Non-pharmacological pain-relieving therapies in individuals with spinal cord injury: a patient perspective.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the non-pharmacological treatments used and preferred by patients with spinal cord injury and pain.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive study.

INTERVENTIONS: One hundred and twenty three patients with spinal cord injury, matched for gender, age, level of lesion and completeness of injury were assessed in 1999 at the Spinalis SCI unit, Stockholm, Sweden and followed-up in a mailed survey 3 years later. In total, 82.1% of the questionnaires (n=101) were returned. Ninety of these patients still suffered pain and were thus included in the study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pain questionnaires, visual analogue scale (VAS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Life Satisfaction instrument.

RESULTS: 63.3% of the patients had tried non-pharmacological treatments, where acupuncture, massage and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) were the most commonly tried. Predictive for having tried non-pharmacological treatment were high ratings of pain intensity, presence of aching pain, and cutting/stabbing pain.

CONCLUSION: Massage, and heat were the non-pharmacological treatments reported to result in the best pain alleviation. Results from our study suggest that we need to (re)evaluate the treatments offered to patients with spinal cord injury and pain and combine non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatments.