Presented at the 2012 AAPM Annual Meeting « Back

A Correlative Study of the Self-Reported Pain Disability Questionnaire, from the AMA Guides 6th Edition, and the Clinician-Derived Functional Performance Tests on Individuals with Polytrauma History > 2 Years and with Chronic Pain: Case Series

Armando S. Miciano, MD, drmiciano@me.com¹, Chad Cross, PhD PStat(R)², Monique V. David, RN¹, (1) Nevada Rehabilitation Institute, Las Vegas, Nevada, (2) Crossroads Wellness, LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada

The objectives were to quantify the pain-related impairment (PRI) of individuals with Poly-Trauma History >two years (PTM) and chronic non-malignant pain (CNMP) using the self-reported Pain Disability Questionnaire (PDQ), from the AMA Guides to Evaluation of Permanent Impairment 6th Edition, and investigate the correlation between PRI and scores from clinician-derived Functional Performance Tests (FPT). A retrospective study was done on rehabilitation clinic subjects with PTM & CNMP. The PDQ was scored and stratified as: mild; moderate; severe; and extreme PRI. FPT included: Sit-to-Stand, Loaded-Reach, Lumbar-Flexion-ROM, Trunk-Flexion-x10repetitions, and 50-feet-Walk-Fastest. Using PDQ total scores, nine patients were determined to have mild/moderate pain severity, and 18 as severe/extreme. FPT Sit-to-Stand and 50-feet-Walk tests showed significant correlative Results. Sit-to-Stand was significantly correlated with Total PDQ for mild/moderate PRI (rs = .790, p = .011) and for severe/extreme pain PRI (rs = .493, p = .038); additionally, Sit-to-Stand scores were significantly higher for severe/extreme PRI (Median = 24.0) compared to mild/moderate PRI (Median = 14.0; U = 26.0, p = .005). Interestingly, the 50-feet-Walk test was significantly correlated with PDQ total score for severe/extreme PRI (.468, p = .039), but not for mild/moderate PRI (rs = .342, p = .368). The PDQ, FPT Sit-to-Stand test and the FPT 50-feet-Walk test show promise as clinical tools that are relatively easy and quick to administer in a busy Pain Medicine practice. Further research into the application of the PDQ and the FPT amongst other patient populations, such as in Traumatic Brain Injury & Neuropathy, would be beneficial.

Funding: Nevada Rehabilitation Institute