Catastrophizing and chronic pain: a modern view on the problem

Lovchev I.M.; Shmidt D.A.; Sorokina D.A.; Churyukanov M.V.

doi:https://doi.org/10.17116/pain20232101160

Close metadata

OBJECTIVE

To study the relationship between pain catastrophizing and chronic pain syndrome, as well as to investigate the effect of pain chronization on catastrophizing.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Searching for literature data was performed in the PubMed, eLibrary and ScienceDirect databases until January 2022. We reviewed the abstracts and full-text articles, identified original articles meeting inclusion criteria. No meta-analysis was performed.

RESULTS

We found the studies with good evidence base. Their results demonstrate positive correlation between pain catastrophizing and chronic pain syndrome.

CONCLUSION

This review provides information on importance of such a psychosocial factor as catastrophizing in chronic pain including as a mediator of transformation of acute pain into chronic one.

Keywords:

pain catastrophizing

chronic pain

pain transformation

systematic review

neuropathic pain

lower back pain

Authors:

Lovchev I.M.

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University

Shmidt D.A.

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University

Sorokina D.A.

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University

Churyukanov M.V.

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University);
Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery

Received:

25.04.2022

Accepted:

03.10.2022

Close metadata

References:

Medvedeva LA, Zagorulko OI, Gnezdilov AV. Chronic pain: epidemiology and social demographic characteristics of patients of Pain Clinic in the Surgery Center. Klinicheskaya i eksperimental’naya khirurgiya. Zhurnal im. akad. B.V. Petrovskogo. 2016;4(3):36-43. (In Russ.).
Yakhno NN, Kukushkin ML, Churyukanov MV, Syrovegin AV. The results of open multicentral study «MERIDIAN» for assessment of pain syndromes prevalence in ambulatory and therapeutic preferences of physicians. Russian Journal of Pain. 2012;3:10-14. (In Russ.).
Casati A, Sedefov R, Pfeiffer-Gerschel T. Misuse of medicines in the European union: A systematic review of the literature. European Addiction Research. 2012;18(5):228-245. https://doi.org/10.1159/000337028
Martini C, Olofsen E, Yassen A, Aarts L, Dahan A. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling in acute and chronic pain: An overview of the recent literature. Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology. 2011;4(6):719-728. https://doi.org/10.1586/ecp.11.59
Eriksen J, Jensen MK, Sjøgren P, Ekholm O, Rasmussen NK. Epidemiology of chronic non-malignant pain in Denmark. Pain. 2003;106(3):221-228. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3959(03)00225-2
Hans G, Masquelier E, de Cock P. The diagnosis and management of neuropathic pain in daily practice in Belgium: An observational study. BMC Public Health. 2007;7:170. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-7-170
Kerr S, Fairbrother G, Crawford M, Hogg M, Fairbrother D, Khor KE. ORIGINAL ARTICLE Patient Characteristics and Quality of Life among a Sample of Australian Chronic Pain Clinic Attendees. Vol. 34; 2004.
Cáceres-Matos R, Gil-García E, Cabrera-León A, Porcel-Gálvez AM, Barrientos-Trigo S. Factors that Influence Coping with Chronic Noncancer Pain in European Countries: A Systematic Review of Measuring Instruments. Pain Management Nursing. 2020;21(2):123-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2019.06.010
Clinical guidelines «Chronic pain in elderly and senile patients» (revised in 2020). (In Russ.). Accessed April 06, 2022. https://cr.minzdrav.gov.ru/schema/616_1
Bergh I, Steen G, Waern M, et al. Pain and its relation to cognitive function and depressive symptoms: A Swedish population study of 70-year-old men and women. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2003;26(4):903-912. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0885-3924(03)00329-4
Gaskin DJ, Richard P. The economic costs of pain in the United States. Journal of Pain. 2012;13(8):715-724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2012.03.009
Yakhno NN, Kukushkin ML. Chronic pain: medico-biologic and sotsio-economic aspects. Vestnik Rossijskoj akademii meditsinskikh nauk. 2012;9:54-58. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.15690/vramn.v67i9.407
