Living with pain in ankylosing spondylitis: a qualitative study

Background: Despite various quantitative studies reporting that pain is among the most serious problem in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), no detailed qualitative studies address how pain affects the life of patients with AS. Aim: To explore AS patients' experiences with pain and its effect on their lives. Design: Descriptive qualitative study. Methods: Data were collected by individual in-depth interviews. Colaizzi's phenomenological data analysis was performed. Results: During periods of pain, participants indicated that they experienced difficulty with performing their daily routine activities and meeting their personal needs. Pain also prevented them from fulfilling their responsibilities in their families, inhibited their social relations, and posed problems at their workplace. Due to the negative effects of pain in their lives, the participants felt helplessness, fear, stress, sadness, and unhappiness. Conclusions: Added to being asked about the quantity of pain, patients with AS should be questioned about how pain affects their lives.