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Living with low back pain--Stories of hope and despair

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  • Corbett, Mandy
  • Foster, Nadine E.
  • Ong, Bie Nio

Abstract

Previous qualitative research has illustrated a range of issues about the daily life of people living with low back pain (LBP). In this paper, we consider the struggle between hope and despair through consideration of six people's narratives about their experiences of chronic LBP. The six cases were selected from a larger qualitative study of 37 patients in the UK, sampled from a prospective cohort of people consulting their general practitioner. These six cases were selected for particular focus as they exemplify the fluctuating emotions of hope and despair. A number of linked themes emerged which influenced the extent to which people oscillate between hope and despair, the most salient of which were 'uncertainty', 'impact on self', 'social context of living with pain', and 'worry and fear of the future'. It is clear from the narrative accounts that it is not only just physical pain that the back pain sufferer must endure, but also that the psychosocial implications pose an added and often complicated challenge. Health care practitioners should consider these fluctuating emotions of hope and despair in order to facilitate more patient-centred strategies for treatment.

Suggested Citation

  • Corbett, Mandy & Foster, Nadine E. & Ong, Bie Nio, 2007. "Living with low back pain--Stories of hope and despair," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(8), pages 1584-1594, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:65:y:2007:i:8:p:1584-1594
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rhodes, Tim & Bernays, Sarah & Terzic, Katarina Jankovic, 2009. "Medical promise and the recalibration of expectation: Hope and HIV treatment engagement in a transitional setting," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1050-1059, March.
    2. Philip Kinghorn & Angela Robinson & Richard Smith, 2015. "Developing a Capability-Based Questionnaire for Assessing Well-Being in Patients with Chronic Pain," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 120(3), pages 897-916, February.
    3. Dassieu, Lise & Kaboré, Jean-Luc & Choinière, Manon & Arruda, Nelson & Roy, Élise, 2020. "Painful lives: Chronic pain experience among people who use illicit drugs in Montreal (Canada)," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).

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