The lived experience of physical exertion for persons with advanced multiple sclerosis: making connections with the world

Abstract

Purpose: To explore the lived experience of physical exertion for persons living with advanced multiple sclerosis (MS) Method: An interpretive (hermeneutic) phenomenological approach was undertaken with 8 persons living with advanced MS. Interviews were conducted with exploratory questions that explored participants’ experiences of physical exertion. Data was analysed using phenomenological methods and the findings presented as hermeneutic stories. Results: Participants conveyed physical exertion as a means of influencing their connection with the world. Interpretation identified four subthemes; Lived Body, Sense of Self, Purpose of exertion, and Attributes of the World and an overarching superordinate theme Body-World engagement. Hermeneutic stories illuminated the intertwined relationship between the themes and the idiographic nature of physical exertion. Conclusion: The experience of physical exertion was meaningfully related to participants’ sense of self, agency, and ‘being in the world’.