title: Pain catastrophizing, response to experimental heat stimuli, and post-cesarean section pain.
abstract: This prospective study assessed the relation between pain catastrophizing, response to experimental pain stimuli, and pain perceived by women after elective cesarean sections. Forty-seven women who were scheduled for elective cesarean section were enrolled in the study. Magnitude estimation to suprathreshold phasic and tonic heat pain stimuli was assessed 1 or 2 days before surgery. Women completed the Pain Catastrophizing Scale after the heat stimuli and again on the first postoperative day. During the first and second postoperative days, perception of pain intensity was assessed by visual analog scale at each analgesia request. A multiple regression analysis revealed that pain on the first postoperative day was predicted by patient response to preoperative tonic heat stimuli (r(2) = .167, P = .008). Pain on the second postoperative day was predicted by preoperative pain catastrophizing (r(2) = .139, P = .021). No significant association was observed between preoperative response to heat stimuli or pain catastrophizing and the patient's analgesic consumption in the obstetrical ward. It is concluded that pain catastrophizing and response to experimental tonic heat pain correlate with post-cesarean section pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This article presents psychological and psychophysical measures that may be of help in the prediction of post-cesarean section pain. It may therefore contribute to the treatment of the sequelae of the most common major surgical procedure performed in women in their reproductive years.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Lihi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Strulov
authors.forename: Etan Z
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: Zimmer
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Granot
authors.forename: Ada
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamir
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jakobi
authors.forename: Lior
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lowenstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007052:Ibuprofen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000592:standards; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D007052:Ibuprofen