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Exploring pain in the Andes--learning from the Quichua (Inca) people experience.
Mario Incayawar1, Jean-François Saucier
1Runajambi - Institute for the Study of Quichua Culture and Health , Otavalo , Ecuador.
Postgraduate Medicine
|February 21, 2015
Summary
The Quichua people of the Andes have a complex understanding of pain, integrating emotional, spiritual, and life event factors. Their pain management is sophisticated, utilizing both biomedical and traditional healing practices.
Area of Science:
- Medical Anthropology
- Global Health
- Pain Management
Background:
- Culture significantly influences the human experience of pain.
- Limited research exists on the pain perception and coping mechanisms of the indigenous Quichua (Inca) people of the Andes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how Quichua adults perceive, describe, and cope with pain.
- To understand the cultural factors influencing pain experience in the Quichua population.
Main Methods:
- An exploratory qualitative/descriptive study involving 40 Quichua adults in Ecuador.
- Structured interviews were conducted using a Quichua questionnaire, 'The Nature of Pain' (Nanay Jahua Tapuicuna).
- Interviews covered pain causation, vulnerability, responses, aggravating factors, locations, types, duration, characteristics, control, care pathways, and prevention.
Main Results:
- Quichua pain experience is complex, influenced by emotions, life events, co-morbidities, and spiritual factors.
- Coping strategies are sophisticated, integrating biomedical and traditional Quichua medicine, including healers.
- Family and neighbors play a crucial role in healthcare and pain management.
Conclusions:
- The Quichua pathway to care is inclusive and pluralistic, valuing both Western and traditional approaches.
- Understanding Quichua beliefs and coping strategies is clinically valuable for healthcare providers in multicultural settings.
- This research offers insights for culturally competent care in rural and diverse societies worldwide.
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