LIVING WITH CONTINUOUS MUSCULAR PAIN - PATIENT PERSPECTIVES .1. ENCOUNTERS AND CONSEQUENCES

The purpose of the present study was to focus on the patient perspecti ves of living with chronic muscular pain, and to identify factors that can explain and give further understanding of how the condition influ ences everyday life. Forty women with fibromyalgia, living in two diff erent cultural, health care and social security settings, Sweden and t he USA, were interviewed, using a semi-structured format. Three prelim inary typologies are suggested for further studies: Encounters, Conseq uences, and Strategies. The study is presented in two articles: Part I : Encounters and consequences, Part II: Strategies for daily life. Thi s first article shows that the contradiction between the patients' per ception of illness and the lack of objective findings is stressful. Th e women feel rejected, misunderstood, and disbelieved, which prevents them from dealing with their situation constructively. Long investigat ion periods provoke anxiety, and confirmation of the diagnosis is a re lief. Daily routines are disrupted, conflicts between life roles lead to additional stress and the women experience loss of ability to perfo rm valued activities, lack of physical fitness and loss of future oppo rtunities. Patients need early and adequate information and the conseq uences of the condition must be acknowledged and taken into considerat ion if secondary economic and psychosocial consequences are to be mini mized.