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The experience of chronic back pain: accounts of loss in those seeking help from pain clinics

The experience of chronic back pain: accounts of loss in those seeking help from pain clinics
The experience of chronic back pain: accounts of loss in those seeking help from pain clinics
Background This study responded to the need for greater understanding of the experiences that help to shape the worldviews of chronic back patients as they seek help from pain clinics.
Aim To elaborate on the lived experience of chronic back pain in those actively seeking help from pain clinics.
Methods This was a qualitative study, based on an interpretative phenomenological approach. As part of in-depth interviews, participants were invited to ‘tell their story’ from the time their pain began. Participants were twelve male and eight female patients, all of whom were diagnosed as having chronic benign back pain and had recently attended one of two pain clinics as new referrals. The data were analysed thematically.
Findings Loss was one of five major themes to emerge. The narrative accounts revealed a catalogue of socio-economic and other material losses including loss of physical and mental abilities, occupational and social activities, job or role. In those of working age, these led to financial hardship and changes in interpersonal relationships, culminating in loss of self-worth, future and hope.
Conclusions The findings suggest that material losses, as well as perceptions of loss, are prominent issues for those of working age seeking help from pain clinics for chronic back pain, and may need to be acknowledged and addressed as part of therapeutic interventions. The possibility of age-related differences in pain-related loss may be worthy of further investigation.
Chronic back pain, Loss, Grief, Interviews, Qualitative research
1090-3801
199-207
Walker, J.
991d793e-2b84-403b-a9ee-0a802b90f06d
Sofaer, B.
8d75b373-826e-4829-9e53-e379ad75366b
Holloway, I.
87afe493-1c7d-404b-b1f8-cab3f040261a
Walker, J.
991d793e-2b84-403b-a9ee-0a802b90f06d
Sofaer, B.
8d75b373-826e-4829-9e53-e379ad75366b
Holloway, I.
87afe493-1c7d-404b-b1f8-cab3f040261a

Walker, J., Sofaer, B. and Holloway, I. (2005) The experience of chronic back pain: accounts of loss in those seeking help from pain clinics. European Journal of Pain, 10 (3), 199-207. (doi:10.1016/j.ejpain.2005.03.007).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background This study responded to the need for greater understanding of the experiences that help to shape the worldviews of chronic back patients as they seek help from pain clinics.
Aim To elaborate on the lived experience of chronic back pain in those actively seeking help from pain clinics.
Methods This was a qualitative study, based on an interpretative phenomenological approach. As part of in-depth interviews, participants were invited to ‘tell their story’ from the time their pain began. Participants were twelve male and eight female patients, all of whom were diagnosed as having chronic benign back pain and had recently attended one of two pain clinics as new referrals. The data were analysed thematically.
Findings Loss was one of five major themes to emerge. The narrative accounts revealed a catalogue of socio-economic and other material losses including loss of physical and mental abilities, occupational and social activities, job or role. In those of working age, these led to financial hardship and changes in interpersonal relationships, culminating in loss of self-worth, future and hope.
Conclusions The findings suggest that material losses, as well as perceptions of loss, are prominent issues for those of working age seeking help from pain clinics for chronic back pain, and may need to be acknowledged and addressed as part of therapeutic interventions. The possibility of age-related differences in pain-related loss may be worthy of further investigation.

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More information

Published date: April 2005
Keywords: Chronic back pain, Loss, Grief, Interviews, Qualitative research

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 17449
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/17449
ISSN: 1090-3801
PURE UUID: cc90b959-a9e0-4098-84fc-8980df30d2f6

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Date deposited: 03 Mar 2006
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 05:59

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Contributors

Author: J. Walker
Author: B. Sofaer
Author: I. Holloway

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