Although the sample for this study consisted mostly of older Caucasian females, there were also participants from a variety of age groups, as well as educational and occupational backgrounds, who have had rheumatoid arthritis and pain for varying periods of time. Multidimensional scaling analysis yielded a point map with a stress value of 0.30. A 7-cluster solution was judged to provide the most concise and interpretable description of the themes underlying the dimensions of chronic pain. These themes were: (1) The impact of pain, (2) Doing less because of pain, (3) Learning to live with pain,(4) Positive
ways of coping with pain, (5) Negative feelings surrounding pain, (6) Family issues related to pain, and (7) Health care issues related to pain. The experience of living with chronic pain was organized into two major dimensions