Kukushkin ML. Mechanisms of chronic pain development. Approaches to prevention and treatment. Consilium Medicum. 2017;19(2):110-117. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.26442/2075-1753_19.2.110-117
Tsedinova YuB, Churuykanov MV, Medvedeva LA, Zagorulko OI, Boltenkova VI, Galeev NA. Psychological characteristics of patients with chronic postsurgical pain. Russian Journal of Pain. 2020;18(2):29-33. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17116/pain20201802129
Leung L. Pain catastrophizing: An updated review. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine. 2012;34(3):204-217. https://doi.org/10.4103/0253-7176.106012
Quartana PJ, Campbell CM, Edwards RR. Pain catastrophizing a critical review. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 2009;9(5):745-758. https://doi.org/10.1586/ern.09.34
Kutlubaev MA, Akhmadeeva LR. Phenomenon of catastrophizing in pain syndromes and pathological fatigue. Nevrologicheskij zhurnal. 2015;20(5):48-54. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.18821/1560-9545-2015-20-5-48-54
Sullivan MJL, Bishop SR, Pivik J. The Pain Catastrophizing Scale: Development and Validation. Psychological Assessment. 1995;7(4):524-532. https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.7.4.524
Craner JR, Gilliam WP, Sperry JA. Rumination, Magnification, and Helplessness How do Different Aspects of Pain Catastrophizing Relate to Pain Severity and Functioning? Clinical Journal of Pain. 2016;32(12):1028-1035. https://doi.org/10.1097/AJP.0000000000000355
Lewis GN, Rice DA, McNair PJ, Kluger M. Predictors of persistent pain after total knee arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Anaesth. 2015;114(4):551-561. https://doi.org/10.1093/bja/aeu441
Litt MD, Shafer DM, Ibanez CR, Kreutzer DL, Tawfik-Yonkers Z. Momentary pain and coping in temporomandibular disorder pain: exploring mechanisms of cognitive behavioral treatment for chronic pain. Pain. 2009;145(1):160-168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2009.06.003
Spinhoven P, ter Kuile M, Kole-Snijders AMJ, Hutten Mansfeld M, den Ouden DJ, Vlaeyen JWS. Catastrophizing and internal pain control as mediators of outcome in the multidisciplinary treatment of chronic low back pain. Eur J Pain. 2004;8(3):211-219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpain.2003.08.003
Trompetter HR, Bohlmeijer ET, Fox JP, Schreurs KMG. Psychological flexibility and catastrophizing as associated change mechanisms during online Acceptance & Commitment Therapy for chronic pain. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 2015;74:50-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2015.09.001
Thorn BE, Pence LB, Ward LC, et al. A randomized clinical trial of targeted cognitive behavioral treatment to reduce catastrophizing in chronic headache sufferers. J Pain. 2007;8(12):938-949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2007.06.010
Seminowicz DA, Shpaner M, Keaser ML, et al. Cognitive-behavioral therapy increases prefrontal cortex gray matter in patients with chronic pain. Journal of Pain. 2013;14(12):1573-1584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2013.07.020
Fitzsimmons M, Carr E, Woodhouse L, Bostick GP. Development and Persistence of Suspected Neuropathic Pain After Total Knee Arthroplasty in Individuals With Osteoarthritis. PM&R. 2018;10(9):903-909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmrj.2018.01.010
Allaire C, Williams C, Bodmer-Roy S, et al. Chronic pelvic pain in an interdisciplinary setting: 1-year prospective cohort. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2018;218(1):114.e1-114.e12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2017.10.002
Martinez-Calderon J, Struyf F, Meeus M, Luque-Suarez A. The association between pain beliefs and pain intensity and/or disability in people with shoulder pain: A systematic review. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice. 2018;37:29-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msksp.2018.06.010
Yakobov E, Scott W, Stanish W, Dunbar M, Richardson G, Sullivan M. The role of perceived injustice in the prediction of pain and function after total knee arthroplasty. Pain. 2014;155(10):2040-2046. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2014.07.007
