De ervaringswereld van patiënten met chronische pijn

People who do not experience chronic pain find it hard to imagine what it means to have to struggle with this type of pain on a daily basis. The focus of this thesis is to describe this experience and to explain the meaning of this experience to outsiders. With regard to the practical relevance, I conclude that a better understand- ing of the world of experience of chronic pain may lead to a better understand- ing of the situation in which patients within pain revalidation find them- selves. At the same time, this also clarifies the existential meaning of chronic pain allowing it to become an explicit part of revalidation programmes. In the final chapter in addition to the discussion on the relevance of the research, I reflect on the value of empirical phenomenological research to practical (para)medical care. In my opinion, this value consists of the primary focus on the personal experience (of the other person). This results in a much better understanding of the way in which people experience health problems and it will enable care workers to reflect better on the nature and contents of their care practices.