The Impact of Pain Management on Quality of Life

Abstract

Although its inclusion in medical research is relatively recent and its interpretation is often variable, quality of life is increasingly being recognized as one of the most important parameters to be measured in the evaluation of medical therapies, including those for pain management. Pain, when it is not effectively treated and relieved, has a detrimental effect on all aspects of quality of life. This negative impact has been found to span every age and every type and source of pain in which it has been studied. Effective analgesic therapy has been shown to improve quality of life by relieving pain. Opioid analgesics, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors (or coxibs), and several adjuvant analgesics for neuropathic pain have been demonstrated to significantly improve quality-of-life scores in patients with pain. Coxibs provide effective, well-tolerated analgesia without some of the issues faced with opioids-benefits that should translate into improved quality of life. Recent studies have demonstrated that the COX-2 inhibitor rofecoxib significantly improves quality of life in patients with osteoarthritis and chronic, lower back pain. Quality-of-life measurements, especially symptom distress scales, can also be used as sensitive means of differentiating one agent from another in the same class. In future pharmacotherapeutic research, quality of life should be included as an outcome domain as are the traditionally measured variables of efficacy and safety. In particular, future studies of coxibs should include symptom distress scores as important quality-of-life measurements, to identify meaningful differences between this new class of analgesics and nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Depressive symptoms and healthcare utilization in patients with noncardiac chest pain compared to patients with ischemic heart disease

“…One explanation could be that having recurrent and inadequately treated chest pain for a long time, without knowing the cause could lead to worries and depressive symptoms in NCCP and AP patients. 45,47 Regarding depressive symptoms in AMI patients, also previous research have reported high levels of depression the year after an AMI. 48,49 Study participants had a high number of contacts with health-care providers during the two year period, which also Leise and colleagues reported.…”

Care Management for Persistent Pain: An Introduction

“…The total societal costs related to pain have been estimated to exceed $80 billion per annum, and each year an estimated 4 billion workdays are lost. 1,22 These costs are shouldered predominantly by employers. Workers in pain not only take sick days but also are less likely to perform efficiently even when they are at work.…”

The Association between Vitamin D Level and Chronic Pain and Depression in Premenopausal Women

“…No underlying pathology is encountered in the majority of pains originating from disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and pains from the musculoskeletal system that are not based on a specific or underlying mechanical reason are called non-specific pains of the musculoskeletal system (1)(2)(3)(4). Chronic non-specific musculoskeletal system pain and depression are serious public health problems, because the changes by chronic non-specific musculoskeletal system pain and depression affect not only the patient but also his/her family, employer, and related healthcare professionals.…”