My hip is damaged': A qualitative investigation of people seeking care for persistent hip pain

Abstract

Objectives Clinicians who use the biopsychosocial approach to manage musculoskeletal pain disorders aim to understand how patients make sense of their symptoms. Treatment includes targeting the negative beliefs and coping responses that can lead to progressive pain and disability. We aimed to explore how people seeking care for persistent hip pain and disability make sense of their symptoms. Methods Cross-sectional qualitative study. People were eligible if they were aged =18 years, were consulting an orthopaedic surgeon for persistent hip pain and offered a non-surgical intervention. Data were collected through interviews that explored patients' beliefs about the identity (diagnosis), cause..