Association between history of childbirth and chronic, functionally significant back pain in later life.

BACKGROUND: Back pain is more prevalent among women than men. The association with sex could be related to pregnancy and childbirth, unique female conditions. This association has not been thoroughly evaluated. METHODS: Using a retrospective cohort design, we evaluated the relationship between history of childbirth on the prevalence and severity of functionally consequential back pain in 1069 women from a tertiary care pain management clinic. Interactions among preexisting, acute peripartum, and subsequent back pain were evaluated as secondary outcomes among the parous women using logistic and linear regression as appropriate. RESULTS: The women who had given birth had a higher risk for functionally significant back pain compared to women who had not given birth (85% vs 77%, p < 0.001, Risk Ratio 1.11 [1.04-1.17]). The association was preserved after correction for age, weight, and race. Back pain was also more slightly severe (Numerical Rating Score for Pain 7[5-8] vs 6[5-7] out of 10, p = 0.002). Women who recalled severe, acute postpartum back pain had a higher prevalence of current debilitating back pain (89% vs 75%, Risk Ratio 1.19 (1.08-1.31), p = 0.001). Twenty-eight percent of acute postpartum back pain never resolved and 40% reported incomplete resolution. CONCLUSIONS: A history of pregnancy and childbirth is a risk factor for chronic functionally significant back pain in women. Severe acute postpartum back pain is a risk factor for future disability suggesting that the peripartum period may provide an important opportunity for intervention. Early recognition and management may mitigate future disability. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov as "Association Between Chronic Headache and Back Pain with Childbirth" (NCT04091321) on 16/09/2019 before it was initiated.

Practical approaches for clinicians in chronic pain management: Strategies and solutions.

Effective management of chronic pain necessitates multidisciplinary approaches including medical treatment, physical therapy, lifestyle interventions, and behavioral or mental health therapy. Medical providers regularly report high levels of stress and challenge when treating patients with chronic pain, which recur in part due to improper education on contributors to pain and misalignment in patient and provider goals and expectations for treatment. The current paper reviews common challenges and misconceptions in the setting of chronic pain management as well as strategies for effective patient education and goal setting related to these issues. The paper also outlines key aspects of provider burnout, its relevance for medical providers in chronic pain management, and recommendations for burnout prevention in navigating issues of patient education and treatment planning.

Effectiveness of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program in real-world patients with chronic back pain: A pilot cohort data analysis.

BACKGROUND: Randomized clinical trials (RCT) suggest a multidisciplinary approach to pain rehabilitation is superior to other active treatments in improving pain intensity, function, disability, and pain interference for patients with chronic pain, with small effect size (ds= 0.20-0.36) but its effectiveness remains unknown in real-world practice. OBJECTIVE: The current study examined the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary program to a cognitive and behavioral therapy (pain-CBT) in real-world patients with chronic back pain. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients (M𝑎𝑔𝑒= 57.6, 82.1% Female) completed a multidisciplinary program that included pain psychology and physical therapy. Eighteen patients (M𝑎𝑔𝑒= 58.9, 77.8% Female) completed a CBT-alone program. Using a learning healthcare system, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, 0-10 Numerical Pain Rating Scale, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® measures were administered before and after the programs. RESULTS: We found significant improvement in mobility and pain behavior only after a multidisciplinary program (p's < 0.031; d= 0.69 and 0.55). We also found significant improvement in pain interference, fatigue, depression, anxiety, social role satisfaction, and pain catastrophizing after pain-CBT or multidisciplinary programs (p's < 0.037; ds = 0.29-0.73). Pain ratings were not significantly changed by either program (p's > 0.207). CONCLUSIONS: The effect of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program observed in RCT would be generalizable to real-world practice.

Migraine and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A Case-Referent Clinical Study.

We studied clinical phenotype differences between migraineurs with CRPS (Mig + CRPS) and those without (Mig - CRPS). Mig + CRPS cases and Mig - CRPS referents aged ≥18 years were enrolled. Diagnosis was made in accordance with International Classification of Headache Disorders-3 beta (ICHD-3 beta) for migraine and Budapest Criteria for CRPS. Migraines both with and without aura were included. A total of 70 Mig + CRPS cases (13% males, mean age 48 years) and 80 Mig - CRPS referents (17% males, mean age 51 years) were included. 33% of Mig + CRPS and 38% of Mig - CRPS exhibited episodic migraine (EM) while 66% of Mig + CRPS and 62% of Mig - CRPS had chronic migraine (CM) (OR = 0.98, CI 0.36, 2.67). Median duration of CRPS was 3 years among EM + CRPS and 6 years among CM + CRPS cohort (p < 0.02). Mig + CRPS (57%) carried higher psychological and medical comorbidities compared to Mig - CRPS (6%) (OR 16.7, CI 10.2, 23.6). Higher migraine frequency was associated with longer CRPS duration. Migraineurs who developed CRPS had higher prevalence of psychological and medical disorders. Alleviating migraineurs' psychological and medical comorbidities may help lower CRPS occurrence.

Pain interference and physical function demonstrate poor longitudinal association in people living with pain: a PROMIS investigation.

A primary goal in managing pain is to reduce pain and increase physical function (PF). This goal is also tied to continuing payment for treatment services in many practice guidelines. Pain interference (PI) is often used as a proxy for measurement and reporting of PF in these guidelines. A common assumption is that reductions in PI will translate into improvement in PF over time. This assumption needs to be tested in a clinical environment. Consequently, we used the patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS) to describe the topology of the longitudinal relationship between PI in relation to PF. Longitudinal data of 389 people with chronic pain seeking health care demonstrated that PI partially explained the variance in PF at baseline (r = -0.50) and over 90 days of care (r = -0.65). The relationship between pain intensity and PF was not significant when PI was included as a mediator. A parallel process latent growth curve model analysis showed a weak, unidirectional relationship (ß = 0.18) between average PF scores and changes in PI over the course of 90 days of care, and no relationship between average PI scores and changes in PF across time. Although PI and PF seem moderately related when measured concurrently, they do not cluster closely together across time. The differential pathways between these 2 domains suggest that therapies that target both the consequences of pain on relevant aspects of persons' lives, and capability to perform physical activities are likely required for restoration of a vital life.