Abstract
Background Chronic back pain has a major physical and psycho-social impact. There have been few subjective assessments of everyday life in relation to migration and ethnicity. Through a descriptive and qualitative cross-cultural design, the aim was to develop an in-depth understanding of how Turkish immigrants experience living with back pain. Methods We conducted a qualitative study based on interviews with Turkish immigrants suffering from CBP recruited from a rheumatology outpatient clinic. The analysis was based on Giorgi’s phenomenological analysis. Results Eleven Turkish participants with chronic back pain (mean age 47.6) were recruited. Three essences resulted from the analysis: “Overwhelming and prevailing pain” – reflecting pain taking control of everyday life, “Being distressed in community life” – encompassing how pain causes changes in social roles, and “Looking for a way out of pain” – referring to feeling lost when being treated in the healthcare system, finding pain-management strategies and returning to Turkey for assistance. Conclusion Chronic back pain has a significant influence on daily life. Pain changes the feeling of identity relating to close relationships and in the Labor market. Most participants’ proficiency in Danish language skills posed a challenge for the existing treatment paradigm, in which information is crucial for successful rehabilitation. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION To improve access to both info on chronic back pain and its treatment, it is crucial that rehabilitation be offered in a range of languages. Proficiency in Danish varies greatly among immigrants, despite years of stay in Denmark. Engaging a professional interpreter early on in the rehabilitation program might improve patient compliance to the preferred treatment regimen. Including a peer-to-peer educational approach in parts of the rehabilitation program might be beneficial, as some immigrants remain skeptical towards the health care system in Denmark.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
