scholarly journals The Role of Spirituality in Pain, Function, and Coping in Individuals with Chronic Pain

Pain Medicine ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 448-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Ferreira-Valente ◽  
Cátia Damião ◽  
José Pais-Ribeiro ◽  
Mark P Jensen

Abstract Objective Chronic pain is a multidimensional experience associated with psychosocial (e.g., pain-related beliefs and pain coping responses) and spiritual factors. Spirituality is a universal aspect of the human experience that has been hypothesized to impact pain experience via its effects on pain, physical/psychological function, resilience and pain-related beliefs, and pain coping responses. However, research evaluating the associations between measures of spirituality and measures of pain and function in individuals with chronic pain is limited. This study seeks to address this limitation. Methods Participants were 62 Portuguese adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Participants completed measures of spirituality, pain intensity, physical and psychological function, and pain coping responses. Results Spirituality as hope and a positive perspective toward life was positively and moderately associated with better psychological function and coping responses of ignoring pain sensations and coping self-statements. Spirituality as a search for meaning and sense of purpose was positively and moderately associated with the coping response of task persistence. Conclusions These findings suggest the possibility that spirituality may be a useful resource for facilitating psychological adjustment, potentially promoting the use of some adaptive pain coping responses.

1997 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Gagliese ◽  
Ronald Melzack

OBJECTIVE: To assess, in two studies, whether there are any age differences in beliefs about the role of psychological, organic and ageing factors in the experience of chronic pain.SUBJECTS: Healthy adults free from chronic pain ranging in age from 18 to 86 years (first study); adults with chronic pain due to arthritis, fibromyalgia or other rheumatological disorders ranging in age from 27 to 79 years (second study).MATERIALS: In both studies, subjects completed the Pain Beliefs Questionnaire which was modified to measure beliefs about the relationship between pain and ageing. In addition, subjects completed various self-assessments of health, pain intensity and depression. Those with chronic pain also completed the Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale.RESULTS: There was no evidence of any age differences in beliefs about pain in either the pain-free or chronic pain samples. There was some evidence that elderly patients may report less pain, but there were no age differences found on measures of depression or self-efficacy.CONCLUSIONS: The elderly were no more likely than younger persons to associate pain with the normal ageing process than with organic factors such as tissue damage, nor were they more likely to deny the importance of psychological factors to the pain experience.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-204
Author(s):  
Rowena J Field ◽  
Fereshteh Pourkazemi ◽  
Kieron B Rooney

Aim: To explore the reported diet of Australians with chronic pain and their perceived role of food within their pain experience. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 50 participants reporting chronic pain was undertaken using pain and nutritional questionnaires as well as anthropometric measures. Results: Participants rated their diet between ‘good’ and ‘excellent' (76%) and one that promoted well-being (62%), however 74% were overweight or obese (average BMI 30) with multiple co-morbidities. There was no correlation between measures of dietary adherence and knowledge with reported pain. Conclusion: Participants generally reported their diets to be good, however, this was not reflected in their habitual diet. There was a low perceived role of food altering pain perception.


2002 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lance M McCracken ◽  
Grant L Iverson

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the role of disturbed sleep in the daily functioning of persons with chronic pain.SUBJECTS AND METHODS:Participants comprised 287 patients seeking treatment for chronic pain at a university pain clinic. All patients completed the measures employed in the present study as part of a comprehensive initial evaluation.RESULTS:Descriptive analyses showed that 88.9% of patients reported as least one problem with disturbed sleep. Correlation analyses showed that greater sleep disturbance was associated with greater pain, disability, depression and physical symptoms, and less daily uptime. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that sleep disturbance predicted disability, daily uptime and physical symptoms independent of pain or depression.CONCLUSIONS:Sleep disruption is usually considered to be a consequence of the pain experience. However, the results of the present study reinforce the view that sleep disturbance may have a bidirectional relation with other features of chronic pain. Future studies should confirm that repairing disrupted sleep leads to an improvement in patients' daily activity and a reduction in their suffering.


2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan A Davidson ◽  
Dean A Tripp ◽  
Leandre R Fabrigar ◽  
Paul R Davidson

BACKGROUND: There are many measures assessing related dimensions of the chronic pain experience (eg, pain severity, pain coping, depression, activity level), but the relationships among them have not been systematically established.OBJECTIVE: The present study set out to determine the core dimensions requiring assessment in individuals with chronic pain.METHODS: Individuals with chronic pain (n=126) completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Chronic Pain Coping Index, Multidimensional Pain Inventory, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, McGill Pain Questionnaire – Short Form, Pain Disability Index and the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia.RESULTS: Before an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the nine chronic pain measures, EFAs were conducted on each of the individual measures, and the derived factors (subscales) from each measure were submitted together for a single EFA. A seven-factor model best fit the data, representing the core factors of pain and disability, pain description, affective distress, support, positive coping strategies, negative coping strategies and activity.CONCLUSIONS: Seven meaningful dimensions of the pain experience were reliably and systematically extracted. Implications and future directions for this work are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Kryszak ◽  
Zbigniew Czernicki ◽  
Damian Wiśniewski

