PTSD

Patients with accident or trauma related chronic pain often have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. What isn’t clearly known, however, is how PTSD relates to mood disorders and pain severity in chronic pain patients.

University of Michigan researchers examined the contribution of PTSD to the pain experience, functional disability and frequency of depressive symptoms. They studied 241 patients referred to the university hospital’s pain rehabilitation program who reported their pain began after a traumatic injury. The subjects completed the McGill Pain Questionnaire and were administered the Pain Disability Index and the Post-traumatic Chronic Pain Test. [continue reading…]

Research urgently needed to determine which therapies work 

Many people, including significant proportions of active duty military personnel and veterans, suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), often in conjunction with other injuries or illnesses.  While several drugs and psychotherapies are used to treat PTSD, many of the studies concerning their effectiveness have problems; as a result, they do not provide a clear picture of what works and what doesn’t, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.  [continue reading…]