Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Managing the symptoms of neuropathic pain : an exploration of patient's experiences.
AU - Closs, S. José
AU - Staples, Victoria
AU - Reid, Innes
AU - Bennett, Michael I.
AU - Briggs, Michelle
PY - 2007/10
Y1 - 2007/10
N2 - The debilitating effects of chronic neuropathic pain on everyday life are considerable, but little is known about how individual sufferers manage these effects. Virtually nothing is known about what patients prefer, what measures they take themselves and when, or in what combinations. The aim of this study was to explore patients' reports of how they managed their neuropathic pain symptoms. Three focus groups (10 participants in total) were used to generate qualitative data on both individual and shared experiences of managing symptoms of neuropathic pain. Discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, identifying categories and broader themes of importance to patients. The most common management strategy was the use of conventional medications, often associated with poor effectiveness and unpleasant side effects. Complementary and alternative medicine was ineffective, but many found resting or retreating helpful. They exhibited a repeated cycle of seeking help to manage the pain, with each unsuccessful attempt followed by new attempts. Some had tried to accept their pain, but there was insufficient psychological, social, emotional, and practical support to allow them to do this successfully. This exploratory study provides a basis from which to develop a larger study to validate and extend the findings. Other issues meriting research are the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapies for those with neuropathic pain, and an exploration and subsequent evaluation of different types of social, practical, and emotional support needed to help live with neuropathic pain.
AB - The debilitating effects of chronic neuropathic pain on everyday life are considerable, but little is known about how individual sufferers manage these effects. Virtually nothing is known about what patients prefer, what measures they take themselves and when, or in what combinations. The aim of this study was to explore patients' reports of how they managed their neuropathic pain symptoms. Three focus groups (10 participants in total) were used to generate qualitative data on both individual and shared experiences of managing symptoms of neuropathic pain. Discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, identifying categories and broader themes of importance to patients. The most common management strategy was the use of conventional medications, often associated with poor effectiveness and unpleasant side effects. Complementary and alternative medicine was ineffective, but many found resting or retreating helpful. They exhibited a repeated cycle of seeking help to manage the pain, with each unsuccessful attempt followed by new attempts. Some had tried to accept their pain, but there was insufficient psychological, social, emotional, and practical support to allow them to do this successfully. This exploratory study provides a basis from which to develop a larger study to validate and extend the findings. Other issues meriting research are the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapies for those with neuropathic pain, and an exploration and subsequent evaluation of different types of social, practical, and emotional support needed to help live with neuropathic pain.
KW - Pain
KW - neuropathic pain
KW - self-management
KW - patient perspective
KW - qualitative
KW - focus group method
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2006.12.004
DO - 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2006.12.004
M3 - Journal article
VL - 34
SP - 422
EP - 433
JO - Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
JF - Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
SN - 0885-3924
IS - 4
ER -