Exploring the occupational experiences of individuals with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Abstract

CRPS is a type of chronic pain that affects a person's extremities. The pain it causes can be extreme and debilitating in itself. However, CRPS can also have impact on people emotionally and socially. Unfortunately, little is currently known about what it is like to live with this condition. Therefore, the overall aim of this project is to explore and add to what is known about the occupational experiences of people with CRPS. 'Occupational experience' refers to how people feel and think about the everyday things that they need or want to do. This project will first review the literature that already exists surrounding the experiences of people with chronic pain and CRPS. It will compare what is already known about what it is like to live with CRPS with the evidence surrounding the occupational experiences of chronic pain. This comparison will help to identify what is already known and where there are gaps in the current understanding of CRPS. It will then detail a research proposal that will aim to develop an understanding of individuals' experiences from an occupational perspective. Six people with CRPS will be interviewed, individually, about their experiences of their daily lives.. Their stories and perspectives will be brought together to develop a new understanding of the experience of living with CRPS.