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Temporally divergent significant meanings, biographical disruption and self-management for chronic joint pain

Self-management is recommended by policy and clinical guidelines as a way to contend with the growing incidence of osteoarthritis-related joint pain in an ageing population. Sociologists assert that self-management is as much about lay strategies for dealing with the biographically disruptive qualities of chronic illness as opposed to solely complying with medical regimens. The original concept of biographical disruption coined by Bury is not uncontested. Chronic joint pain has been characterised as featuring ‘co-existing meanings’ of significance and consequence. The former conferring no biographical disruption due to osteoarthritis being associated with ‘normal ageing’ and the latter causing biographical disruption due to the corporeal limitations joint pain imparts, which, in turn, can influence whether, why and how self-management is undertaken. This article reports findings from repeat interviews and a diary study completed by 22 participants with chronic knee pain. We explore the co-existing but temporally divergent ‘meanings as significance’ associated with knee pain. Participants describe the onset and current experience of the pain in terms of biographical normality (retrospective or contemporaneous meanings). Future meanings as significance are mediated by cultural beliefs about ageing and current physical consequences of the condition, and also have a distinct character of their own. Knee pain is associated with the possibility of disability and harbours a distinct risk; potential disruption to everyday social relationships, notably relating to care and dependency. In turn, future meanings of significance influence the preventative self-management strategies that people utilise. We argue for a more cogent theoretical understanding of temporal dimensions of biographical disruption, biographical work and subsequent self-management by utilising and extending the thought of Bury, and Corbin and Strauss. Doing so helps to understand patient self-management strategies and facilitates self-management support in clinical settings for osteoarthritis and potentially other chronic conditions.