Pain tolerance in chronic pain patients seems to be more associated with physical activity than with depression and anxiety

OBJECTIVE: To explore the associations between habitual self-reported physical activity, pain sensitivity and patient-reported outcomes (including pain intensity) in patients with chronic pain. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, experimental study. SUBJECTS: Patients (n = 78), age range 18–65 years, with different chronic pain conditions (> 3 months) were compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 98). METHODS: Multivariate correlations between self-reported physical activity, pressure pain sensitivity, and patient-reported outcome measures were assessed. RESULTS: Lower perceived health status (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 2.34), higher levels of depression (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 1.77), and lower pain tolerance threshold (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 1.66) were the most prominent variables discriminating patients from controls. In patients, bivariate and multivariate analyses showed that higher pressure pain tolerance was associated with male sex, lower pain intensity and fewer painful regions, higher self-efficacy and more self-reported physical activity, but not with lower levels of anxiety and depression. CONCLUSION: Pain tolerance thresholds, as well as degree of depression and perceived health status discriminated between patients and controls, and there was an association between pain tolerance thresholds and level of self-reported physical activity in patients. This study highlights the importance of further research into how increased physical activity may improve pain sensitivity in patients with chronic pain

Chronic pain and sex differences:Women accept and move, while men feel blue

Purpose The aim of this study is to explore differences between male and female patients entering a rehabilitation program at a pain clinic in order to gain a greater understanding of different approaches to be used in rehabilitation. Method 1371 patients referred to a specialty pain rehabilitation clinic, completed sociodemographic and pain related questionnaires. They rated their pain acceptance (CPAQ-8), their kinesiophobia (TSK), the impact of pain in their life (MPI), anxiety and depression levels (HAD) and quality of life scales: the SF-36, LiSat-11, and the EQ-5D. Because of the large sample size of the study, the significance level was set at the p amp;lt;= .01. Results Analysis by t-test showed that when both sexes experience the same pain severity, women report significantly higher activity level, pain acceptance and social support while men report higher kinesiophobia, mood disturbances and lower activity level. Conclusion Pain acceptance (CPAQ-8) and kinesiophobia (TSK) showed the clearest differences between men and women. Pain acceptance and kinesiophobia are behaviorally defined and have the potential to be changed.Funding Agencies|Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR); Vardal Foundation; RehSAM; AFA insurance, Sweden; Swedish Association for Survivors of Accident and Injury (RTP); Renee Eanders Foundation</p

An increased response to experimental muscle pain is related to psychological status in women with chronic non-traumatic neck-shoulder pain

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Neck-shoulder pain conditions, e.g., chronic trapezius myalgia, have been associated with sensory disturbances such as increased sensitivity to experimentally induced pain. This study investigated pain sensitivity in terms of bilateral pressure pain thresholds over the trapezius and tibialis anterior muscles and pain responses after a unilateral hypertonic saline infusion into the right legs tibialis anterior muscle and related those parameters to intensity and area size of the clinical pain and to psychological factors (sleeping problems, depression, anxiety, catastrophizing and fear-avoidance).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Nineteen women with chronic non-traumatic neck-shoulder pain but without simultaneous anatomically widespread clinical pain (NSP) and 30 age-matched pain-free female control subjects (CON) participated in the study.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>NSP had lower pressure pain thresholds over the trapezius and over the tibialis anterior muscles and experienced hypertonic saline-evoked pain in the tibialis anterior muscle to be significantly more intense and locally more widespread than CON. More intense symptoms of anxiety and depression together with a higher disability level were associated with increased pain responses to experimental pain induction and a larger area size of the clinical neck-shoulder pain at its worst.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results indicate that central mechanisms e.g., central sensitization and altered descending control, are involved in chronic neck-shoulder pain since sensory hypersensitivity was found in areas distant to the site of clinical pain. Psychological status was found to interact with the perception, intensity, duration and distribution of induced pain (hypertonic saline) together with the spreading of clinical pain. The duration and intensity of pain correlated negatively with pressure pain thresholds.</p

DISABILITY, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND HEALTH IN CHRONIC

