Power over pain - An interprofessional approach to chronic pain: Program feedback from a medically underserved community.

Abstract

The management of chronic pain is challenging. Biopsychosocial models recommend interprofessional approaches to treatment, but there is sparse information about participants' experiences of these programs, especially in medically underserved populations coping with the intersectionality of racial bias, low socioeconomic status, and psychosocial stressors. This study explored the perspectives and experiences of black participants with low socioeconomic status and concomitant psychosocial stressors in an outpatient interprofessional pain management program, Power over Pain. The program incorporates cognitive-behavioural techniques, creative arts therapies, pain education, and psychoeducation about stress management, self-care, exercise, and medication. This study employed thematic analysis as the qualitative research method. We conducted semi-structured interviews with nine program participants. Interview questions focused on the impact of the program on participants' overall health and wellbeing and ability to manage chronic pain. Thematic analysis revealed the following treatment benefits as perceived by the participants: (a) moving from feeling stuck to feeling empowered, (b) enhanced understanding of chronic pain resulting in cognitive reframing and debunking certain myths and stigmas, (c) learning new pain management strategies, and (d) social support. The findings suggest that the Power over Pain program may be an effective way to improve self-management and empower medically underserved people who have chronic pain.