“Do Doctors and Patients Have Different Understandings of Pain?” – A Pilot Study of Different Perspectives and Understandings of Pain in Clinical Pain Research
Lise Kirstine Gormsen1,2 1Department of Functional Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 2Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DenmarkCorrespondence: Lise Kirstine Gormsen, Department of Functional Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital and...
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Dove Medical Press
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Pain Research |
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| author | Gormsen LK |
| author_facet | Gormsen LK |
| author_sort | Gormsen LK |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Lise Kirstine Gormsen1,2 1Department of Functional Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 2Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DenmarkCorrespondence: Lise Kirstine Gormsen, Department of Functional Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital and Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 11, Aarhus, 8200, Denmark, Email lise.gormsen@clin.au.dkBackground and Objective: Ambiguous results on pain thresholds often occur from biomedical pain research. Although results and methods are frequently discussed, only few studies have investigated participants’ understanding and perspectives of pain in research settings. The aim of this qualitative pilot study was to explore different understandings of pain in a clinical pain research setting.Methods: We briefly interviewed 25 subjects, including Danish pain doctors and psychiatrists as well as pain patients, depressed patients, and healthy controls (five in each group) about their understanding of pain.Results: Laymen seem less inclined to verbalize pain than professionals. In addition, they may embrace a concept of suffering that goes beyond the traditional body–mind dichotomy. Since suffering may be part of the pain experience, this difference in the understanding of pain may be at the core of the often ambiguous results when doctors and other health professionals study pain.Conclusion: The results emphasize the need for supporting the ongoing process of integrating broad perspectives on pain in clinical pain research, including the concept of suffering. More research and resources are needed in this particular area of pain medicine.Keywords: pain, suffering, concepts of pain, clinical pain research, pain thresholds |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-99b7a93d2fff4acdbe90c24858459f1a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1178-7090 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Dove Medical Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Pain Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-99b7a93d2fff4acdbe90c24858459f1a2025-08-20T03:29:49ZengDove Medical PressJournal of Pain Research1178-70902025-05-01Volume 18Issue 126512662103246“Do Doctors and Patients Have Different Understandings of Pain?” – A Pilot Study of Different Perspectives and Understandings of Pain in Clinical Pain ResearchGormsen LK0Clinical Medicine, Aarhus UniversityLise Kirstine Gormsen1,2 1Department of Functional Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 2Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DenmarkCorrespondence: Lise Kirstine Gormsen, Department of Functional Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital and Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 11, Aarhus, 8200, Denmark, Email lise.gormsen@clin.au.dkBackground and Objective: Ambiguous results on pain thresholds often occur from biomedical pain research. Although results and methods are frequently discussed, only few studies have investigated participants’ understanding and perspectives of pain in research settings. The aim of this qualitative pilot study was to explore different understandings of pain in a clinical pain research setting.Methods: We briefly interviewed 25 subjects, including Danish pain doctors and psychiatrists as well as pain patients, depressed patients, and healthy controls (five in each group) about their understanding of pain.Results: Laymen seem less inclined to verbalize pain than professionals. In addition, they may embrace a concept of suffering that goes beyond the traditional body–mind dichotomy. Since suffering may be part of the pain experience, this difference in the understanding of pain may be at the core of the often ambiguous results when doctors and other health professionals study pain.Conclusion: The results emphasize the need for supporting the ongoing process of integrating broad perspectives on pain in clinical pain research, including the concept of suffering. More research and resources are needed in this particular area of pain medicine.Keywords: pain, suffering, concepts of pain, clinical pain research, pain thresholdshttps://www.dovepress.com/do-doctors-and-patients-have-different-understandings-of-pain--a-pilot-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JPRpainsufferingconcepts of painclinical pain researchpain thresholds |
| spellingShingle | Gormsen LK “Do Doctors and Patients Have Different Understandings of Pain?” – A Pilot Study of Different Perspectives and Understandings of Pain in Clinical Pain Research Journal of Pain Research pain suffering concepts of pain clinical pain research pain thresholds |
| title | “Do Doctors and Patients Have Different Understandings of Pain?” – A Pilot Study of Different Perspectives and Understandings of Pain in Clinical Pain Research |
| title_full | “Do Doctors and Patients Have Different Understandings of Pain?” – A Pilot Study of Different Perspectives and Understandings of Pain in Clinical Pain Research |
| title_fullStr | “Do Doctors and Patients Have Different Understandings of Pain?” – A Pilot Study of Different Perspectives and Understandings of Pain in Clinical Pain Research |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Do Doctors and Patients Have Different Understandings of Pain?” – A Pilot Study of Different Perspectives and Understandings of Pain in Clinical Pain Research |
| title_short | “Do Doctors and Patients Have Different Understandings of Pain?” – A Pilot Study of Different Perspectives and Understandings of Pain in Clinical Pain Research |
| title_sort | amp ldquo do doctors and patients have different understandings of pain amp rdquo amp ndash a pilot study of different perspectives and understandings of pain in clinical pain research |
| topic | pain suffering concepts of pain clinical pain research pain thresholds |
| url | https://www.dovepress.com/do-doctors-and-patients-have-different-understandings-of-pain--a-pilot-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JPR |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gormsenlk ampldquododoctorsandpatientshavedifferentunderstandingsofpainamprdquoampndashapilotstudyofdifferentperspectivesandunderstandingsofpaininclinicalpainresearch |