Understanding of pain - acceptance and empowerment

Acceptance enables the individual to acknowledge that pain exists in their life and that they can adapt and redefine what is now ‘normal’.

Research indicates that greater acceptance of chronic pain is associated with better physical function, mental well-being, social function and overall quality of life²⁷
Pain acceptance involves the willingness to experience pain associated discomfort /distress and actively pursuing meaningful life activities despite the pain, thus enhancing quality of life and reducing suffering²⁸
Supporting individuals to understand their pain and the factors influencing it, can support pain willingness and activity engagement and help individuals manage their pain more effectively

Relationship between pain and understanding of pain and acceptance

Acceptance of chronic pain can be difficult as individuals often require contemplation of a lifestyle/life plan different to one before a diagnosis of chronic pain.
In the management of chronic disease in general, World Health Organisation (WHO) recognise four components of empowerment:

Patient participation: involving people in their own care
Patient knowledge: enhancing patients' understanding of their health and treatment options
Patient skills: developing patients' ability to manage their health and make informed decisions
Creating a facilitating environment: providing support and resources to enable people to take control of their health

Potential strategies:

Support someone around acceptance of their pain condition to allow them to move forward and recover aspects of their life that matter to them.
Support people to self-manage their condition and be empowered and supported. See HIS resource on Gathering views on chronic pain.

Resources: