Multiple Sclerosis, 1 December 2003, vol. 9, no. 6, pp. 605-611(7)
Ehde D.M.[1]; Gibbons L.E.[2]; Chwastiak L.[3]; Bombardier C.H.[1];
Sullivan M.D.[3]; Kraft G.H.[1]
[1] Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA [2] Department of Psychosocial
and Community Health, University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle,
WA, 98195, USA [3] Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University
of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
Introduction:
This study examined the prevalence, intensity, interference, and biopsychosocial correlates of pain in a large community-based sample of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Methods:
Mail surveys were returned by 442 members of the King County (WA) MS Association.
Average pain intensity, pain-related activity interference, depressive symptoms and severity of MS were assessed.
Results:
Forty-four percent reported persistent, bothersome pain in the three months prior to completing the survey.
Participants with pain reported an average pain intensity rating of 5.2 (SD = 2.3) on the 0 (no pain) to 10 (pain as bad as could be) scale.
Twenty-seven percent reported severe pain (score of 7-10), while 51% of those with pain rated the interference of their pain with daily activities as none to minimal.
Twenty percent reported severe interference in activities as a result of pain.
In multivariate modeling, MS illness severity, marital status, and self-ratings of overall health were significantly associated with pain-related interference with activities.
Conclusions:
Approximately a fourth of this sample described having a chronic pain problem characterized by severe pain intensity and significant pain-related interference with activities.
Disability due to pain may be more important than previously recognized for the MS population.