A Narrative Medicine Approach to Analyzing Illness Narratives and Designing Rehabilitation Programs for Musculoskeletal Pain Patients

Abstract

This study examines the value of Narrative Medicine in the clinical practice for patients with musculoskeletal pain. Current management of this common and subjective chronic condition often prioritizes objective metrics like imaging, thereby neglecting the patient’s lived experience of suffering and key psychosocial factors. By adopting a Narrative Medicine framework, this research analyzes patient illness narratives to explore themes of meaning, emotion, social context, and identity. Based on these insights, it proposes the design of individualized, biopsychosocial rehabilitation plans that are informed by patient narratives, arguing for their theoretical soundness and practical benefits. The research aims to affirm that engaging with patient stories significantly enhances physician-patient communication, treatment adherence, and clinical outcomes, fostering holistic recovery and providing a new direction for modern musculoskeletal rehabilitation. However, the preliminary framework established in this study requires validation through subsequent empirical intervention research.