The effect of pain catastrophizing and trauma on pain and disability in Chiari malformation type I.

Chiari malformation Type I (CMI) is a chronic pain syndrome associated with an increase in disability. However, little is known about the relationship between pain and disability among CMI patients. Using a web-based study of 372 adults diagnosed with CMI, we examined pain catastrophizing along with self-reported pain, head and neck disability, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and stress. Our primary analytic method was statistical mediation. Pain catastrophizing was positively correlated with self-reported pain, depression, anxiety, and disability. Finally, pain catastrophizing (rumination and helplessness subscales) mediated the relationship between Pain scores and Disability scores in this sample of CMI patients. Our findings are that pain catastrophizing mediates the effect of pain on disability-but depression does not. The importance of pain catastrophizing in explaining the relationship between pain and disability may provide new insight into more effect treatments for chronic pain and disability in CMI.