Pain, its diagnosis and treatment in a rehabilitation setting: A national survey

Abstract

We are presenting the results of the DO-RIA survey (DOlore in RIAbilitazione or Pain in Rehabilitation) a web-based questionnaire. Its aim was to acquire objective truthful insights into the dimension of pain its diagnosis, treatment and impact in a rehabilitation setting. The questionnaire was e-mailed to the physicians belonging to the Italian Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (SIMFER). The questionnaire was constructed to respond to five major answers related to a) the dimension of the problem (number and characteristics of patients and type of pain (acute, chronic, neuropathic, nociceptive/inflammatory); b) the burden of pain on disability; c) how pain is assessed (i.e. the use of questionnaires) and managed (i.e. the presence of a pain management programme in or outside a rehabilitation setting) and if there is adherence to guidelines; d) the prescribing habits for medications and physical therapies. Questions were also addressed to set respondents’ self-assessment of their ability to diagnose and treat pain, whether they consider the need of further training and, if so, what aspects would be most useful. Conclusion: In contrast with the high number of people undergoing rehabilitation who report any form of pain and pain-related disability, there is a lack of pain management program considering chronic pain as a disabling disease in itself and therefore deserving of specific skills and rehabilitative programs. This is stressed by the perceived need expressed by the responders to implement continuous medical education in order to make rehabilitation an essential element in the management of the disability related to chronic pain.

Keywords

• rehabilitation
• chronic pain
• disability
• pain related disability
• physiatry
• web based questionnaire