Impact of the interaction between selfefficacy, symptoms and catastrophizing on disability, quality of life and health in chronic pain patient

Relationships between Psychological Factors, Disability, Quality of Life and Health in Chronic Pain Disorders

Chronic pain is a very common condition with a prevalence of 40-65% in the community. The high prevalence of chronic pain causes a lot of human suffering but also high societal costs. The development and maintenance of chronic pain constitutes a complex interplay between neurobiological, psychosocial and genetic factors. A biopsychosocial model of chronic pain has been suggested to make a comprehensive context of the understanding of this issue. The main aims of this thesis were to analyze the relationships of the different components of the biopsychosocial model of pain and to study the relative importance of pain, stress and different psychological factors on disability and health related quality of life. The thesis is based on two groups of patients. One group consists of 275 patients with chronic Whiplash Associated Disorder (WAD) and one group comprise 433 patients with WAD, fibromyalgia (FM) and patients with chronic pain related to Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). The patients were investigated by questionnaires assessing different aspects of pain, depression, anxiety, catastrophizing, self-efficacy, disability and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL). The main results were that psychological factors (especially depression) correlated relatively strongly with perceived HRQL and disability. The degree of depression appeared to have the most important relationship to perceived HRQL. Despite the fact that the patients rated depression just mild or moderate, depression had a great importance for the outcome of HQRL and disability. Pain intensity and duration played, in the cross-sectional perspective, a minor role for perceived HRQL, whereas pain intensity related more to the outcome of perceived disability. From a clinical point of view it is important to assess the complex and unique situation of each individual with respect to depression, anxiety, self-efficacy and pain when planning treatment and rehabilitation in order to optimise the outcome of such programmes

Impact of the interaction between selfefficacy, symptoms and catastrophizing on disability, quality of life and health in chronic pain patients

This study investigates the interactions between self-efficacy–including subcomponents–and symptoms (pain, depression, and anxiety), catastrophizing, disability, quality of life, and health in a population of chronic pain patients. The study used 433 chronic pain patients including 47 patients with spinal cord injuryrelated pain, 150 with chronic whiplash-associated disorders, and 236 with fibromyalgia. The participants answered a postal questionnaire that provided background data, pain intensity and duration, and psychological- and health-related items. In the multivariate context, depression, anxiety, catastrophizing, and disability were intercorrelated. Self-efficacy correlated positively with variables of quality of life and general health. These two groups of variables were negatively correlated. The pain variables–duration of pain, pain intensity, and spreading of pain–formed a third group of variables. Self-efficacy function was negatively correlated to these three pain variables. When regressing disability, quality of life, and health, we found that self-efficacy had a positive impact whereas symptoms, catastrophizing, and pain had a negative influence on these aspects. Different patterns of influencing variables were discerned for the three different analyses, and specific patterns of the subscales of self-efficacy corresponded to specific patterns of negative factors for the outcome of disability, quality of life, and health. Perspective: This article presents the complex interaction of psychological factors and symptoms and their positive and negative influence on disability, quality of life, and health. The results indicate that it might be important to assess and influence both enhancing and detoriating factors to ensure an effective pain management programme.Original Publication:Björn Börsbo, Björn Gerdle and Michael Peolsson, Impact of the interaction between selfefficacy, symptoms and catastrophizing on disability, quality of life and health in chronic pain patients, 2010, Disability and rehabilitation, (32), 17, 1387-1396.http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/09638280903419269Copyright: Informa Healthcarehttp://informahealthcare.com

