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A high tender point count is associated with the presence of multiple idiopathic pain disorders: results from a population study

A high tender point count is associated with the presence of multiple idiopathic pain disorders: results from a population study
A high tender point count is associated with the presence of multiple idiopathic pain disorders: results from a population study

Background/aims: to test whether mechanical hyperalgesia is associated with multiple idiopathic pain disorders (IPDs) and whether this relationship is independent of the confounding effects of psychosocial factors. 

Methods: one hundred eighteen subjects with chronic orofacial pain (COFP) were identified from their questionnaire responses to a population study in North West England. All subjects had a tender point examination according to the American College of Rheumatology classification. Validated tools on the questionnaire were used to identify presence of other IPDs (irritable bowel syndrome and chronic widespread pain) and psychosocial factors (anxiety, depression, health anxiety, sleep disturbance and reporting of somatic symptoms and adverse life events). 

Results: of the 118 subjects, 47.6% (n = 56) had COFP, 34.7% (n = 41) had COFP plus one IPD and 17.8% (n = 21) had all three IPDs. Univariate analysis revealed a dose-response relationship between number of tender points (TPs) and number of IPDs [2-6 TPs (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.0-7.3), ≥7 TPs (OR 10.5, 95% CI 3.8-29.3)] and number of IPDs and psychological distress [anxiety (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.2-6.4), depression (OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.7-10.6), sleep disturbance (OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.6-14.6)]. The relationship between IPDs and TPs persisted after adjusting for psychosocial factors in multivariate analyses [2-6 TPs (OR 2.5, 95% CI 0.8-7.8) ≥7 TPs (OR 10.7, 95% CI 3.4-33.7)]. 

Conclusion: the dose-response relationship between TPs and IPDs needs further investigation to determine the temporal nature of these relationships and to disentangle the complex gene-environment relationships that may influence the occurrence of multiple IPDs.

1090-3801
1195-1203
Aggarwal, V.R.
38b52a95-d9f0-439d-96f8-21a3aca279a4
MacFarlane, G. J.
e17bbdb7-9d82-42ac-8a0a-09bf10885e3c
McBeth, J.
98012716-66ba-480b-9e43-ac53b51dce61
Aggarwal, V.R.
38b52a95-d9f0-439d-96f8-21a3aca279a4
MacFarlane, G. J.
e17bbdb7-9d82-42ac-8a0a-09bf10885e3c
McBeth, J.
98012716-66ba-480b-9e43-ac53b51dce61

Aggarwal, V.R., MacFarlane, G. J. and McBeth, J. (2012) A high tender point count is associated with the presence of multiple idiopathic pain disorders: results from a population study. European Journal of Pain (United Kingdom), 16 (8), 1195-1203. (doi:10.1002/j.1532-2149.2012.00127.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background/aims: to test whether mechanical hyperalgesia is associated with multiple idiopathic pain disorders (IPDs) and whether this relationship is independent of the confounding effects of psychosocial factors. 

Methods: one hundred eighteen subjects with chronic orofacial pain (COFP) were identified from their questionnaire responses to a population study in North West England. All subjects had a tender point examination according to the American College of Rheumatology classification. Validated tools on the questionnaire were used to identify presence of other IPDs (irritable bowel syndrome and chronic widespread pain) and psychosocial factors (anxiety, depression, health anxiety, sleep disturbance and reporting of somatic symptoms and adverse life events). 

Results: of the 118 subjects, 47.6% (n = 56) had COFP, 34.7% (n = 41) had COFP plus one IPD and 17.8% (n = 21) had all three IPDs. Univariate analysis revealed a dose-response relationship between number of tender points (TPs) and number of IPDs [2-6 TPs (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.0-7.3), ≥7 TPs (OR 10.5, 95% CI 3.8-29.3)] and number of IPDs and psychological distress [anxiety (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.2-6.4), depression (OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.7-10.6), sleep disturbance (OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.6-14.6)]. The relationship between IPDs and TPs persisted after adjusting for psychosocial factors in multivariate analyses [2-6 TPs (OR 2.5, 95% CI 0.8-7.8) ≥7 TPs (OR 10.7, 95% CI 3.4-33.7)]. 

Conclusion: the dose-response relationship between TPs and IPDs needs further investigation to determine the temporal nature of these relationships and to disentangle the complex gene-environment relationships that may influence the occurrence of multiple IPDs.

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Published date: 6 March 2012

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 492266
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/492266
ISSN: 1090-3801
PURE UUID: 1de621a2-c266-4843-a62b-94b2f4d6e678
ORCID for J. McBeth: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-7047-2183

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Date deposited: 23 Jul 2024 16:40
Last modified: 24 Jul 2024 02:11

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Contributors

Author: V.R. Aggarwal
Author: G. J. MacFarlane
Author: J. McBeth ORCID iD

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