Non-organic chronic intractable pain: a comparative study.

This report compares patients with non-organic chronic intractable (NOCI) pain with those having chronic pain associated with diagnosed physical illness though it was insufficient to explain the severity and nature of pain. Samples were selected after strict screening procedures. The results reveal that NOCI pain is more often seen in those who are younger, unmarried, with higher education and belonging to a professional group of occupation. Chronic pain associated with physical illness is reported more by elderly, married, those with lesser education and housewives. However, only slight differences were noticeable in the clinical characteristics of pain. Thus there are two distinct groups of chronic pain patients. These differences, along with less predominance of low back pain and high number of whole body pain in the samples suggest cultural differences in localisation and presentation of chronic pain.