OBJECTIVE:
To analyze the perception about pain during walking in elderly with intermittent claudication and how they use religion to overcome the painful symptoms.
METHODS:
The sample consisted of 10 members of a physical training program with symptoms of intermittent claudication. A profile of the population was drawn, containing sociodemographic and religious data, and an interview based semi-structured interview script was conducted. We used the procedure descriptive statistics for numeric data and statements of the subjects were subjected to Analysis of Qualitative Data (AQUAD) software and analyzed through qualitative analysis.
RESULTS:
The results showed that the subjects had negative feelings regarding pain when walking, such as anger, sadness and fear. At the same time, they believed that religion and belief in the existence of a Higher Being helped them overcome the pain in the legs.
CONCLUSION:
The faith and religiosity seem to act as tools to overcome pain during walking of elderly peoples with intermittent claudication.
Pain; Intermittent Claudication; Religion