Although unseen, chronic pain is real-A phenomenological study

Area of Science:

• Medical Sociology
• Psychology
• Pain Management

Background:

• Psychosocial factors are crucial in chronic pain, yet clinical practice often prioritizes identifying physical causes.
• Pain without a distinct pathology is frequently dismissed as imaginary, impacting patient care.
• The study addresses the patient experience of 'invisible' chronic pain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the patient perspective on the invisibility of chronic pain.
• To understand how a lack of identifiable pathology affects the validation of chronic pain experiences.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving 34 participants with chronic pain (mean age 48, 19 female).
• 21 participants experienced pain for over five years; most had degenerative spinal pain.
• Interviews analyzed using Giorgi's four-phase phenomenological method.

Main Results:

• Participants reported chronic pain often being disbelieved by healthcare providers due to absent pathology.
• Statements from providers and family often involved speculation, underrating, and denial of pain.
• Patients experienced rejection from healthcare and social security systems, exacerbating mental health issues.

Conclusions:

• Chronic pain without clear pathology is often deemed imaginary in healthcare settings.
• Despite recommendations for a biopsychosocial model, chronic pain is still treated as a symptom of disease.
• The holistic, biopsychosocial approach is underutilized in clinical practice, suggesting a persistent Cartesian mind-body dualism.