‘I am free in my wheelchair but pain does have a say in it though’: The meaning and experience of quality of life when living with paraplegia and chronic pain
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online September, 2019
‘I am free in my wheelchair but pain does have a say in it though’: The meaning and experience of quality of life when living with paraplegia and chronic pain
This study investigated how wheelchair-using individuals with paraplegia and chronic pain make sense of the factors associated with quality of life based on interviews using photo-elicitation and interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three superordinate themes emerged in the analysis: experiencing quality of life through the perception of self and identity, interpersonal relationships as facilitators and barriers to quality of life and life in a wheelchair: pain experience and management. Quality of life for those living with paraplegia and chronic pain is experienced as a complex interaction across several life domains. The use of photographs may improve the communication of pain-related experiences and understanding by healthcare staff.
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