Gopinath B, Jagnoor J, Kifley A, et al. Differential Predictors of Pain Severity Over 12 Months Following Noncatastrophic Injury Sustained in a Road Traffic Crash. Journal of Pain. 2019;20(6):676-684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2018.11.011
Lecorney J, Verhoeven F, Chouk M, Guillot X, Prati C, Wendling D. Correlation between catastrophizing and Lequesne index in case of osteoarthritis of the knee: A prospective study. Joint Bone Spine. 2018;85(5):605-607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbspin.2017.10.002
Glette M, Stiles TC, Borchgrevink PC, Landmark T. The Natural Course of Chronic Pain in a General Population: Stability and Change in an Eight—Wave Longitudinal Study Over Four Years (the HUNT Pain Study). Journal of Pain. 2020;21(5):689-699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2019.10.008
Giordano NA, Kane A, Jannace KC, et al. Discrete and Dynamic Postoperative Pain Catastrophizing Trajectories Across 6 Months: A Prospective Observational Study. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2020;101(10):1754-1762. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2020.04.023
Lazaridou A, Paschali M, Schreiber K, et al. The Association between Daily Physical Activity and Pain among Women with Fibromyalgia: The Moderating Role of Pain Catastrophizing. Pain Reports. 2020;5(4):e832. https://doi.org/10.1097/PR9.0000000000000832
Wood TJ, Gazendam AM, Kabali CB, et al. Postoperative Outcomes Following Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty in Patients with Pain Catastrophizing, Anxiety, or Depression. Journal of Arthroplasty. 2021;36(6):1908-1914. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arth.2021.02.018
Ben Kibler W, Jacobs CA, Sciascia AD. Pain catastrophizing behaviors and their relation to poor patient-reported outcomes after scapular muscle reattachment. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. 2018;27(9):1564-1571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jse.2018.02.071
Ranger TA, Cicuttini FM, Jensen TS, Manniche C, Heritier S, Urquhart DM. Catastrophization, fear of movement, anxiety, and depression are associated with persistent, severe low back pain and disability. Spine Journal. 2020;20(6):857-865. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2020.02.002
Kim H-J, Kwon OH, Chang B-S, Lee C-K, Chun H-J, Yeom JS. Change in pain catastrophizing in patients with lumbar spinal surgery. Spine Journal. 2018;18(1):115-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2017.06.028
Severeijns R, Vlaeyen JWS, van den Hout MA, Picavet HSJ. Pain catastrophizing and consequences of musculoskeletal pain: A prospective study in the Dutch community. Journal of Pain. 2005;6(2):125-132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2004.11.006
George SZ, Wallace MR, Wright TW, et al. Evidence for a biopsychosocial influence on shoulder pain: Pain catastrophizing and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) diplotype predict clinical pain ratings. Pain. 2008;136(1):53-61. Accepted June 15, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2007.06.019
Vangronsveld KLH, Peters M, Goossens M, Vlaeyen J. The influence of fear of movement and pain catastrophizing on daily pain and disability in individuals with acute whiplash injury: A daily diary study. Pain. 2008;139(2):449-457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2008.05.019
Scott EL, Kroenke K, Wu J, Yu Z. Beneficial effects of improvement in depression, pain catastrophizing, and anxiety on pain outcomes: A 12-month longitudinal analysis. Journal of Pain. 2016;17(2):215-222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2015.10.011
Velly AM, Look JO, Carlson C, et al. The effect of catastrophizing and depression on chronic pain — A prospective cohort study of temporomandibular muscle and joint pain disorders. Pain. 2011;152(10):2377-2383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2011.07.004
Kovacs FM, Seco J, Royuela A, Corcoll-Reixach J, Peña-Arrebola A. The prognostic value of catastrophizing for predicting the clinical evolution of low back pain patients: A study in routine clinical practice within the Spanish National Health Service. Spine Journal. 2012;12(7):545-555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2012.06.002
Flink IK, Boersma K, Linton SJ. Catastrophizing moderates the effect of exposure in vivo for back pain patients with pain-related fear. European Journal of Pain. 2010;14(8):887-892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpain.2010.02.003
