Background & Aims

The Pain Management Center at Hoshi General Hospital, Japan, employs a multidisciplinary approach for chronic musculoskeletal pain patients, addressing biological and psychosocial aspects, alongside quality of life (QOL) assessments through questionnaires. Evaluation is performed at the initial examination before treatment, and follow-ups at three and six months post-treatment. While our main therapeutic goal is QOL enhancement, we would like to improve pain itself. However, it remains unclear which psychosocial factors influence improvement of pain itself. This study aims to identify predictive psychosocial factors influencing pain improvement before initiating multidisciplinary treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Methods

A cohort study involving 98 participants with valid responses from July 2015 to March 2023. Data included age, gender, and scores on the Numerical Rating Scale of pain, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Pain Disability Assessment Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Pain Self-efficacy Questionnaire, Brief Scale for Psychiatric Problems in Orthopaedic Patients, EQ-5D, Athens Insomnia Scale and 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale. Statistical analyses involved univariate and/or multivariate logistic regression analysis, categorizing the dependent variable into improvement (1) or aggravation/no change (0). Chi-square test investigated the ICD11 classification’s attribution for each group.

Results

Chi-square test results showed no significant differences in age, gender, or ICD11 classification between the improvement and aggravation/no change groups. Multivariate logistic regression identified the rumination, subscale of the PCS, as a significant predictor (odds ratio: 0.868, 95% confidence interval: 0.755-0.998) affecting pain itself improvement.

Conclusions

The rumination, subscale of PCS, significantly influences pain improvement, aggravation, or no change. Lower rumination scores, evaluated at our hospital’s initial examination, suggest improving the pain levels six months post-treatment. Emphasizing the rumination, subscale of PCS, we recommend its intensive consideration during the initial examination to effectively improving of pain itself.

References

1.Takahashi N, Takatsuki K, Kasahara S, Yabuki S. Multidisciplinary pain management program for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain in Japan: a cohort study. J Pain Res. 2019; 12: 2563-2576.

Presenting Author

Naoto Takahashi

Poster Authors

Naoto Takahashi

MD, PhD

Department of Pain Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine

Lead Author

Kozue Takatsuki

Department of Pain Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine

Lead Author

Satoshi Kasahara

MD

Lead Author

Ko Matsudaira

Department of Pain Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine

Lead Author

Shoji Yabuki. MD

PhD

Department of Pain Medicine, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine

Lead Author

Topics

  • Treatment/Management: Pharmacology: Psychological and Rehabilitative Therapies