Correlation between neuropathic pain and quality of life

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Neuropathic pain is a complex, painful condition, difficult to diagnose and treat with a negative impact on patients' health and quality of life. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between pain and quality of life, identifying the limiting aspects in the daily life of these individuals, so that patient education is recommended in the management of this condition. METHODS: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in a Pain Clinic with 61 patients diagnosed with neuropathic pain. The tools used to assess the quality of life were a semi-structured interview, the Douleur Neuropathique 4 Questions questionnaire, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF. RESULTS: Of the patients, 57.3% were women, average age 50.6±13.12 years. As for the educational level, 59% attended elementary school, and 61% were married. In 39%, diseases were the main causes of pain and physical problems as the main changes after pain (57%). The majority of patients had a positive attitude towards neuropathic pain (68%). The physical domain was the most impaired in quality of life. All the domains of the quality of life assessment instrument had Cronbach's alpha coefficients (<0.700) with average adherence, especially the general domain, with Cronbach's alpha negative (-0.055). CONCLUSION: Knowing the aspects of the impact of pain on patients' quality of life comes to be a useful scientific resource in the clinical practice and encourages a model of educational intervention where the client is the main subject in managing their painful condition.

Quality of life of people seeking for acupuncture treatment

“…Physical domain presented significantly lower values than all other domains, which is in line with the data presented in China [36,37] and Brazil [38], which presented 58% and 60%, respectively, of the total acupuncture patients analyzed with musculoskeletal complaints, which reflects on a lower physical domain quality of life, as also verified in other studies [39][40][41] Acupuncture, as part of Chinese Medicine, has thousands of years of practice, however scientific studies are much more recent, starting in the 18th century with some simple studies, growing into seeking to evaluate the real effectiveness of acupuncture and its physiological and underlying biological factors [42].…”

Coping strategies in patients with neuropathic pain

“…It commonly responds well to symptomatic treatment with analgesics or non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). CNP is caused by an injury or disease of the somatosensory system and affects 7 to 10% of the population 3 . In the treatment of CNP, the challenge happens when the therapies do not have the expected effect, and there is psychological distress caused by the dissatisfaction of the therapeutic plan, leading the individual to look for pharmacological strategies that generate greater financial expense, which may lead to future hospitalization 3 .…”

A Multicriteria Decision Analysis Comparing Pharmacotherapy for Chronic Neuropathic Pain, Including Cannabinoids and Cannabis-Based Medical Products

“…40 Simple pain scores, although providing important information, do not capture the patient's total pain experience, which includes the effect on quality of life. 41 In our study, the improvement in quality of life was considered a major therapeutic target by the two patient representatives a view supported by the expert clinicians within the group and by the research of Almeida et al 42 This complex multimodal analgesia exerted by THC is compatible with the ubiquitous distribution of CB 1 receptors in the CNS and the fact that cannabinoids act as complex neuromodulators. It has also been shown that the analgesic effects of THC may be more attributable to its effects on higher cognitive emotional brain mechanisms than its effects on somatosensory processing (antinociception).…”

“… 40 Simple pain scores, although providing important information, do not capture the patient's total pain experience, which includes the effect on quality of life. 41 In our study, the improvement in quality of life was considered a major therapeutic target by the two patient representatives a view supported by the expert clinicians within the group and by the research of Almeida et al 42 …”