No abstract

Pain is a frequently encountered human problem, but it also an intensely personal experience. A social constructionist perspective suggests that persons experiencing pain create uniquely individualized meanings and interpretations of reality. The interaction of common past and present experiences are examined, along with the impact of collective perceptions among others.Strategies for caring for persons in pain are presented so that clinicians can support individual meaning making activity. When individually constructed realities become barriers to optimal pain management, clinicians are encouraged to guide the person experiencing pain in building alternate realities that promote comfort and ease suffering.