About the project
Chronic pain without any visual lesion in the body contradicts bio-medicine’s categorization and diagnosis. Thus, people who suffer from medically unexplained chronic pain work hard to gain social status as ‘real’ patients. They are often caught in a limbo - between being not 'really' sick and unable to work and enjoy a social life.
Chronic pain is usually associated with many different approaches to healing, physiotherapy being one of them.
Objectives
To gain knowledge about how cultural ideals of gender are embedded in patients’ stories of chronic pain and how gender may influence the patient’s experience of being in treatment.
Outcomes
Data collection has ended. Analysis is in progress. One article has been submitted.
Background
Our study draws on constructivist theory, in which chronic pain and gender are understood as experienced, relational and cultural phenomena. The material consists of interviews with men and women with chronic pain, who are in treatment for that reason.
Financing
Norwegian Fund for Post-Graduate Training in Physiotherapy.
Start - Finish
8.04.2008 – 7.4.2012