Sociology of pain

Sociology of pain

by Deleted user -
Number of replies: 3

I am really interested in applying the sociological perspective to pain. Many within the medico scientific way of thinking would assume that pain is a symptom of underlying disease or injury and as such spend time investigating the body to locate the cause of the pain and giving a subsequent diagnosis based on the findings. Let’s take the example of low back pain. Using the RCGP guidelines on diagnostic triage, about 90% of people with back pain have non-specific back pain where an exact cause of the pain cannot be determined. Despite this, people continue to be diagnosed with variants of back pain e.g. back sprain, disc herniation, sciatica etc. Despite advances in science and technology meaning we understand more and more about the physiological processes implicated in nociception, there is an alarming increase in back pain related disability across the world. This suggests that there are more contributing variables beyond pathophysiology. Particularly around the context within which pain is experienced and the lived experiences of those in pain. I would be interested in people’s view on what sociological perspectives contribute to our understanding of pain. See this editorial on sociology and pain for some background. (http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/shil_enhanced/virtual6_full.asp)

Jackie

In reply to Deleted user

Re: Sociology of pain

by Deleted user -

 

Hello Jackie, I found the paper really engaging especially when reflecting back to the concepts on biomedical vs. sociological models assumptions on health and illness. Pain makes a good example as it is a private experience which is communicated to a doctor with an expectation for some sort of relief or diagnosis. One cited exploration of pain as a subjective matter makes an interesting finding that a type of pain (e.g. back pain) seen by a patient as mechanical might be viewed as psychological by a doctor.

On another note though, I wonder, the extent to which biographical factors may influence the interpretation and diagnosis of pain if any. For instance I have a friend who feels her male GP shows little regard to her chronic period-pains as he doesn’t understand 'that sort of pain'.

Thanks,

Kesa

In reply to Deleted user

Re: Sociology of pain

by Jacqueline Nabuala Walumbe -

Health care professionals are expected to be impartial and non judgemental but that makes the assumption that they are robotic. In reality they come to each patient interaction with their own beliefs, biases, social and cultural preferences as in the social contructionist view. Your friend's experience is interesting as the doctor appears to be absolving responsibility by stating he doesn't understand that sort of pain. She has fulfilled her requirements as a patient according to T. Parsons' view but is not supported by her clinician.

In reply to Jacqueline Nabuala Walumbe

Re: Sociology of pain

by Moira Kelly -

The sociology of pain is an interesting topic and the editorial virtual special issue referred to in the first post about this is a very good place to start considering how you could think about it in sociological terms.  I have an idea about this which I will check out and come back to you about later with.