By For the many people who are suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), many of them end up also experiencing chronic pain. Researchers set out to see if there are any subgroups that can be formed among those who experience both of these conditions. The results may be helpful to those who help patients with their chronic pain management, as well as those who work with IBD patients.
The study was published in the February 2019 issue of the Clinical Journal of Pain. The researchers report that 70 percent of people who have IBD are affected by pain, with the most common types of pain reported being abdominal and musculoskeletal. Wanting to identify subgroups among those with both chronic pain and IBD, they included 305 people in their study, which consisted of a cross-sectional online survey.
What is its Goal?
The goal was to see if they could identify any subgroups of musculoskeletal pain in those who have IBD. This was based on clinical features of pain, and they would assess the groups by comorbidity, IBD characteristics, and demographics. Subgroups that were identified include pain, IBD, and symptoms that are related to central sensitization. They then analyzed the information, finding that 208 of the study participants reported having musculoskeletal pain.
The researchers found that there are multiple mechanisms that contribute to the pain that those with IBD experience. They also found that age and gender were confounders for both anxiety and depression. They also report that features that are related to IBD sub-type, clinic IBD features, demographics, and extra-intestinal manifestations were not sub-grouped predictors.
According to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, IBD affects around 1.6 million people in the country (2). IBD includes both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which are inflammatory conditions of the intestines. The diseases cause chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Common IBD symptoms include abdominal pain, joint pain, diarrhea, and fatigue.
Sources:
- Clinical Journal of Pain. Musculoskeletal pain in Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Reflects Three Distinct Profiles. February 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30829736
- Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Facts about Inflammatory Bowel Disease. https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/resources/facts-about-inflammatory.html
