Open AccessPerceived Injustice Helps Explain the Association Between Chronic Pain Stigma and Movement-Evoked Pain in Adults with Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain
Author(s) -
Terence Penn,
Demario S Overstreet,
Edwin N. Aroke,
Deanna Rumble,
Andrew M. Sims,
Caroline V Kehrer,
Ava N Michl,
Fariha N Hasan,
Tammie Quinn,
D. Leann Long,
Zina Trost,
Matthew C. Morris,
Burel R. Goodin
Publication year - 2020
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 - 10.1093/pm/pnaa095
Subject(s) - chronic pain , medicine , injustice , pain catastrophizing , physical therapy , psychology , social psychology
For most patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP), the cause is "nonspecific," meaning there is no clear association between pain and identifiable pathology of the spine or associated tissues. Laypersons and providers alike are less inclined to help, feel less sympathy, dislike patients more, suspect deception, and attribute lower pain severity to patients whose pain does not have an objective basis in tissue pathology. Because of these stigmatizing responses from others, patients with cLBP may feel that their pain is particularly unjust and unfair. These pain-related injustice perceptions may subsequently contribute to greater cLBP severity. The purpose of this study was to examine whether perceived injustice helps explain the relationship between chronic pain stigma and movement-evoked pain severity among individuals with cLBP.