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Examining the effectiveness of pain rehabilitation on chronic pain and post-traumatic symptoms

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Abstract

Patients with co-morbid chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) pose significant treatment challenges. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program (IPRP) in improving pain and PTSD outcomes, as well as reducing medication use. In addition, the mediating effect of pain catastrophizing, which is theorized to underlie the pain and PTSD comorbidity, was examined. Participants included 83 completers of an IPRP with chronic pain and a provisional PTSD diagnosis. Significant improvements were found for pain outcomes, PTSD symptomatology, depressive symptoms, physical performance, and medication use (i.e., opioids and benzodiazepines). At discharge, 86.7% of participants reliably improved in at least one key measure of functioning and 50.6% demonstrated reliable improvement in PTSD symptomatology. Change in pain catastrophizing mediated improvements in pain interference and PTSD symptomatology. Results support the potential utility of an interdisciplinary pain treatment approach in the treatment of patients with comorbid pain and PTSD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Wesley P. Gilliam, Matthew E. Schumann, Eleshia J. Morrison, Craig Sawchuk & Jeannie A. Sperry

  2. Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, 235 Wealthy Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA

    Julia R. Craner

  3. Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, 15 Michigan Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49053, USA

    Julia R. Craner

  4. Department of Pharmacy, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Julie L. Cunningham & Shawna Seibel

Authors
  1. Wesley P. Gilliam
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  2. Matthew E. Schumann
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  3. Julia R. Craner
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  4. Julie L. Cunningham
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Correspondence to Wesley P. Gilliam.

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Conflict of interest

Wesley P. Gilliam, Matthew E. Schumann, Julia R. Craner, Julie L. Cunningham, Eleshia J. Morrison, Shawna Seibel, Craig Sawchuk and Jeannie A. Sperry declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and animal rights and informed consent

All procedures followed were in accordance with ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Gilliam, W.P., Schumann, M.E., Craner, J.R. et al. Examining the effectiveness of pain rehabilitation on chronic pain and post-traumatic symptoms. J Behav Med 43, 956–967 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-020-00160-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-020-00160-3

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