Digital pain extent is associated with pain intensity but not with pain-related cognitions and disability in people with chronic musculoskeletal pain: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: To evaluate whether digital pain extent is associated with an array of psychological factors such as optimism, pessimism, expectations of recovery, pain acceptance, and pain self-efficacy beliefs as well as to analyse the association between digital pain extent and pain intensity and pain-related disability in people with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in a primary health care setting was carried out including 186 individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Patient-reported outcomes were used to assess psychological factors, pain intensity, and pain-related disability. Digital pain extent was obtained from pain drawings shaded using a tablet and analysed using novel customized software. Multiple linear regression models were conducted to evaluate the association between digital pain extent and the aforementioned variables. Results: Digital pain extent was statistically significantly associated with pain intensity. However, digital pain extent was not associated with any psychological measure nor with pain-related disability. Discussion: The results did not support an association between digital pain extent and psychological measures.

Chronic painMusculoskeletal painCognitionDigital pain extentCross-sectionalPain drawing

BibTeX

    @article{LuqueSuarez2022,
      title = {Digital pain extent is associated with pain intensity but not with pain-related cognitions and disability in people with chronic musculoskeletal pain: a cross-sectional study},
      volume = {23},
      ISSN = {1471-2474},
      url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12891-022-05700-3},
      DOI = {10.1186/s12891-022-05700-3},
      number = {1},
      journal = {BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders},
      publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
      author = {Luque-Suarez,  Alejandro and Falla,  Deborah and Barbero,  Marco and Pineda-Galan,  Consolacion and Marco,  Derboni and Giuffrida,  Vincenzo and Martinez-Calderon,  Javier},
      year = {2022},
      month = July 
    }