Experiences of moving with persistent pain--a qualitative study from a patient perspective.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to use a phenomenological approach to explore how patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain experienced moving with their pain.

Design: In-depth interviews were performed by a physical therapy researcher with many years' experience with the rehabilitation of patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain.

Setting: The patients took part in individual rehabilitation at two different physical therapy departments. All but one patient opted to be interviewed in a room at the physical therapy department.

Method: The sample was purposive and consisted of 10 Swedish outpatients with heterogeneous nonmalignant persistent musculoskeletal pain.

Subjects: The interviews were analyzed according to a qualitative method known as the Empirical Phenomenological Psychological (EPP) method. The results were coded, analyzed, and described in typologies.

Results: The experience of moving with pain implied much more than pure physical movement. Pain was a threatening challenge to the informants' existence and identity. Three typologies were identified: failed adaptation, identity restoration, and finding the way out.

Conclusions: In conclusion, to move with persistent pain was described by the informants as having deep existential impact on the individual's life. It was also evident that all of the informants experienced a dramatic change in their identity. These experiences would most likely affect the patients' chances of recovery. To help him/her through the rehabilitation process, we need to extend our knowledge about what it means to the patient in an existential context to be unable to move as before.