Staying active despite pain: pain beliefs and experiences with activity-related pain in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.
OBJECTIVE
Maintain a level of activity and exercise is advice often given to patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, but many patients find physical activity painful and consequently hesitate to move. Disability seems to be associated with fear of pain and there is a need to enhance our understanding of patients' beliefs and attitudes about how fear of pain affects physical activity and why some people are active despite their pain. The aim of this research was to understand thoughts and experiences about pain related to activity in patients with musculoskeletal disorders; the situations that promoted pain and if and how fear was expressed.


METHODS
Five women and five men, recruited from a larger survey on fear, pain and physical activity were interviewed. The interviews were analysed by qualitative methods for themes about participants' pain and beliefs about pain.


RESULTS
By interpreting signals from the body, patients calculated and planned their daily life to stay active despite pain and participate in their social lives. Pain was a signal with diverse meanings which, with the influence of time, seemed to change from a sign of danger to a reminder to moderate their level of activity. By experimenting with different activities, patients learned how to gradually remain or become physically active.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients strived to stay active despite pain. The interpretation of pain changed over time, from a threatening signal to a signal with diverse meanings.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings provide insights that may improve the educational rehabilitation of patients with musculoskeletal pain.
Department of Health and Care Sciences, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway. Elin.Damsgard@uit.no
Elin
E
Damsgård
Anne
A
Dewar
Cecilie
C
Røe
Torunn
T
Hamran
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*