Chronicity of pain associated with spinal cord injury: A longitudinal analysis.
This study determined the stability of self-reported clinical pain characteristics and pain-induced interference with sleep and daily activities in people with spinal cord injury. The study followed up a previous survey that identified clinical pain patterns (i.e., neuropathic pain below the level of injury; upper-limb pain in tetraplegia; and severe, persistent pain). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the present study's data confirmed the previously observed pain patterns. The CFA also confirmed positive correlations between the surveys on individual pain characteristics (i.e., number of pain locations [r = 0.63, p < 0.001], number of descriptors [r = 0.61, p < 0.001], pain intensity [r = 0.68, p < 0.001], and temporal aspects [r = 0.47, p < 0.001]). Despite an overall stable clinical picture of pain, "aching" pain (p < 0.001) and sleep interference caused by pain (p < 0.001) significantly increased over time.
Miami Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA.
Yenisel
Y
Cruz-Almeida
Alberto
A
Martinez-Arizala
Eva G
EG
Widerström-Noga
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans