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An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Non-Malignant Chronic Low Back Pain

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Meanings of Pain

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to introduce the use of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) in relation to understanding the subjective realities of individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP). The chapter will begin with an overview of how phenomenological approaches may be of particular value in understanding how pain appears to a patient and ultimately the embodied nature of patients’ pain experiences. This will be followed by an introduction to IPA, its theoretical background and ontological and epistemological claims. The rationale for exploring subjective experiences of people with CLBP will be expounded and the main findings discussed in relation to clinical practice. The chapter will conclude by exploring the ways in which findings from an IPA study may contribute towards a First-Person Neuroscience of Pain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Human and Health Sciences, Public Health, Policy and Social Sciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK

    Sherrill Snelgrove

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  1. Sherrill Snelgrove
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Correspondence to Sherrill Snelgrove .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Humanities, Department of Philosophy and Gender Studies, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia

    Simon van Rysewyk

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Snelgrove, S. (2016). An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Non-Malignant Chronic Low Back Pain. In: van Rysewyk, S. (eds) Meanings of Pain. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49022-9_8

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