Pain and neuromuscular disease: the results of a survey

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Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2006 Sep;85(9):756-66.

Pain and neuromuscular disease: the results of a survey.

Tiffreau V, Viet G, Thevenon A.

From service de Medecine Physique et de Readaptation, CHRU de Lille

cedex, France.

OBJECTIVE:: The objective of this study was to evaluate pain

frequency, severity, location, treatment, and relief in a population

of adult patients with neuromuscular disorders (NMD).

DESIGN:: The authors used a self-completion mail questionnaire from

the Physical Medicine Clinic at the Lille University Medical Center

(northern France). Two hundred eighty-one adults with a confirmed

diagnosis of hereditary neuromuscular disease were mailed a

questionnaire, which was returned by 125 subjects (response rate =

45%). The main outcome measures were mean motor deficiency scores (on

the and Vignos scales), anxiety and depression scores, pain

intensity (on a 0-10 numeric scale) and location, frequency of pain-

aggravating situations, and pain treatment and relief.

RESULTS:: Seventy-three percent of respondents reported pain and 62%

reported chronic pain (defined as pain for at least 3 mos). The mean

pain intensity was 6.1/10 with 40% reporting severe pain (a score of

>/=7). Forty-six percent and 16% of subjects had a high risk for

anxiety and depression, respectively. The most common pain-

aggravating situations were " walking, " " standing, " and " muscle

stretching. " Walking was more frequently cited as a pain-aggravating

situation by the chronic pain population than by the acute pain

population. Seventy percent of patients with pain had received at

least one analgesic drug. Massage was the most frequently prescribed

physical treatment.

CONCLUSIONS:: Pain is a frequent symptom in adult patients with NMD

and needs to be better characterized in this population. The use of

painkillers and physical pain treatments did not seem to provide

adequate relief for the patients studied here.