Abstract
Background: Pain affects around 63% of people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Biomedical treatments demonstrate limited efficacy. More research is needed to understand pain from the individual’s perspective in order to better inform a patient-centred approach that improves engagement, self-management and outcome.
Objective: The objective of this paper is to explore pwMS’ experience and responses to pain, and their perspectives on pain management.
Methods: Twenty-five in-depth, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach with elements of grounded theory.
Results: Key themes included vivid descriptions of pain and beliefs that pain is unpredictable, a sign of damage and may worsen. Anger was a common emotional response. Two dominant pain management themes emerged: one related to pain reduction and another to acceptance. Those focusing on pain reduction appeared to engage in cycles in which they struggled with symptoms and experienced continued distress.
Conclusion: Findings identify pain-related beliefs, emotional reactions and disparate pain-management attitudes. All may influence pwMS’ responses to pain and what they ask of their clinicians. Uncovering pwMS’ personal beliefs about pain, and introducing a broader biopsychosocial understanding of pain in the clinical context, may provide opportunities to rectify potentially unhelpful management choices and enhance pain acceptance.
Objective: The objective of this paper is to explore pwMS’ experience and responses to pain, and their perspectives on pain management.
Methods: Twenty-five in-depth, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach with elements of grounded theory.
Results: Key themes included vivid descriptions of pain and beliefs that pain is unpredictable, a sign of damage and may worsen. Anger was a common emotional response. Two dominant pain management themes emerged: one related to pain reduction and another to acceptance. Those focusing on pain reduction appeared to engage in cycles in which they struggled with symptoms and experienced continued distress.
Conclusion: Findings identify pain-related beliefs, emotional reactions and disparate pain-management attitudes. All may influence pwMS’ responses to pain and what they ask of their clinicians. Uncovering pwMS’ personal beliefs about pain, and introducing a broader biopsychosocial understanding of pain in the clinical context, may provide opportunities to rectify potentially unhelpful management choices and enhance pain acceptance.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 21, 4 |
| Pages (from-to) | 466-476 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England) |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 2014 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Apr 2015 |