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The pain self-management paradox: why do we focus on the individual when life context plays such a major role?

Karen Rodham
Published in: Pain management (2021)
Although there has been a drive toward pain self-management, self-management has not yet in my opinion been successfully defined or evaluated and neither has it been consistently translated from idea to practice. In this perspective article, I identify gaps in our approach to pain management and argue that even though we know life context plays a huge role in influencing our health, by and large we fail to take this into account. I argue for a shift in focus away from the 'self' and explore how we might be able to do this within the constraints of our tired and over-stretched health system.
Keyphrases
  • pain management
  • chronic pain
  • healthcare
  • public health
  • primary care
  • mental health
  • neuropathic pain
  • health information
  • risk assessment
  • quality improvement
  • climate change
  • social media
  • postoperative pain