Introduction: The present work offers a revision of the construction and reception process of the fibromyalgia diagnosis in the Chilean medical discourse. It argues that, derived from previous discussions about chronic pain, the wide-ranging expansion of fibromyalgia diagnosis among Chilean health professionals could be understood in the context of quality of life considerations.
Material and methods: Eighty-three papers edited in Chilean medical journals were reviewed, from 1953 to 2018, as well as three books and one clinical guide whose principal subjects were chronic pain and fibromyalgia.
Results: The information was divided into four periods from which is possible to draw conclusions about key points in discussions concerning the construction of chronic pain and fibromyalgia, involving biological considerations, subjective aspects of those diagnosed with it, and interpersonal elements involved in these diagnoses.
Discussion: The information shows that, fibromyalgia, as a diagnosis without a clear etiology located inside the patient´s biology, becomes the designated diagnosis of those whose behaviors do not fit with what defined as a good quality of life. This allows the health professional to suggest a range of behavioral modifications in the life of the fibromyalgia sufferer, assuming that behavioral modification will eventually lead to pain relief.
Keywords:
fibromyalgia, quality of life, pain
Author Biography
Cristián Busta-Cornejo, Universidad de Los Andes
Cristián Busta-Cornejo: Universidad De Los Andes; Universidad Finis Terrae.
Busta-Cornejo, C. (2021). Health and quality of life. The reception and construction process of fibromyalgia diagnosis in the Chilean medical discourse. Revista Chilena De Salud Pública, 25(1), p. 41–50. https://doi.org/10.5354/0719-5281.2021.65190
