Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Pain Sensitivity and its Relation to Spreading on the body, Intensity, Frequency, and Duration of Pain : A Cross-sectional Population-based Study (SwePain)

Larsson, Britt LU ; Gerdle, Björn ; Björk, Jonas LU and Grimby-Ekman, Anna (2017) In Clinical Journal of Pain 33(7). p.579-587
Abstract

OBJECTIVES:: Individuals with chronic pain often report increased pain sensitivity compared to pain free individuals, so it is crucial to determine if and how different pain characteristics influence or interact with pain sensitivity. An alternative to experimental pain sensitivity testing is the self-reported pain sensitivity questionnaire (PSQ), that captures pain sensitivity in various body areas.This study compares PSQ in individuals with and without pain and clarifies how pain sensitivity relates to spreading of pain on the body, and to intensity, frequency, duration of pain and to age and sex. METHODS:: 5905 individuals with pain and 572 individuals without pain from the general population in southeastern Sweden completed and... (More)

OBJECTIVES:: Individuals with chronic pain often report increased pain sensitivity compared to pain free individuals, so it is crucial to determine if and how different pain characteristics influence or interact with pain sensitivity. An alternative to experimental pain sensitivity testing is the self-reported pain sensitivity questionnaire (PSQ), that captures pain sensitivity in various body areas.This study compares PSQ in individuals with and without pain and clarifies how pain sensitivity relates to spreading of pain on the body, and to intensity, frequency, duration of pain and to age and sex. METHODS:: 5905 individuals with pain and 572 individuals without pain from the general population in southeastern Sweden completed and returned a postal questionnaire. RESULTS:: Mean PSQ score was 3.9 (95% confidence interval: 3.88; 3.98) in individuals with pain, and in pain free subjects 3.5 (3.38; 3.64). Hence, PSQ was highest in individuals with pain, with a difference of 0.4 (0.30; 0.56). There was a considerable variation in the PSQ values (mean 3.5; standard deviation 1.54) among pain free individuals. Pain sensitivity was positively related to spreading, intensity, and frequency of pain; correlation coefficients 0.3. PSQ was higher in widespread pain; women 4.5 (4.27; 4.69) and men; 4.3 (3.94; 4.71) than in local pain; women 3.7 (3.61; 3.91) and men 3.8 (CI 3.66; 3.95). The score for women with regional pain was between local and widespread pain 4.0 (3.95; 4.11) and for men with regional 3.8 (3.69; 3.87) that is equal to local pain. DISCUSSION:: The positive association between pain sensitivity and spreading of pain on the body provides some evidence that extent of spreading may be related to the degree of pain sensitivity. Prior to clinical use of PSQ psychometric development and further research are needed.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Clinical Journal of Pain
volume
33
issue
7
pages
579 - 587
publisher
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
external identifiers
  • scopus:84988589224
  • pmid:27648588
  • wos:000403073300002
ISSN
0749-8047
DOI
10.1097/AJP.0000000000000441
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a9407d98-ef4b-4473-b67a-5eaa5682290e
date added to LUP
2016-10-28 15:58:25
date last changed
2024-06-14 16:31:01
@article{a9407d98-ef4b-4473-b67a-5eaa5682290e,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVES:: Individuals with chronic pain often report increased pain sensitivity compared to pain free individuals, so it is crucial to determine if and how different pain characteristics influence or interact with pain sensitivity. An alternative to experimental pain sensitivity testing is the self-reported pain sensitivity questionnaire (PSQ), that captures pain sensitivity in various body areas.This study compares PSQ in individuals with and without pain and clarifies how pain sensitivity relates to spreading of pain on the body, and to intensity, frequency, duration of pain and to age and sex. METHODS:: 5905 individuals with pain and 572 individuals without pain from the general population in southeastern Sweden completed and returned a postal questionnaire. RESULTS:: Mean PSQ score was 3.9 (95% confidence interval: 3.88; 3.98) in individuals with pain, and in pain free subjects 3.5 (3.38; 3.64). Hence, PSQ was highest in individuals with pain, with a difference of 0.4 (0.30; 0.56). There was a considerable variation in the PSQ values (mean 3.5; standard deviation 1.54) among pain free individuals. Pain sensitivity was positively related to spreading, intensity, and frequency of pain; correlation coefficients 0.3. PSQ was higher in widespread pain; women 4.5 (4.27; 4.69) and men; 4.3 (3.94; 4.71) than in local pain; women 3.7 (3.61; 3.91) and men 3.8 (CI 3.66; 3.95). The score for women with regional pain was between local and widespread pain 4.0 (3.95; 4.11) and for men with regional 3.8 (3.69; 3.87) that is equal to local pain. DISCUSSION:: The positive association between pain sensitivity and spreading of pain on the body provides some evidence that extent of spreading may be related to the degree of pain sensitivity. Prior to clinical use of PSQ psychometric development and further research are needed.</p>}},
  author       = {{Larsson, Britt and Gerdle, Björn and Björk, Jonas and Grimby-Ekman, Anna}},
  issn         = {{0749-8047}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{579--587}},
  publisher    = {{Lippincott Williams & Wilkins}},
  series       = {{Clinical Journal of Pain}},
  title        = {{Pain Sensitivity and its Relation to Spreading on the body, Intensity, Frequency, and Duration of Pain : A Cross-sectional Population-based Study (SwePain)}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/AJP.0000000000000441}},
  doi          = {{10.1097/AJP.0000000000000441}},
  volume       = {{33}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}