Paper short abstract:

Following from Alonzo's theory of illness as situational and Ware's analysis of the social processes of illness the paper explores recovery as a social process. A new paradigm of back pain treatment and new social welfare laws focus less on pathology and more on psychological and social factors. Based on case stories this paper will explore the differential response to treatment among patients with back pain in Denmark and factors promoting or preventing the social process of recovery.

Paper long abstract:

Within the new paradigm of back pain treatment there is less focus on pathology and specific diagnosis and more on psychosomatic elements and the social process of healing. This new paradigm does not work equally well with all patients. For some the treatment results in early recovery while for others the result is chronic back pain. This paper wants to explore the differential response to treatment among patients with back pain in Denmark. The differential response raises questions about the patient's perception of illness, experience of body and perceived identity. These perceptions develop on the basis of the relation between patient and health care system, including development of sick role, and the patient's relation to the labour market and society at large. Following from Alonzo's theory of illness as situational and Ware's analysis of the social processes of illness the paper explores recovery as a social process.

New social welfare laws in Denmark also stress the focus on the social process of recovery for back pain patients. According to new laws all persons should be given the chance so support him or herself through a job adapted to the person's abilities. Ill persons thus have to be tested in an actual work situation to clarify his or her abilities. Support from the social welfare system is thus no longer based on a biomedical diagnosis, but on a test of the abilities of the ill person.

Based on case stories the paper will show how new perceptions of illness are established that also affect the sick person's perception of his own body.