The following is a summary of “Associations of long-term clinical recovery and improved quality of life across ICD-11 chronic pain categories in a real-world registry study,” published in the February 2024 issue of Pain by Farnes et al.

Factors contributing to successful chronic pain management remain elusive, necessitating further exploration.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to determine psychosocial and treatment factors predicting clinical recovery and enhanced quality of life (QOL) after 12 months among three chronic pain categories defined by International Classification of Diseases-11 (ICD-11): neuropathic pain, secondary non-neuropathic pain, and primary pain, while also examining baseline distinctions among these diagnostic groups.

They utilized baseline and 12-month follow-up data from 1,056 chronic pain patients enrolled in the Oslo University Hospital’s Pain Registry. Longitudinal associations between psychosocial and treatment variables and outcome measures of clinical recovery and enhanced QOL were explored through logistic regression models. Comparisons of characteristics were conducted among the diagnostic groups.

The results showed that patients receiving invasive treatment had significantly higher odds of experiencing clinical recovery (OR = 8.04, 95% CI = 3.50–19.40) and improved quality of life (OR = 5.47, 95% CI = 2.42–12.86). Secondary non-neuropathic pain patients with pain-related disability exhibited significantly decreased odds of clinical recovery (OR = 0.05, 95% CI = 0.01–0.29). In terms of baseline characteristics, neuropathic pain patients demonstrated lower QOL and more severe insomnia compared to other groups.

Investigators concluded that invasive treatments promote recovery and QOL in chronic pain; longitudinal RCTs are needed to confirm efficacy, assess risks, and identify predictors across pain diagnoses.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ejp.2250