Through the Glass Bubble: Chronic Pain and the Doctor–Patient Relationship as Perceived by Patients

Abstract

At the beginning of the 21st century, the interdisciplinary model for treating patients suffering from chronic pain has been adopted by a growing number of health centers. There is not, however, enough research examining how patients treated in clinics guided by this philosophy experience their condition and treatment. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to gain a closer understanding of the experience of these chronic pain patients. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 men and women aged 24 to 54 years who have suffered from chronic pain for over a year. The interviews were analyzed using the interpretative phenomenological analysis method. According to our analysis, participants experience themselves as trapped within endless pain that blurs their sense of identity and autonomy and isolates them from their environment. Participants expressed their desire for a close and caring relationship with their doctors as a way of relieving their sense of isolation. Based on our analysis, we suggest a patient-centered model for guiding doctors caring for chronic pain patients, which highlights the patients’ social and emotional experiences in addition to their medical condition.