Another "nutcase" publication

[Violet M]

Comments please. Here's mine........why are we spending money on these types of studies?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21542529

J Reprod Med. 2011 Mar-Apr;56(3-4):123-9.
Patient beliefs about pain diagnosis in chronic pelvic pain: relation to pain experience, mood and disability.
Roth RS, Punch MR, Bachman JE.
Source
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA. randyr@umich.edu
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To examine the contribution of pain beliefs (fear regarding pain diagnosis) in understanding pain experience, mood, affective distress, marital interactions surrounding pain, and functional disability among women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP).

STUDY DESIGN:
One hundred forty-nine consecutive females with CPP presenting to a university hospital Chronic Pain Clinic completed self-report inventories assessing demographic status, pain-related morbidity, depressive symptoms and global affective distress. Pain beliefs were assessed by subject response to the question "Do you think your pain is due to something more serious or different from what doctors have told you?" and subjects were categorized into "Yes More Serious" (n = 77) and "Not More Serious" (n = 72) groups.

RESULTS:
Subjects who believed they had "something more serious" as a cause for their pain reported more severe pain intensity (p < 0.05) and pain experience (p < 0.05), greater suffering due to pain (p = 0.01), a less attentive spouse/family member when in pain (p < 0.05), more severe pain disability (p < 0.05), and greater affective distress (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION:
These findings provide further evidence for the psychological distress and functional disability that may result when CPP patients possess concerns,fears and possible misattributions regarding the cause of their pelvic pain.

PMID: 21542529 [PubMed - in process]

[nyt]

Problem 1: This study didn't correlate this statement "Do you think your pain is due to something more serious or different from what doctors have told you?" with whether that was really true because (see number 2).

Problem 2: They make the assumption that the dr.'s diagnosis is correct, MAJOR error on the study design.

Problem 3: They discount individuals with pain and try to make the problem out to be the patient and not the dr (see Problem 2).

I'm sure if they did a study on the members of this forum that went for months or years with the wrong diagnosis we would disprove this study. I know many of us figured out our own diagnosis.

[helenlegs 11]

Hmm, nyt I wonder just how many of us HAD to self diagnose ? ? and then search to find someone who couild diagnose and therefore help. I know I would have got NO WHERE without the internet and forums with friends like HOPE.
Thanks everyone,
Helen

[Lernica]

Well said, Helen!

[Karyn]

Comments please. Here's mine........why are we spending money on these types of studies?

That's my comment, too. I also agree with nyt, Helen & Lernica. If someone is going to do studies on CPP, WHY can't they do them on the CAUSES???

[ezer]

This is by far the most inane study I have read on the subject of pelvic pain.

[Griff522]

I agree wholeheartedly. This is the same university hospital system that the Vulvar Pain Clinic that I went to was in. All they wanted to do was give me drugs for pain. I guess that's what pain clinics do, but when I told them I didn't want to try any more drugs, and I wanted to figure out what was causing the pain, their response was "oh we don't know what causes the pain -- we just help you manage the pain.". No referral, no advice -- just here's some drugs and I hope you feel better. See ya in 6 months. What a crock!