Presumption of perception: people with arthritis challenge the importance of pain in treatment
The purpose of this semi-structured interview enquiry was to expand on the quantitative findings presented by Cameron, Anderson, and Speed (2004a, 2004b). They investigated the use of joint mobilization on individuals with either osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and reported that joint mobilization was perceived by most participants to afford improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Some participants withdrew from the joint mobilization intervention of Cameron et al.'s studies, citing worsening pain. A knowledge deficit existed because Cameron et al. were unable to identify why some people reported HRQOL declines with joint mobilization while most participants reported improvements. In interviews with three individuals of the original cohort, a key theme emerged: That improvements infunctional capacity are at least as important as changes in pain. This theme, although consistent among the participants of this study, is in contrast to much of the available literature on HRQOL in people with arthritis. We recommend that practitioners providing health care for people with arthritis take time to determine therapeutic goals with individual clients. This minor thesis was written by a post-graduate student as part of the requirements of the Master of Health Science (Osteopathy) program.
320000 Medical and Health Sciences, School of Biomedical and Health Sciences
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