A Call for Study on the Meanings of Pain

Rysewyk, Simon van

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-49022-9_1

Cited by 15 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 66 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These findings are consistent with previous research that built on the situational meaning theory proposed by Lazarus and Folkman, 19 and examined the determinants of initial appraisals of an event. 57 In line with previous findings examining the appraised meaning of pain, 17 , 58 , 59 the participants made attributions about the cause of pain; most often to a medical condition, an injury, or potential injury. This suggests that the participants were most comfortable with a biomedical model of pain, which may be related to the faith participants held in medical solutions for their chronic pain.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…Although some of the participants perceived their pain as a challenge to be overcome, more often they appraised their pain in terms of its threat/harm and loss. 58 , 59 They often referred to their pain in terms of its associated disability, its short- and long-term negative implications for their quality of life, and the extent to which pain is not controllable. Chronic pain emerged as an obstacle limiting one’s ability to connect and relate to the world as an autonomous and productive person who is able to pursue and achieve valued goals provides a subjective sense self and purpose in life.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Meaning Making Model Applied to Community-Dwelling Adults with Chronic Pain

Ferreira-Valente¹,

Fontes²,

Pais-Ribeiro³

et al. 2021

JPR

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose Chronic pain is a multidimensional experience that is influenced by biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors. The Meaning Making Model is a recent cognitive behavioral model that has been developed to understand how psychosocial factors influence adjustment to stressful events, such as having a chronic illness. This qualitative study aims to understand the potential utility of this model for understanding the role of meaning making in adjustment to chronic pain. Materials and Methods Eighteen community-dwelling adults with chronic low back pain or chronic pain due to osteoarthritis participated in four focus groups. Participants were asked open-ended questions about their pain experience, pain-related beliefs, meaning of pain, and the perceived association between pain and their meaning in life and sense of purpose. Data were submitted to thematic analysis and the identified themes were considered in light of the Meaning Making Model. Results Three overarching themes emerged, each of which included two themes. The first overarching theme – “appraised meaning of pain” – included the themes “causal attributions” and “primary appraisals.” The second – “meaning making processes” – included the themes “assimilation” and “accommodation.” The third – “meanings made” – included the themes “pain as an opportunity” and “acceptance.” Conclusion The key themes that emerged as individuals with chronic pain discussed pain and its impact are consistent with those that would be hypothesized as important from the Meaning Making Model, providing preliminary support for the utility of this model in the context of chronic pain. People with chronic pain appear to appraise pain in terms of its cause, controllability, threat, loss, or challenge. When a discrepancy between the appraised meaning of pain and one’s global meaning emerged, participants engaged in meaning making processes (accommodation and assimilation), resulting in meanings made, such as a reappraised meaning of pain, perceptions of growth, and acceptance.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Meaning Making Model Applied to Community-Dwelling Adults with Chronic Pain

Ferreira-Valente¹,

Fontes²,

Pais-Ribeiro³

et al. 2021

JPR

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This helps to resolve the clinician's dilemma, enabling a clinical encounter that ensures a mutual exploration of the patient's beliefs, expectations, emotions, and perceived meanings of pain. 51 This negotiated position stands to relieve the tension between the competing “privileges” of self-report and observer interpretation.…”

Section: Toward a New Definitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…41 , 43 These common factors have been reliably observed in phenomenological and psychophysical research since the early 20th century. 43 , 51 …”

Section: Toward a New Definitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconsidering the International Association for the Study of Pain definition of pain

Cohen

Quintner

Rysewyk

2018

PR9

Self Cite

189

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In this article, we have identified a number of types, patterns and intensities which clinicians could use to help women describe the multiplicity and complexity of their pain experiences, which women may not have associated with endometriosis, or may have feared would be dismissed as hysterical or exaggerated. 3,27,41 The complexity of the constellations of pain presented in this study has implications for the psycho-emotional impact of pain on quality of life, which suggests that clinicians need to take a wider biopsychosocial approach 53 to reflect the full lived experiences of pain in people with endometriosis. We suggest that Figure 1 could act as a tool to allow women to describe their constellation of pain to clinicians.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Constellations of pain: a qualitative study of the complexity of women’s endometriosis-related pain

Drabble

Long

Alele

et al. 2020

British Journal of Pain

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction: Prior research into endometriosis-related pain has focused on specific aspects of the pain experience such as cyclical pain, emotional aspects of pain and certain types of pain such as dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia. However, research has paid less attention to the diversity and complexity of women’s pain experiences, which can lead to failure to recognise some symptoms as part of endometriosis and poor symptom management. Methods: We conducted qualitative semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 20 women in the United Kingdom recruited from an endometriosis self-help group with a diagnosis of endometriosis via laparoscopy. A topic guide framed questions around experiences of pain. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Women experienced multiple types of pain that they felt were caused by endometriosis and affected many different parts of the body including bowel, bladder, lungs, kidneys, nerves, upper body, lower limbs and head. These pains consisted of different conceptual categories: type, pattern and intensity. These categories came together to create a complex, interrelated experience for each individual that we termed ‘constellations of pain’ because each woman had a complex set of pain categories and no two individuals appeared to have the same pain experience. Conclusion: The complexity and diversity of endometriosis-related pain found in this study has implications for improving diagnosis, medical and non-medical pain management and improving the clinical encounter between women and healthcare professionals.

show abstract

A Call for Study on the Meanings of Pain

Cited by 15 publications

References 66 publications

The Meaning Making Model Applied to Community-Dwelling Adults with Chronic Pain

The Meaning Making Model Applied to Community-Dwelling Adults with Chronic Pain

Reconsidering the International Association for the Study of Pain definition of pain

Constellations of pain: a qualitative study of the complexity of women’s endometriosis-related pain

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About