Patients’ Views on Self-Management of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Abstract

Research Question (RQ): Chronic musculoskeletal pain is a complex condition and one of the most important causes of suffering of modern times. Self-management refers to the individual’s ability to manage the symptoms, treatment, physical and psychosocial consequences and life style changes inherent in living with a chronic condition. The research question is; what is the view on the self-management of chronic musculoskeletal pain from the patient's perspective?

Purpose: The purpose of this literature review was to review original articles that reported how self-management educational programmes are viewed from the patient’s perspective.

Method: We used an integrative review of the literature. The search was conducted from November 2019 to March 2020 on the PubMed, PEDro and OTseeker databases. We included original studies, written in English that examined the patients’ point of view on self-management. The included studies, needed to be conducted on adult patients of both sexes, that were suffering from chronic pain and were educated on self-management of their pain. Two authors independently searched for original studies.

Results: Nine article were included in the review. Most of the studies included a multidisciplinary approach. Patients reported they more frequently used passive strategies to manage their pain. They want to be included in the management and be able to communicate with the provider of self-management. There are several positive aspects of a multidisciplinary and groups approach.

Organization: Health care providers can encourage an individual to proactively behave through ongoing processes of communication, partnerships and the creation of appropriate self-management plans over time.

Society: We assume that the analysis will help to identify the social responsibility of the individual and society in the common concern for the health of the population and the individual within it.

Originality: The research provides an up-to-date, new overview of the patients' perspective on self management on chronic pain. The review can be helpful to health care providers s they can compare their expectations with patients's.

Limitations / further research: Further research would focus on high quality studies, and specific forms of multidisciplinary approach, and finding what patients use at a home setting and how to help them continue in the self management of their pain. Limitations of this review include the lack of risk of bias assessment and the fact that this is not a systematic review.