Wertli MM, Eugster R, Held U, Steurer J, Kofmehl R, Weiser S. Catastrophizing — A prognostic factor for outcome in patients with low back pain: A systematic review. Spine Journal. 2014;14(11):2639-2657. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2014.03.003
Vowles KE, McCracken LM, Eccleston C. Processes of change in treatment for chronic pain: The contributions of pain, acceptance, and catastrophizing. European Journal of Pain. 2007;11(7):779-787. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpain.2006.12.007
Smeets RJEM, Vlaeyen JWS, Kester ADM, Knottnerus JA. Reduction of Pain Catastrophizing Mediates the Outcome of Both Physical and Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment in Chronic Low Back Pain. Journal of Pain. 2006;7(4):261-271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2005.10.011
Severeijns R, van den Hout MA, Vlaeyen JWS, Picavet HSJ. Pain catastrophizing and general health status in a large Dutch community sample. Pain. 2002;99(1):367-376. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0304-3959(02)00219-1
Turner JA, Mancl L, Aaron LA. Pain-related catastrophizing: A daily process study. Pain. 2004;110(1):103-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2004.03.014
Sturgeon JA, Zautra AJ, Arewasikporn A. A multilevel structural equation modeling analysis of vulnerabilities and resilience resources influencing affective adaptation to chronic pain. Pain. 2014;155(2):292-298. Accepted October 07, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2013.10.007
Weijenborg PTM, ter Kuile MM, Gopie JP, Spinhoven P. Predictors of outcome in a cohort of women with chronic pelvic pain — A follow-up study. European Journal of Pain. 2009;13(7):769-775. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpain.2008.09.002
Sarmanova A, Fernandes GS, Richardson H, et al. Contribution of central and peripheral risk factors to prevalence, incidence and progression of knee pain: A community-based cohort study. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. 2018;26(11):1461-1473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2018.07.013
Dumenci L, Perera RA, Keefe FJ, et al. Model-based pain and function outcome trajectory types for patients undergoing knee arthroplasty: A secondary analysis from a randomized clinical trial. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. 2019;27(6):878-884. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2019.01.004
Dave AJ, Selzer F, Losina E, et al. The association of pre-operative body pain diagram scores with pain outcomes following total knee arthroplasty. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. 2017;25(5):667-675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2016.12.013
Day MA, Ward LC, Thorn BE, et al. Mechanisms of Mindfulness Meditation, Cognitive Therapy, and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain. Clin J Pain. 2020;36(10):740-749. https://doi.org/10.1097/AJP.0000000000000862
Theunissen M, Peters ML, Bruce J, Gramke HF, Marcus MA. Preoperative anxiety and catastrophizing: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association with chronic postsurgical pain. Clin J Pain. 2012;28(9):819-841. https://doi.org/10.1097/AJP.0b013e31824549d6
Arewasikporn A, Turner AP, Alschuler KN, Hughes AJ, Ehde DM. Cognitive and affective mechanisms of pain and fatigue in multiple sclerosis. Health Psychol. 2018;37(6):544-552. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000611
Morlion B, Kempke S, Luyten P, Coppens E, van Wambeke P. Multidisciplinary pain education program (MPEP) for chronic pain patients: preliminary evidence for effectiveness and mechanisms of change. Curr Med Res Opin. 2011;27(8):1595-1601. https://doi.org/10.1185/03007995.2011.595779
Kemani MK, Hesser H, Olsson GL, Lekander M, Wicksell RK. Processes of change in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Applied Relaxation for long-standing pain. Eur J Pain. 2016;20(4):521-531. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.754
Haythornthwaite JA, Clark MR, Pappagallo M, Raja SN. Pain coping strategies play a role in the persistence of pain in post-herpetic neuralgia. Pain. 2003;106(3):453-460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2003.09.009