Background: Pain in the lumbar spine is an increasingly common problem, not only neurological or orthopaedic, but also psychological. In epidemiological studies on the prevalence of neuropathic pain, conducted in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States France, and Brazil, it has been shown that the prevalence of chronic pain with neuropathic properties is estimated at 7-10%. Chronic neuropathic pain is more common in women (8% versus 5.7% in men) and in patients > 50 years of age (8.9% versus 5.6% in women < 49 years old). It most frequently concerns the lumbar region and lower limbs. However, in Germany, it has been revealed that 40% of all patients experience at least some features of neuropathic pain such as burning, numbness and/or tingling, especially those with chronic pain in the lumbar spine and radiculopathy. Chronic pain not only hinders a patient's daily life activities, but over time, it has negative impact on the patient's psyche: it reduces his/her well-being, causing anxiety, fear, helplessness, regret and even hostility. It should be emphasized that each of these reactions is an individual feature. Objectives: The aim of the study is to assess pain control as well as the strategies of coping with neuropathic pain in the lumbar spine. Material and methods: The study comprised 50 people with neuropathic pain in the lumbar region, including 41 women and 19 men. The average age of the respondents was 56 years, the average duration of the symptoms was 8 years. The following questionnaires were used to assess neuropathic pain: Lanss Pain Scale and DN4, and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to assess pain intensity. For Pain Control Assessment - the Beliefs Questionnaire for Pain Control (BPCQ) and Pain Coping Strategy Questionnaire (CSQ). Results: Among the 3 measured factors of pain control, internal control dominates in young people, external control in middle-aged individuals, and the attitude towards random events in the elderly. There was significant statistical dependence between pain coping strategy and type of pain control. Conclusions: With the duration of pain and the age of the patient, random events play an increasingly important role in pain control. Hence, tests on pain control and coping should be carried out among patients as this would determine the most favourable treatment method.


2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han J. A. Samwel ◽  
Andrea W. M. Evers ◽  
Ben J. P. Crul ◽  
Floris W. Kraaimaat

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (21;1) ◽  
pp. E603-E610
Author(s):  
Mohab Ibrahim

Background: The management of chronic nonmalignant pain with high-dose opioids has partially contributed to the current opioid epidemic, with some responsibility shared by chronic pain clinics. Traditionally, both primary care providers and patients used chronic pain clinics as a source for continued medical management of patients on high-dose opioids, often resulting in tolerance and escalating doses. Although opioids continue to be an important component of the management of some chronic pain conditions, improvement in function and comfort must be documented. Pain clinics are ideally suited for reducing opioid usage while improving pain and function with the use of a multimodal approach to pain management. We assessed whether the application of multimodal treatment directed by pain specialists in a pain clinic provides for improved function and reduced dosages of opioid analgesics. Objective: We evaluated the role of a pain clinic staffed by fellowship-trained pain physicians in reducing pain and opioid use in chronic nonmalignant pain patients. Study Design: This study used a retrospective design. Setting: The research took place in an outpatient pain clinic in a tertiary referral center/teaching hospital. Methods: Of 1268 charts reviewed, 296 patients were on chronic opioids at the time of first evaluation. After a thorough evaluation, the patients were treated with nonopioid pharmacotherapy and interventional pain procedures as necessary. The data utilized from patients’ latest follow-up visit included current pain level using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS-11), opioid usage, and various functional parameters. Results: NRS-11 scores decreased by 33.8% from 6.8 (± 0.1)/10 to 4.5 (± 0.2)/10. The pain frequency and number of pain episodes improved by 36.8 ± 2 and 36.2 ± 2.1, respectively. Additionally, the ability to sleep, work, and perform chores significantly improved. Total opioid use decreased by about 55.4% from 53.8 ± 4 to about 24 ± 2.8 MME/patient/day. Limitation: This study is not a randomized prospective controlled study. The patients analyzed are still getting therapy and their pain status may change. Some opioids are underrepresented in the analyzed cohort. Finally, this study lacks in-depth stratification by type of pain, age, gender, and duration of opioid use. Conclusion: Chronic pain clinics can play a pivotal role in reducing opioid usage while improving pain and function in patients on chronic opioids. We wish to emphasize the importance of allocating resources toward nonopioid treatments that may improve the function and well-being of patients. Key words: Pain clinic, pain management, multimodal pain management, chronic pain, opioid reduction, improved pain, improved functional capacity


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document