Pain self-management experiences in haemophilia patients: a qualitative study

Background Pain management can prevent long-term burdens in haemophilia patients and improve their quality of life. The present study aimed to describe and interpret pain experiences in haemophilia patients, focusing on pain self-management in their lives. Methods This was a qualitative study undertaken using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The study involved 14 haemophilia patients referred to a haemophilia clinic affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and field notes. Thematic analysis with van Manen’s methodological framework was applied. Data analysis was performed using MAX. QDA qualitative software (2010). Results Four themes emerged: a sense of self-awareness and recognition of pain and the factors that affect it, the ability to control and self-manage pain, gradually achieving self-efficacy in pain control, and using cognitive and spiritual strategies for pain relief. Conclusions The study highlighted the essence of the lived experience of pain self-management and generated its linguistic description. By providing complementary therapy interventions, healthcare providers and family members could increase patients’ self-awareness, recognition, ability to self-manage and control pain effectively, and competence in developing cognitive and spiritual strategies for pain relief.