Relationship of psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal pain among individuals with newly acquired spinal cord injury

Margaret Finley; Elizabeth Euiler; Laura Baehr; Edward Gracely; Mary Brownsberger; Mary Schmidt-Read; Sara Kate Frye; Marni Kallins; Amanda Summers; Henry York; Paula Richley Geigle

doi:10.1038/s41394-021-00415-4

Relationship of psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal pain among individuals with newly acquired spinal cord injury

Spinal Cord Ser Cases. 2021 Jul 19;7(1):61. doi: 10.1038/s41394-021-00415-4.

Authors

Margaret Finley¹, Elizabeth Euiler², Laura Baehr², Edward Gracely³, Mary Brownsberger⁴, Mary Schmidt-Read⁵, Sara Kate Frye⁶, Marni Kallins⁶, Amanda Summers⁶, Henry York^{6

7}, Paula Richley Geigle^{6

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA. maf378@drexel.edu.
² Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
³ School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
⁴ Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, Allentown, PA, USA.
⁵ Magee Rehabilitation Hospital/Jefferson Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
⁶ University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁷ Department of Neurology, University Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁸ Department Physical Therapy, South College, Knoxville, TN, USA.

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.

Publication types

Clinical Trial
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Cross-Sectional Studies
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Musculoskeletal Pain* / epidemiology
Quality of Life
Spinal Cord Injuries* / complications
Spinal Cord Injuries* / epidemiology

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03137394

Grants and funding

W81XWH-17-1-0476/U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)