The Effect of Pain Catastrophizing on Acupuncture Treatment for Chronic Pain in Cancer Survivors.
Hyowoun Jyung, Lingyun Sun, Qing Li et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled trial investigated the influence of pain catastrophizing (PC) on acupuncture outcomes in 266 cancer survivors with chronic pain. Results indicated that patients with high baseline PC experienced greater reductions in pain severity (-3.9 vs. -2.1, P = 0.006) and pain interference (-3.8 vs. -2.6, P = 0.04) with electroacupuncture compared to those with low PC. Pain outcomes were not significantly affected in the battlefield acupuncture group.
Key findings
- High PC patients receiving electroacupuncture had a pain severity reduction of -3.9 compared to -2.1 in low PC patients (P = 0.006).
- Pain interference was reduced by -3.8 in high PC patients versus -2.6 in low PC patients receiving electroacupuncture (P = 0.04).
- 83.3% of high PC patients in the electroacupuncture group were responders compared to 43.5% in the battlefield acupuncture group (P = 0.009).
- No significant difference in responder rates was found between low PC patients in both acupuncture groups (66.1% vs. 64.5%, P = 0.8).
Why it matters
Understanding the role of pain catastrophizing in treatment outcomes can help clinicians tailor nonpharmacological interventions like acupuncture for cancer survivors, potentially improving pain management strategies.