Open AccessComparison of Pain, Pain Burden, Coping Strategies, and Attitudes Between Patients with Systemic Sclerosis and Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Author(s) -
Perrot Serge,
Dieudé Philippe,
Pérocheau Dominique,
Allanore Yannick
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
pain medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.893
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1526-4637
pISSN - 1526-2375
DOI - 10.1111/pme.12213
Subject(s) - medicine , rheumatoid arthritis , pain catastrophizing , physical therapy , cohort , quality of life (healthcare) , coping (psychology) , neuropathic pain , disease , fibromyalgia , chronic pain , cross sectional study , anesthesia , psychiatry , pathology , nursing
Objectives To analyze pain in systemic sclerosis ( SS c), especially its impact and coping strategies, compared with the reference painful inflammatory rheumatological condition, rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ). Methods We carried out a cohort study of consecutive inpatients with SS c and RA visiting three university hospitals. We analyzed pain, pain‐related interference with daily life, pain catastrophizing, and attitudes, together with quality of life ( Q o L ). Results In total, 173 patients were included and 153 were analyzed: 82 SS c and 71 RA patients. Pain frequency did not differ between the two groups (60.8% and 73.1%, respectively), but pain dimension scores in SS c patients were not correlated with disease activity and were significantly lower than those in RA patients. A neuropathic component was associated with higher pain scores in both conditions. Pain was more frequent and more intense in patients with diffuse cutaneous SS c than in patients with limited SS c, but its impact was similar. Pain and its functional consequences interfered less with daily life in SS c than in RA , consistent with the lower expectations concerning the benefits of drug treatment in SS c. However, pain catastrophizing played an important role in both groups. Conclusion Pain intensity and dimension scores are lower in SS c patients, particularly those with limited disease, than in RA patients and are not correlated with disease activity. In both conditions, a neuropathic component is associated with higher pain scores and pain catastrophizing is frequent.