Pain Location and Functioning in Persons with Spinal Cord Injury

Overview

Journal PM R

Publisher Wiley

Specialties Emergency Medicine
Rehabilitation Medicine

Date 2014 Jan 23

PMID 24448429

Citations 11

Authors

Jordi Miro

Kevin J Gertz

Gregory T Carter

Mark P Jensen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The influence of pain location and extent on functioning in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) and chronic pain is not well understood.

Objective: To investigate the correlations between pain location and extent to determine which pain domains may be important to assess and potentially target in treating chronic pain in SCI populations.

Design: Prospective, observational study.

Setting: University medical center.

Participants: A total of 259 persons with an SCI and chronic pain.

Methods: Postal mail survey questionnaire.

Main Outcome Measurements: Pain sites, pain extent (number of sites), pain intensity in specific body locations, pain interference, and physical and psychological functioning.

Results: A positive association between pain extent and intensity with pain interference (r = 0.33, P < .01) and a negative association with psychological functioning were noted in the study sample (r = -0.21, P < .01). Pain intensity in the lower back and legs (r = 0.55, P < .01) and a number of other sites showed strong associations with patient functioning. Correlation with psychological functioning was significant but weaker (r = -0.22, P < .01 for the lower back and legs). Ambulatory status had only a small moderating effect on the associations between pain intensity in specific sites and pain interference and no effect on psychological functioning.

Conclusions: The findings support the importance of assessing pain intensity at specific locations as a part of a thorough evaluation of chronic pain, as well as the importance of addressing pain at multiple sites, when managing pain in persons with an SCI.

Citing Articles

Is Chronic Pain Temporal Pattern Associated with Middle-Aged and Older Adults' Perceptions of their Futures?.

Fennell G, Yip A, Reid M, Enguidanos S, Zelinski E, Lockenhoff C Health Psychol Bull. 2022; 5(1):136-144.

PMID: 35425865 PMC: 9007559. DOI: 10.5334/hpb.34.

Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines on the management of pain in older people - a summary report.

Schofield P, Dunham M, Martin D, Bellamy G, Francis S, Sookhoo D Br J Pain. 2022; 16(1):6-13.

PMID: 35111309 PMC: 8801690. DOI: 10.1177/2049463720976155.

Electronic Health Literacy in Individuals with Chronic Pain and Its Association with Psychological Function.

Castarlenas E, Sanchez-Rodriguez E, Roy R, Tome-Pires C, Sole E, Jensen M Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(23).

PMID: 34886254 PMC: 8656597. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312528.

Intermittent injection of Methylprednisolone Sodium Succinate in the treatment of Cervical Spinal Cord injury complicated with incomplete paraplegia.

Wang W, Zuo B, Liu H, Cui L Pak J Med Sci. 2019; 35(1):141-145.

PMID: 30881412 PMC: 6408664. DOI: 10.12669/pjms.35.1.211.

Pain extent and function in youth with physical disabilities.

Miro J, Vega R, Tome-Pires C, Sanchez-Rodriguez E, Castarlenas E, Jensen M J Pain Res. 2017; 10:113-120.

PMID: 28115871 PMC: 5221720. DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S121590.

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