The Digital Narrative: Chronic Pain Self-Management Insights from Reddit in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Chronic pain is a pervasive and complex symptom experienced by patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), often impacting their quality of life. Traditional data sources, such as clinical records and surveys, provide valuable insights but may not fully capture the breadth of patient experiences and self-management strategies. This study leverages Reddit discussions as a real-world data source to explore chronic pain patterns, management approaches, and unmet needs among individuals with SLE. Utilizing natural language processing (NLP), we analyzed over 30,000 posts from r/Lupus and r/LupusSupport subreddits to identify key themes, trends, and alternative therapies discussed by users. This approach highlights the potential of social media as a complementary resource for understanding chronic pain and guiding patient-centered care interventions.