Patients' Experiences of Multimodal Rehabilitation for Chronic Pain in Primary Care
Charlotte Sylwander, Josefin Willhammar, Ingrid Larsson, Stefan BergmanABSTRACT
Objectives
To describe how patients with chronic pain experienced participation in a multimodal rehabilitation programme (MMR) in primary care.
Methods
The study had a descriptive qualitative design with an inductive approach, including 10 participants (6 women and 4 men, aged 36–57). The MMR took place at a primary care centre in southern Sweden and consisted of face‐to‐face meetings twice a week for 6 to 7 weeks. The multidisciplinary team included a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, a healthcare counsellor, and a physician. Individual in‐person interviews were conducted using open‐ended questions and analysed using qualitative content analysis.
Results
The results illustrate participants' varied experiences of participation in MMR in primary care, described in three themes with six sub‐themes: (1) knowing the pain (grasping the pain and voicing needs); (2) embracing pain (being recognised and empowered); and (3) building resilience (enhancing skillset and becoming proactive).
Conclusions
MMR offered a structure to address chronic pain beyond symptoms, fostering better communication with healthcare professionals and promoting autonomy. It encouraged a shift towards a biopsychosocial understanding of pain and resilience building. Tailoring MMR to individual needs and previous experiences could further strengthen its impact on diverse groups of patients with chronic pain.