OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the perception of pain in the fibromyalgia through the quantitative and qualitative methodological technique. METHOD: A total of 30 patients were assessed through an interview analyzed by the thematic content and through the instrument Descriptors of Pain. Arithmetic mean and standard error were used to determine which descriptors better characterize the pain in the fibromyalgia. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The result of the content analysis was the construction of categories of analysis regarding the perceptions of: diagnosis, motivation, disease, feelings, thoughts and repercussions on the quality of life. The Descriptors of Pain instrument revealed the descriptors of higher attribution in the characterization of pain were inconvenient, spreading, pulsating, uncomfortable and persistent and the descriptors with the lower attribution were miserable, demoniac, cursed, terrifying and frightening. The two instruments showed the patients' tendency in perceiving and reporting the pain regarding to the sensorial-discriminating characteristics. In addition, data related to the importance of the family's and the health professional's roles in managing the pain were presented. CONCLUSION: The need to stimulate the perception and expression of patients regarding the pain in its multidimensionality was perceived. It is concluded that the management of pain must be performed considering the complexity of the phenomenon in terms of the triad health team - patient - family.
fibromyalgia; pain descriptors; content analysis
