Integration: a phenomenon to explore in chronic nonmalignant pain (CNP).

The concept of integration has been identified as an ongoing process occurring between a diagnosis of illness and subsequent physical and emotional healing. Integration has been explored in a variety of illness populations, such as Crohn disease, diabetes, and cardiac rehabilitation. It has also been posited as a useful concept to investigate in other chronic conditions, such as mental illness and weight management. However, integration has not been explored in the field of chronic pain. The purpose of this paper was to provide an overview of the strategies taken to examine the utility of integration as a concept in the field of chronic nonmalignant pain (CNP). Various comparisons were conducted between published qualitative studies examining the lived experiences of individuals with CNP and the theory of integration. These comparisons affirmed the significance of integration as a concept to be explored in the field of CNP. The resulting recommendation is for the continued investigation of the integration process, including development of a valid and reliable tool to measure CNP integration.