Article

Activity pacing (AP) is widely used to manage chronic pain. However,
recent developments in pain management do not necessarily include AP. Research
has explored the experience of AP for physiotherapists who specialize in chronic
pain. The innovation of this study is to build on previous research by exploring
the experiences of patients and physiotherapists who do not specialize in chronic
pain. METHODS: We interviewed eight patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain
who had used AP and eight physiotherapists working in an out-patient department
who had not specialized in chronic pain. Interviews were recorded, and
transcribed verbatim and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) were used
for analysis. RESULTS: We present the following themes: 1) I have tried
everything and have no other place to go; 2) AP provides a tangible, physical
structure that can be used flexibly; 3) working to retune the brain to a
different way of life; 4) retuning the brain can pay off in the end as "less is
more"; 5) working hard to connect with patients; 6) connecting with patients can
be exhausting; and 7) the patient needs to be on board. CONCLUSION: AP can
provide a useful vehicle for psychological change through experiential learning.
It can support psychological flexibility and is not incompatible with other
biopsychosocial approaches.

Langue : ANGLAIS