Pain Common in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis
A substantial majority of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) report some degree of pain as well as interference by pain in their lives, according to a multicenter study recently published in Lancet Rheumatology.
“Pain is an important and detrimental feature of systemic sclerosis but is often overlooked or deprioritized in research and clinical care,” researchers wrote in the study background. “Raynaud’s phenomenon, arthritis, and cutaneous ulcers are among the commonly reported disease manifestations of systemic sclerosis that could be associated with pain.”
The multicenter cross-sectional study assessed pain intensity and interference, and factors associated with pain, in 2157 participants from the Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network cohort. Participants were patients from 46 centers in Australia, Canada, France, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Overall, 87% of patients reported mild, moderate, or severe pain, according to the study, and 38% reported moderate or severe pain. Pain interference, meanwhile, was moderate or severe in 35% of participants.
Factors independently associated with greater pain intensity included female sex, non-White race or ethnicity, fewer years in formal education, country of residence, greater body mass index, joint contractures, digital ulcers, gastrointestinal involvement, skin involvement, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjögren's syndrome.
Factors linked with pain interference results were similar, the study found.
“Health care providers should work with patients to address pain,” researchers advised, “including identifying and addressing systemic sclerosis manifestations associated with their pain, and supporting behavioral approaches to minimize impact on function and quality of life.”
—Jolynn Tumolo
Reference:
Lee YC, Fox RS, Kwakkenbos L, et al. Pain levels and associated factors in the Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN) cohort: a multicentre cross-sectional study. Lancet Rheumatology. 2021;3(12):E844-E854.
