City Research Online

Abstract

Objective
This study aimed to understand the impact of pain management programmes, focusing on the unwanted effects and their influence on patients’ long-term use of self-management strategies.

Design
Qualitative study.

Setting
Specialist musculoskeletal hospital in North London, England.

Participants
Patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain that have completed a pain management programme.

Intervention
Multidisciplinary pain management programmes.

Main measures
Data were collected regarding patients’ experiences and unwanted effects from the pain management programme using semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results
Fourteen participant interviews were included in the analysis (median age 54 years, 12 females). Four themes were generated from the data: Benefits and burdens, Pain management programme and real life, Social support and Healthcare interventions. Unwanted effects included heightened anxiety related to negative interactions with peers, being in a new environment, worries about ability to cope with the programme, social anxiety from being in a group, the strain on families due to participants being away from home and a sense of abandonment at end of the programme. Burdens associated with implementing pain management strategies were identified, including the emotional burden of imposing their self-management on close family and competing demands with time and energy spent on self-management at the expense of work or home commitments.

Conclusions
Pain management programmes have an important role in helping patients to learn how to self-manage chronic pain. Their unwanted effects and the treatment burdens associated with long-term self-management may be an important consideration in improving the longevity of their beneficial effects.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Copyright © 2024
Publisher Keywords:	Chronic pain, pain management programmes, burdens, unwanted effects, patient perspectives, self-management
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management R Medicine > RT Nursing
Departments:	School of Health & Psychological Sciences School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Psychology
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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