Abstract
Study design
Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data of a longitudinal cohort study.
Objectives
Little evidence exists on pain-related psychosocial factors in individuals with newly acquired spinal cord injury (SCI). To understand a biopsychosocial model of pain, we must first understand the presenting psychological pain-related factors at injury onset. Therefore, we assessed musculoskeletal pain and pain-related psychological constructs in a group of individuals with newly acquired SCI. We hypothesized that individuals with new SCI would report musculoskeletal shoulder pain with elevated levels of kinesiophobia and pain catastrophizing.
Setting
Data were collected in three rehabilitation hospitals located in urban and suburban communities.
Methods
Thirty-five individuals with newly acquired SCI participated. Demographics, Musculoskeletal Pain Survey shoulder subscale, Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale-11, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Fear of Pain Questionnaire, Chronic Pain Coping Inventory-42, and Subjective Quality of Life Questionnaire were administered. Descriptive analysis of all measures was determined and relationships between pain and psychosocial measures determined.
Results
Moderate shoulder pain existed in 40% of people with new SCI along with clinically elevated kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, fear of pain, and reduced quality of life. Shoulder pain was statistically associated with pain catastrophizing (ρ = 0.41, p = 0.01). Kinesiophobia positively correlated with fear of pain (ρ = 0.38, p = 0.02) with an inverse relationship to quality of life (ρ = −0.47, p = 0.01).
Conclusions
Elevated pain, and pain-related psychological characteristics, such as catastrophizing and kinesiophobia exist during the early stages after SCI. Early identification of pain-related factors can guide clinical intervention potentially ameliorating pain-linked functional impairments.
Trial registry
This trial is registered with ClinTrial.gov ID NCT03137394.
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Data availability
The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Sara Mulroy, PT, PhD for her consultation on recruitment and outcome interpretation during this project.
Funding
This work was supported by the Department of Defense, through the Spinal Cord Injury Research Program Investigator-Initiated Research Award under Award No. W81XWH-17-1-0476.
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MF as overall study PI was responsible for all aspects of the project from design, data collection, analysis, and manuscript preparation. EE was responsible for data collection at the Drexel site, data entry analysis, and manuscript preparation. LB was responsible for data analysis and interpretation of psychosocial measures, analysis, and manuscript preparation. EG was the primary biostatistician responsible for data analysis, interpretation, and manuscript preparation. MB was responsible for recruitment, screening, and data collection at GSRH, interpretation of outcomes and manuscript review. MS-R was responsible for recruitment and screening of participants from Magee (Drexel site), ongoing consultation on outcomes and manuscript review. SKF, MK, and AS were responsible for recruitment, data collection at University of Maryland site, and manuscript review. HY was site PI at University of Maryland and was responsible for study design, guided recruitment, and data collection, analysis, and manuscript review. PRG was responsible for study design, data collection at University of Maryland, data interpretation, and manuscript review.
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Ethics approval
The U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC), Office of Research Protections (ORP), Human Research Protection Office (HRPO) approved the protocol on Log Number SC160041, Award Number W81XWH-17-1-0476, HRPO Log Number A-20222.a.,b.,.c.,d. Individual Institutional Review Board approval was received from Drexel University, University of Maryland Magee Rehabilitation Hospital and Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital. We certify that all applicable institutional and governmental regulations concerning the ethical use of human volunteers were followed during this research.
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Finley, M., Euiler, E., Baehr, L. et al. Relationship of psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal pain among individuals with newly acquired spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord Ser Cases 7, 61 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41394-021-00415-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41394-021-00415-4
