Study shows pain commonly lasts for a year post-trauma

  A recent study published in the Archives of Surgery showed that significant pain commonly remains more than one year after trauma.

     Dr. Frederick Rivara of the University of Washington, Seattle, published an article in the Archives of Surgery that demonstrated that trauma pain is rarely gone within one year and often remains severe many months post-surgical repair.  The study involved 3047 patients aged 18-84.  Sixty-three percent reported pain more than one year after suffering trauma, and frequently reported significant pain in a new location, suggesting that periods of sedentary life, impaired mobility, or rehabilitation may cause aggravation of other areas of the body.

     The patients rated their pain at 5.5, average, on a 10 point scale.  Forty-four percent reported joint or limb pain, suggestive of arthritic problems in joint areas. 12 percent reported long-lasting head pain, while 7 percent reported chronic neck pain.  Dr. Rivara noted that chronic pain patients are at high risk for suffering depression.