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The following is a summary of “Concurrent and lagged associations among pain medication use, pain, and negative affect: a daily diary study of people with chronic low back pain,” published in the July 2024 issue of Pain by Burns et al.

Individuals with chronic pain frequently use analgesic substances to manage both pain and emotional distress, though such usage can come with potential side effects, even when not involving opioids.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating how pain and emotional distress influence analgesic medication use and exploring the applicability of a negative reinforcement model, with an additional focus on sex differences.

They involved 105 participants with chronic low back pain who were asked to complete electronic diary entries 5 times daily over 14 days. The study employed lagged and cross-lagged analyses to examine the relationships between initial pain and negative affect (NA) and subsequent analgesic medication use and vice versa. Differences between sexes were also analyzed.

The result showed that participants reported taking analgesic medication in 41.3% of the 3-hour reporting intervals, averaging 29 times over the 14 days. An increase in pain and negative affect (NA) at 1 time point predicted higher medication use at the subsequent time point. Increased medication use at the 1-time point was associated with reductions in pain and NA at the following time point. Additionally, the strongest associations between pain/NA and medication use were found among women.

Investigators concluded that the negative reinforcement model was supported, as pain and distress drive frequent analgesic use for relief, especially in women, emphasizing the need for personalized pain management strategies.

Source: journals.lww.com/pain/abstract/2024/07000/concurrent_and_lagged_associations_among_pain.15.aspx