Abdominal pain in long-term spinal cord injury

• Published in: Spinal cord Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 198 - 203
• Main Authors: Finnerup, N B, Faaborg, P, Krogh, K, Jensen, T S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.03.2008; Nature Publishing; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Abdominal Pain - etiology; Abdominal Pain - physiopathology; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anatomy; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cerebrospinal fluid. Meninges. Spinal cord; Chronic Disease; Colon - physiopathology; Constipation - complications; Constipation - physiopathology; Denmark; Female; Health Surveys; Human Physiology; Humans; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurochemistry; Neurology; Neuropsychology; Neurosciences; original-article; Prevalence; Rectum - physiopathology; Spinal Cord Injuries - complications; Spinal Cord Injuries - physiopathology; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Denmark; spinal cord injury; constipation; visceral pain; abdominal pain; neuropathic pain; Nervous system diseases; Vertebral canal; Long term; Pain; Spinal cord trauma; Central nervous system disease; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Neuralgia; Neurological disorder; Constipation; Spinal cord disease
• ISSN: 1362-4393; 1476-5624
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.sc.3102097

Objectives: To describe the prevalence and character of chronic abdominal pain in a group of patients with long-term spinal cord injury (SCI) and to assess predictors of abdominal pain. Study design: Postal survey. Setting: Members of the Danish Paraplegic Association. Methods: We mailed a questionnaire to 284 members of the Danish Paraplegic Association who met the inclusion criteria (member for at least 10 years). The questionnaire contained questions about cause and level of spinal injury, colorectal function and pain/discomfort. Results: Seventy percent returned the questionnaire (133 men and 70 women). Mean age was 47 years. Thirty-four percent reported having chronic abdominal pain or discomfort. Onset of pain was later than 5 years after their SCI in 53%. Low defecation frequency was more common in patients with abdominal pain/discomfort and constipation more often affected their quality of life compared to patients without abdominal pain/discomfort. The most common descriptors were annoying, cramping/tightening, tender, sickening and shooting/jolting. There was no relation to age, time since injury or level of injury, but more women than men reported abdominal pain/discomfort. There was no relation of abdominal pain to other types of pain. Conclusion: Chronic pain located in the abdomen is frequent in patients with long-term SCI. The delayed onset following SCI and the relation to constipation suggest that constipation plays an important role for this type of pain in the spinal cord injured.