Hall AM, Kamper SJ, Emsley R, Maher CG. Does pain-catastrophising mediate the effect of tai chi on treatment outcomes for people with low back pain? Complement Ther Med. 2016;25:61-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2015.12.013
Campbell CM, McCauley L, Bounds SC, et al. Changes in pain catastrophizing predict later changes in fibromyalgia clinical and experimental pain report: cross-lagged panel analyses of dispositional and situational catastrophizing. Arthritis Res Ther. 2012;14(5):R231. https://doi.org/10.1186/ar4073
Oerlemans S, van Cranenburgh O, Herremans PJ, Spreeuwenberg P, van Dulmen S. Intervening on cognitions and behavior in irritable bowel syndrome: A feasibility trial using PDAs. J Psychosom Res. 2011;70(3):267-277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2010.09.018
Thompson DP, Woby SR. The processes underpinning reductions in disability among people with chronic neck pain. A preliminary comparison between two distinct types of physiotherapy intervention. Disabil Rehabil. 2018;40(7):779-783. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2016.1276638
Vlaeyen JWS, de Jong J, Geilen M, Heuts PHTG, van Breukelen G. The treatment of fear of movement/(re)injury in chronic low back pain: further evidence on the effectiveness of exposure in vivo. Clin J Pain. 2002;18(4):251-261. https://doi.org/10.1097/00002508-200207000-00006
Moloney NA, Pocovi NC, Dylke ES, Graham PL, de Groef A. Psychological Factors Are Associated with Pain at All Time Frames After Breast Cancer Surgery: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses. Pain Med. 2021;22(4):915-947. https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnaa363
Miller-Matero LR, Hecht LM, Miller MK, et al. A Brief Psychological Intervention for Chronic Pain in Primary Care: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Pain Med. 2021;22(7):1603-1611. https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnaa444
Turner JA, Mancl L, Aaron LA. Brief cognitive-behavioral therapy for temporomandibular disorder pain: effects on daily electronic outcome and process measures. Pain. 2005;117(3):377-387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2005.06.025
Ziadni MS, Gonzalez-Castro L, Anderson S, Krishnamurthy P, Darnall BD. Efficacy of a Single-Session «Empowered Relief» Zoom-Delivered Group Intervention for Chronic Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial Conducted During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Med Internet Res. 2021;23(9):e29672. https://doi.org/10.2196/29672
Lewis GN, Rice DA, McNair PJ, Kluger M. Predictors of persistent pain after total knee arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Anaesth. 2015;114(4):551-561. https://doi.org/10.1093/bja/aeu441
Martinez-Calderon J, Meeus M, Struyf F, Miguel Morales-Asencio J, Gijon-Nogueron G, Luque-Suarez A. The role of psychological factors in the perpetuation of pain intensity and disability in people with chronic shoulder pain: A systematic review. BMJ Open. 2018;8(4):e020703. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020703
Giusti EM, Lacerenza M, Manzoni GM, Castelnuovo G. Psychological and psychosocial predictors of chronic postsurgical pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain. 2021;162(1):10-30. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001999
Burns LC, Ritvo SE, Ferguson MK, Clarke H, Seltzer Z, Katz J. Pain catastrophizing as a risk factor for chronic pain after total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review. J Pain Res. 2015;8:21-32. https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S64730
Luque-Suarez A, Falla D, Morales-Asencio JM, Martinez-Calderon J. Is kinesiophobia and pain catastrophising at baseline associated with chronic pain and disability in whiplash-associated disorders? A systematic review. Br J Sports Med. 2020;54(15):892-897. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099569
Ladds E, Redgrave N, Hotton M, Lamyman M. Systematic review: Predicting adverse psychological outcomes after hand trauma. J Hand Ther. 2017;30(4):407-419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jht.2016.11.006
Radchikova NP, Adashinskaya GA, Sanoyan TR, Shupta AA. Russian Adaptation of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. Clinical and Special Psychology. 2020;9(4):169-187. https://doi.org/10.17759/cpse.2020090409