Managing pain is crucial for adults with cerebral palsy, but it’s often not well understood. A study led by Dr. Mark Peterson at the University of Michigan Health looked into this issue.
The study found that an overwhelming 90% of adults with cerebral palsy have experienced pain, and 74% have multiple types of pain.
These pains come from various sources like lower back issues, irritable bowels, arthritis in the joints, and chronic headaches.
The research aimed to understand different types of pain in adults with cerebral palsy.
The types of pain studied included nociceptive pain (pain from physical damage), nociplastic pain (pain without clear physical damage), neuropathic pain (pain from nerve damage), and mixed pain.
The results showed that 86.3% of adults with cerebral palsy experience nociceptive pain, 45.8% experience nociplastic pain, and 16.9% experience neuropathic pain.
Data for the study came from a random sample of adults over 18 with a cerebral palsy diagnosis, taken from Medicare records between 2008 and 2020. Dr. Peterson mentioned that the high levels of pain found in the study were expected since many patients report these issues.
However, this research shows a higher pain prevalence than previous studies, suggesting it might better represent the real pain experiences of adults with cerebral palsy.
Dr. Peterson and his team hope their study highlights the importance of addressing chronic pain in adults with cerebral palsy. Many of these adults are prescribed opioid medications for pain relief.
Dr. Peterson pointed out that relying on opioids is not a long-term solution and can lead to many complications. He stressed the need for a deeper understanding of the pain experienced by these adults to develop better treatment methods.
Dr. Edward Hurvitz, a co-author of the study, emphasized that pain is the most common complaint among adults with cerebral palsy at their clinic. He noted that accurately identifying the type and source of pain is essential for effective treatment.
In summary, chronic pain is a significant issue for adults with cerebral palsy, affecting almost everyone in this group. The study’s findings show that different types of pain are common, and there’s a need for better pain management strategies beyond opioid prescriptions.
The research underscores the importance of understanding and treating pain in this population to improve their quality of life.
If you care about pain, please read studies about how to manage gout with a low-purine diet, and a guide to eating right for arthritis.
For more health information, please see recent studies about the link between processed foods and chronic diseases, and avoid these 8 foods to ease arthritis pain.
The research findings can be found in Jama Neurology.
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