Abstract
Objective. Degenerative diseases of the spine are a serious medical, psychological and social problem. The main symptom of spinal degeneration is pain, which aflects the level of acceptance of the disease, the level ofpain control and strategies for coping with pain. The aim of this study was to assess the degree of acceptance of the disease, as well as of beliefs about pain control and coping strategies among patients scheduled for elective surgery because of degenerative diseases of the spine.
Method. The study was conducted on 60 patients of the Pomeranian Neurosurgery Trauma Center in Gdansk. The study used the following scales: Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS), The Beliefs about Pain Control Questionnaire (BPCQ), The Pain Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ).
Results and conclusions. Most of the subjects presented an average acceptance of the disease. The largest group ofpatients believed that the pain they felt was mainly influenced by medical personnel. Among the respondents, the most common strategy for dealing with their pain was praying and hoping, and a declaration that they were coping. The study showed no significant relationship between the level of acceptance of the disease and the locus of control ofpain and strategies for coping with it. It also revealed very few links between strategies of coping with pain and demographic variables.