareprofessionals, leading to uncertainty around injury management. Fragmented carepathway and difficulties accessing healthcareand support werealso highlighted. Conclusions Recovery at 6 months post injury involves a complex interplay of physical and emotional factors. This period can beparticularly challenging to navigate, often with no or limited support. Thereis a need for a targeted, individualised approach to guidepatients through this period of recovery. Participants' focus was on theoutcomefollowing their injury, setting goals for thefuture, with successful recovery defined as ? €? normal'. Further research is needed to support clinicians in developing effectivepsychologically informed rehabilitation plans.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Musculoskeletal disorders, QUALITATIVE RESEARCH, REHABILITATION MEDICINE
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	10 Sep 2026 11:27
Last Modified:	10 Sep 2026 12:41
DOI:	10.1136/bmjopen-2025-108425
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3203074
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