Better grasp of ‘nerve pain’ in arthritis

Women who have arthritis commonly have ‘nerve pain’, related to degeneration of their nervous system, which is associated with greater disability and poorer quality of life.

That’s according to CQ University researcher Professor Lynne Parkinson, who says that women with arthritis who have this ‘nerve pain’ or ‘neuropathic-like pain’ have significantly more severe pain, a heightened pain experience, and more fatigue.

“Factors significantly associated with neuropathic-like pain include abnormal sensory changes, a higher tendency for ‘catastrophising’ of pain, and use of more medications,” she says.

Professor Parkinson is part of a team, led by Katie deLuca, a doctoral student, who have published a new research article in the ‘Pain Medicine’ journal on The Prevalence and Cross-Sectional Associations of Neuropathic-like Pain Among Older, Community Dwelling Women with Arthritis. Other research contributors are from the University of Newcastle, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Sydney.

The population-based cross-sectional survey recruited a cohort of participants from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health.

Professor Parkinson says the pain of osteoarthritis is a complex reaction of peripheral tissue damage, inflammation and altered responses in both the peripheral and central nervous system.

“This ’nerve pain’ in arthritis is common, with nearly one third of women being screened as having likely or possible neuropathic pain,” she says.

(Source: CQ University)