Personal profile on pain

Brian Ruel

Living with constant pain is a problem not only for the sufferer, but also for their family, friends and indeed everyone who touches their life. We all have a threshold of pain where one can endure no more without medication, or any of a variety of treatments. With the assistance of these it is hoped that one can enjoy life as near normal as is possible. Beyond that level is the great unknown, of side effects from increased medication, and in some cases mood swings on a daily basis. These side effects vary greatly depending upon pain threshold, specific case history, and medication prescribed solely for the individual; in extreme circumstances there can be dramatic consequences.

It was while at the limit of my personal pain threshold, and a resulting discussion with my GP, that my quest for knowledge about the long-term use of opioid medication began. Put simply I have a desire to know what lies ahead of me, with regard to quality of life and how best to assist my ailing body in order to cope as best I can in the future.

I have led a full and varied life for 56 years. Occupations have spanned professional football, civil service scientific work and hard manual labour. From a very young age, sport of all kinds, competition and a desire to be the best, with along the way injury, wear and tear, as well as broken and damaged bones, have all contrived to place me in my current condition. Mine is either a case of bad luck or inevitability, but deal with matters I must, as there is no alternative. Hence my discussion with my GP, which followed many years of excellent care from the NHS.

With the Honiton Surgery being a Research Practice, the idea of tackling my circumstances and fears through the mechanism of a fully accredited research project for the community appealed to my GP, because as well as being of benefit to me personally, it could also be a worthy subject to apply for funding to see if my situation was common among others taking strong opioid medication for chronic non-cancer pain. With the guidance and help of my GP I was invited to attend a course on research methodology in Exeter with the assistance of the Folk.us organisation. On the course I studied grounded theory, qualitative and quantitative research, phenomenological study, as well as the basics of research in the wider community. It was necessary to do this to satisfy the stringent requirements of the ethics committee in order to be granted an honourary research contract to assist the research team at the Honiton surgery under the guidance of the Exeter Primary Care Trust. The whole process was of great interest, reward and fulfilment to be among professional dedicated people and be allowed to take a small part in their never ending efforts for the community.

The project took the form of compiling knowledge in a qualitative approach from interviews with people suffering and coping, on a daily basis, with pain management in their own individual circumstances to try and determine, by thematic analysis, any recurring details or patterns common to all sufferers of pain who are taking strong medication. The interviews were transcribed and the research team met periodically to discuss and evaluate the relative merits of the individual interviews. The overall results produced really interesting and in some cases surprising points of similarity, which could be grounds for further professional investigation on a wider basis.