Recognition and reciprocity in encounters with women with chronic muscular pain

OBJECTIVE: Experiences from 11 treatment groups for women with chronic muscular pain showed that recognition had a major impact on the way the participants benefited from treatment. In this article, based on Anne-Lise Løvlie Schibbye's psychological theories, we explore and analyse how recognising interaction can be enacted in practice. DESIGN: Qualitative action research design. SETTING: Ongoing treatment groups in Stovner/Oslo for women with chronic muscular pain. SUBJECTS: A total of 31 women took part in 3 treatment groups with movement training and group discussions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Video recordings from six group discussions were analysed using Part Process Analysis (PPA), a qualitative research method addressing interaction on a micro-level. RESULTS: PPA demonstrates how recognition is expressed by specific types of behaviour, and how recognition can lead to change and development of the participants in the treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: Schibbye's recognition model, with emphasis on a fundamental respect for the experience perspective of the opposite party, may also help the doctor to understand the patient better, particularly in difficult relationships where there seem to be insurmountable differences between the doctor's and patient's perspectives.