Beauty salon „Unda” competitiveness and development prospects in Cesis

This study investigates the interactions between self-efficacy–including subcomponents–and symptoms (pain, depression, and anxiety), catastrophizing, disability, quality of life, and health in a population of chronic pain patients. The study used 433 chronic pain patients including 47 patients with spinal cord injuryrelated pain, 150 with chronic whiplash-associated disorders, and 236 with fibromyalgia. The participants answered a postal questionnaire that provided background data, pain intensity and duration, and psychological- and health-related items. In the multivariate context, depression, anxiety, catastrophizing, and disability were intercorrelated. Self-efficacy correlated positively with variables of quality of life and general health. These two groups of variables were negatively correlated. The pain variables–duration of pain, pain intensity, and spreading of pain–formed a third group of variables. Self-efficacy function was negatively correlated to these three pain variables. When regressing disability, quality of life, and health, we found that self-efficacy had a positive impact whereas symptoms, catastrophizing, and pain had a negative influence on these aspects. Different patterns of influencing variables were discerned for the three different analyses, and specific patterns of the subscales of self-efficacy corresponded to specific patterns of negative factors for the outcome of disability, quality of life, and health. Perspective: This article presents the complex interaction of psychological factors and symptoms and their positive and negative influence on disability, quality of life, and health. The results indicate that it might be important to assess and influence both enhancing and detoriating factors to ensure an effective pain management programme.Original Publication:Björn Börsbo, Björn Gerdle and Michael Peolsson, Impact of the interaction between selfefficacy, symptoms and catastrophizing on disability, quality of life and health in chronic pain patients, 2010, Disability and rehabilitation, (32), 17, 1387-1396.http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/09638280903419269Copyright: Informa Healthcarehttp://informahealthcare.com

Self-reported nonrestorative sleep in fibromyalgia - relationship to impairments of body functions, personal function factors, and quality of life

Purpose: The purpose of this study was: 1) to determine variables that might characterize good or bad sleep; and 2) to describe the relationship between sleep, impairment of body functions, personal function factors, and quality of life based on quality of sleep in women with fibromyalgia (FM). Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included 224 consecutive patients diagnosed at a specialist center. These patients were mailed a questionnaire concerning sleep, body functions, personal factors, and health-related quality of life. In total, 145 completed questionnaires were collected. Results: Using sleep variables (sleep quality, waking up unrefreshed, and tiredness when getting up), we identified two subgroups - the good sleep subgroup and the bad sleep subgroup - of women with FM. These subgroups exhibited significantly different characteristics concerning pain intensity, psychological variables (depressed mood, anxiety, catastrophizing, and self-efficacy), impairments of body functions, and generic and health-related quality of life. The good sleep subgroup reported a significantly better situation, including higher employment/study rate. The bad sleep subgroup reported a greater use of sleep medication. Five variables determined inclusion into either a good sleep or a bad sleep subgroup: pain in the evening, self-efficacy, anxiety, and according to the Short Form health survey role emotional and physical functioning. Conclusion: This study found that it was possible to identify two subgroups of women with FM based on quality of sleep variables. The two subgroups differed significantly with respect to pain, psychological factors, impairments of body functions, and perceived quality of life, where the subgroup with bad sleep had a worse situation

Subgroups based on thermal and pressure pain thresholds in women with chronic whiplash display differences in clinical presentation - an explorative study

Purpose: To investigate the presence of subgroups in chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) based on pain thresholds for pressure (PPT), cold (CPT), and heat (HPT) and to compare these subgroups with respect to symptomatology, disability, and health aspects. Methods: Two groups of female subjects – patients with chronic WAD (n = 28) and healthy controls (CON; n = 29) – were investigated. Quantitative sensory testing (QST) for thermal thresholds and algometry for PPT at four sites in the body (over the trapezius and tibialis anterior bilaterally) were determined. Habitual pain intensities, psychological strain, disability, and health aspects were registered using a questionnaire.Results: A cluster analysis based on PPT, CPT, and HPT identified two subgroups of chronic WAD: one sensitive subgroup (s-WAD; n = 21), and one less sensitive subgroup (ls-WAD; n = 6). S-WAD displayed widespread hyperalgesia, whereas ls-WAD had localized hyperalgesia in the neck area, with tendencies to supernormal values in remote areas of the body. Generally, s-WAD had a significantly worse situation than the CON with respect to symptomatology, disability, and health aspects. The ls-WAD group was intermediary between s-WAD and CON in these aspects.Conclusion: Different explanations, eg, severity of the pain condition per se, etiological factors, and pre-trauma differences in pain sensitivity, may exist for the differences in pain thresholds between the two subgroups. Future research should investigate the role of pain thresholds in the chronic stage to determine the efficacy of treatment interventions