Using Qualitative Methodologies to Explore the Lived Experience of Chronic Pain and Chronic Pain in the Workplace

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic pain is a significant and challenging issue, impacting an increasingly large number of Canadians. The impacts from chronic pain are individually felt on a biological, psychological and sociological level and as a result proliferate one’s life in entirety. The workplace being a key domain in one’s life creates an additional layer of complexity in managing chronic pain conditions, both from the perspective of the worker with a chronic pain condition and the employer as well. This dissertation consists of three manuscripts, all using qualitative methodologies to explore issues of chronic pain in the work environment. Manuscript 1 - Contemporary Approaches to Phenomenology: This manuscript reviews two contemporary approaches to phenomenology in Jonathan Smith’s Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and Maxwell van Manen’s contemporary approach to phenomenology and provides a comparison and critique of both of these approaches. Through detailing these approaches on a critical level should be feasible for novice researchers to adequately ascertain whether these particular applications on phenomenology are beneficial and applicable to their research. Manuscript 2 – Autoethnography of a Young Adult with Chronic Pain: This manuscript explores the author’s personal experience in navigating their chronic pain condition as a young adult. From the narrative of these experiences, three major themes were discussed and analyzed through the existing literature in the field. These themes included: interactions of young adults with health care providers, impacts by and on caregivers in supporting a loved one with a chronic pain condition and the specific challenges of managing reduced capacity in the workplace environment. Manuscript 3 - An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Chronic Pain in those who are Self-Employed or Teleworking: This final manuscript utilizes Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (as discussed in Manuscript 1) to discuss the lived experience of four individuals who shifted to some form of self-employment or telework to help manage their chronic pain condition. Common themes emerged from the interviews completed, including: the strategies adopted to manage their chronic pain condition in their home-based work environment and the benefits and challenges that occurred with self-employment and telework and their chronic pain. Self-employment and telework were regularly found to be a necessary approach for managing their chronic pain given the increased self-efficacy and autonomy despite the number of challenges that they faced in this particular work environment. Conclusions: These three manuscripts work together in order to successfully apply a variety of qualitative methodologies to help increase the understanding of these nuanced conditions. The particular area of chronic pain among those who are self-employed and teleworking is a valuable groundwork paper in the current workplace environment where more people are participating in various forms of self-employment or telework.