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Evers C, Jordan S, Maurer B, Becker MO, Mihai C, Dobrota R, Hoederath P, Distler O. Pain chronification and the important role of non-disease-specific symptoms in patients with systemic sclerosis. Arthritis Res Ther 2021; 23:34. [PMID: 33468227 PMCID: PMC7816465 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-021-02421-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pain is a frequent, yet inadequately explored challenge in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). This study aimed to conduct an extensive pain assessment, examining pain chronification and its association with disease manifestations. Methods Consecutive SSc patients attending their annual assessment were included. SSc-specific features were addressed as defined by the European Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) guidelines. Pain analysis included intensity, localization, treatment, chronification grade according to the Mainz Pain Staging System (MPSS), general well-being using the Marburg questionnaire on habitual health findings (MFHW) and symptoms of anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results One hundred forty-seven SSc patients completed a pain questionnaire, and 118/147 patients reporting pain were included in the analysis. Median pain intensity was 4/10 on a numeric rating scale (NRS). The most frequent major pain localizations were hand and lower back. Low back pain as the main pain manifestation was significantly more frequent in patients with very early SSc (p = 0.01); those patients also showed worse HADS and MFHW scores. Regarding pain chronification, 34.8% were in stage I according to the MPSS, 45.2% in stage II and 20.0% in stage III. There was no significant correlation between chronification grade and disease severity, but advanced chronification was significantly more frequent in patients with low back pain (p = 0.024). It was also significantly associated with pathological HADS scores (p < 0.0001) and linked with decreased well-being and higher use of analgesics. Conclusions Our study implies that also non-disease-specific symptoms such as low back pain need to be considered in SSc patients, especially in early disease. Since low back pain seems to be associated with higher grades of pain chronification and psychological problems, our study underlines the importance of preventing pain chronification in order to enhance the quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Evers
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 25, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Suzana Jordan
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 25, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Britta Maurer
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 25, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mike Oliver Becker
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 25, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Carina Mihai
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 25, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rucsandra Dobrota
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 25, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Petra Hoederath
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 25, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.,Centre of Neurosurgery Hirslanden Ostschweiz, Paintherapy Stephanshorn, Brauerstrasse 95a, 9016, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Distler
- Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 25, 8091, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Cuzdan N, Turk I, Sarpel T, Erken E, Alparslan ZN. Neuropathic pain: is it an underestimated symptom in systemic sclerosis? Clin Rheumatol 2018; 37:1845-1851. [PMID: 29691771 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-018-4107-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pain is one of the most common symptoms in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, yet not considered in the assessment of disease severity. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of neuropathic pain (NP) and to evaluate its interference with the quality of life (QoL) in SSc patients. Diffuse and Limited SSc patients diagnosed by American College of Rheumatology 2013 criteria were included in the study. Pain was evaluated with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); presence of NP was screened with The Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (LANNS) questionnaire; disease activity was evaluated with modified Medsger Severity Scale (MSS) and QoL with short-form 36 (SF-36). One hundred twenty patients were included in the study (mean age 53.64 ± 11.44 years, female/male 83.3-16.7%). Total pain frequency was found 69.2% and NP was 35.9% in the entire patient group. Pain was most frequently seen in wrist-hand (50.6%) and ankle-foot (43.4%) regions; albeit, NP rates were highest in face (94.4%), lower leg (87.5%), and hip-thigh (78.6%) regions. SF-36 scores were significantly lower in patients with NP than the patients without NP (P < 0.05). The most associated factors with NP were MSS score for muscle involvement and drug consumption of the patient. According to our results, high frequency of NP is seen in SSc patients, and NP is associated with low QoL. Differential diagnosis of NP is important to consider right treatment options and accurate management of pain in all rheumatologic diseases including SSc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nihan Cuzdan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Division of Rheumatology, Cukurova University School of Medicine, Adana, Turkey.
| | - Ipek Turk
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Cukurova University School of Medicine, Adana, Turkey
| | - Tunay Sarpel
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Cukurova University School of Medicine, Adana, Turkey
| | - Eren Erken
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Cukurova University School of Medicine, Adana, Turkey
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Merz EL, Malcarne VL, Roesch SC, Nair DK, Salazar G, Assassi S, Mayes MD. Longitudinal patterns of pain in patients with diffuse and limited systemic sclerosis: integrating medical, psychological, and social characteristics. Qual Life Res 2016; 26:85-94. [PMID: 27469505 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-016-1370-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Pain is a common but understudied quality of life concern in systemic sclerosis (SSc). This investigation sought to describe patient-reported pain during the early phase of the disease and to examine potential predictors of this over time. METHODS A prospective cohort (N = 316) of patients with early-disease SSc from the Genetics versus ENvironment In Scleroderma Outcome Study (GENISOS) were followed for 3 years. Multilevel modeling was used to describe longitudinal changes in pain and the extent to which pain variance was explained by disease type, emotional health, perceived physical health, health worry, and social support. RESULTS Patient-reported pain remained relatively stable, with slight improvement over time. More severe disease type was associated with worse initial pain, but the association was reduced to nonsignificance after accounting for the psychosocial variables. Better emotional health and perceived physical health were associated with lower initial pain. There were marginal interactive effects for perceived physical health and social support such that initial perceptions of poorer physical health, and higher social support, were predictive of greater improvements in pain over time. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that emotional health, perceived physical health, and social support are more relevant to longitudinal SSc pain than disease severity and that perceived physical health and social support may impact pain trajectories. Researchers and rheumatology health professionals should consider these factors in comprehensive pain models and pain management protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Merz
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA, 90747, USA.
| | - Vanessa L Malcarne
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Scott C Roesch
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Deepthi K Nair
- Division of Rheumatology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Gloria Salazar
- Division of Rheumatology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shervin Assassi
- Division of Rheumatology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maureen D Mayes
- Division of Rheumatology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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