I'm in Charge, But Not Always in Control: A Qualitative Exploration of Women's Beliefs and Knowledge About Their Pelvic Pain

Abstract

Beliefs and knowledge about pain can influence how an individual approaches pain management. At present, beliefs and knowledge that women hold about their pelvic pain have not been investigated; therefore, treatment approaches may not be targeted at current patient understandings. Exploring such beliefs and knowledge may help inform and subsequently improve treatment outcomes by allowing for more tailored content to be delivered. This study aimed to fill this gap in the literature by identifying beliefs and knowledge that women hold about their pelvic pain, guided by the Common Sense Model. Semi-structured interviews (n=12) were conducted with questions relating to the identity, cause, consequence, control, and timeline beliefs that participants hold about their pain. The transcribed interviews were analysed using an Interpretive Description Framework, which is a qualitative approach that aims to develop clinically applicable knowledge. Participants tended to report a biopsychosocial understanding of pain; however, many participants described their own pain experience in a way that was more aligned with the biomedical model of pain, suggesting incongruence in pain understandings. Pelvic pain was perceived to be disruptive of life, both at present and into the future, with predictability of pain varying over time. Participants valued their ability to take charge of their pain management, highlighting bodily autonomy and being proactive in treatment approaches. This approach to management did not provide total control over participants' pelvic pain. This study provides recommendations for clinicians, especially in terms of providing pain science education and equipping patients with helpful representations of their pain. Key Words: Pelvic pain, Common Sense Model, Patient perceptions, Health knowledge, Qualitative research