When thinking about pain contributes to suffering: the example of pain catastrophizing

[rael science]

---

The Raelian Movement

for those who are not afraid of the future : http://www.rael.org

---

Get Rael-Science on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/raelscience
Get Rael-Science on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rael_science

---

Source : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39560417/

 

 

 

 

Published on 2024

When thinking about pain contributes to suffering: the example of pain catastrophizing

Jennifer A Haythornthwaite  ¹ , Claudia M Campbell  ¹ , Robert R Edwards  ²

Affiliations

• PMID: 39560417
• PMCID: PMC11581624
• DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003372

Abstract

The extensive literature on the potent role negative thoughts about pain have on the experience of pain and pain-related suffering has documented associations with important neurobiological processes involved in amplifying nociceptive signals. We focus this review on pain catastrophizing (pCAT)- appraisals of pain as threatening, overwhelming, and unmanageable- and review the evidence that these thoughts are learned in childhood through experience and observation of others, particularly caretakers and parents. For children who have learned pCAT, repeated exposures to pain over time activate pCAT and likely contribute to further amplification of pain through changes in the neurobiological pain regulatory systems, which overlap with those regulating the stress response. We propose that repeated pain and stress exposures throughout childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood alter the neurobiology of pain via a repetitive positive feedback loop that increases risk for heightened pain sensitivity over time with repeated exposures. At some point, often precipitated by an acute episode of pain and possibly influenced by allostatic load, pCAT contributes to persistence of episodic or acute pain and exacerbates pain-related suffering. This developmental trajectory is not inevitable, as the impact of pCAT on pain and pain-related suffering can be influenced by various factors. We also present future directions for work in this area.

References

1. 1. Amtmann D, Bamer AM, Liljenquist KS, Cowan P, Salem R, Turk DC, Jensen MP. The Concerns About Pain (CAP) Scale: A Patient-Reported Outcome Measure of Pain Catastrophizing. J of Pain 2020;21(11–12):1198–1211. - PubMed
   1. Bacardit Pinto P, Ickmans K, Rheel E, Iwens M, Meeus M, Nijs J, Pas R. Do Parental Pain Knowledge, Catastrophizing, and Hypervigilance Improve Following Pain Neuroscience Education in Healthy Children? Children 2021;8(5). - PMC - PubMed
   1. Boerner KE, Chambers CT, McGrath PJ, LoLordo V, Uher R. The Effect of Parental Modeling on Child Pain Responses: The Role of Parent and Child Sex. J of Pain 2017;18(6):702–715. - PubMed
   1. Boerner KE, Noel M, Birnie KA, Caes L, Petter M, Chambers CT. Impact of Threat Level, Task Instruction, and Individual Characteristics on Cold Pressor Pain and Fear among Children and Their Parents. Pain Pract 2016;16(6):657–668. - PubMed
   1. Boselie J, Peters ML. Shifting the perspective: how positive thinking can help diminish the negative effects of pain. Scan J of Pain 2023;23(3):452–463. - PubMed