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S. Bareiss1, E. Ulanowski1, M. Danzl1
1Bellarmine University, Physical Therapy, Louisville, United States
Background: Pain is a common and persistent experience for individuals with neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson disease (PD). Although pain significantly impacts quality of life and participation in life roles, pain in this population is often overlooked by clinicians.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess types of pain and knowledge of pain in individuals with PD.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted. Fifteen subjects (10 male, 5 female; age range 55-81 years) with PD were recruited from a local physical therapy clinic and community-based PD dance program. Subjects completed the King's Parkinson's disease Pain Scale (KPPS) to assess the types, severity, and frequency of pain and the Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (RNPQ) to assess knowledge of pain.
Results: The mean percentage of correctly answered questions for the RNPQ was 59.46% with a standard deviation of 14.65%. The KPPS showed that 14/15 subjects experienced one or more types of pain with the highest types of pain reported as fluctuation (30%), musculoskeletal (19%), nocturnal pain (20%) and chronic pain (12%). The mean percentage of correct answers on the RNPQ was 59.5% (+14.6).
Conclusion(s): The presence of pain in 14 out of 15 (93%) subjects supports the inclusion of pain assessments in physical therapy evaluations of individuals with PD. Results from the KPPS also indicate there are a variety of pain syndromes experienced, many of which are persistent and rated as moderate to severe in nature. Findings from the RNPQ suggest that knowledge scores in this cohort exceed those of average untrained individuals and are consistent with previous reports from patient’s with orthopedic associated pain (e.g., low back pain). The examination of the role of physical therapy to address various types of pain is needed.
Implications: These results support that pain in PD is prevalent and suggest pain assessment and intervention are requisite components of comprehensive care for this population. As an important member of the health care team, physical therapists are uniquely positioned to address the movement impairments as well as pain in this vulnerable population. Addressing the type of pain and its management may help improve the patient’s ability to participate in therapy, facilitate return to functional activities, and enhance overall quality of life.
Funding, acknowledgements: Funding was not procured for this work.
Keywords: Parkinson disease, pain
Topic: Pain & pain management
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: Bellarmine University
Committee: Institutional Review Board
Ethics number: 738
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
