Scandinavian Journal of Pain最新文献

{"title":"Effectiveness of physiotherapy for temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review of pain and functional outcomes.","authors":"Aleksandra Skorupa-Strojna, Małgorzata Kulesa-Mrowiecka","doi":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0073","DOIUrl":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0073","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) often cause pain and limited mandibular function. Physiotherapy is commonly used, but its effectiveness compared to other treatments remains unclear.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To assess the effectiveness of physiotherapy in adults with TMD compared to no treatment, placebo, and other conservative or pharmacological therapies. It also assessed commonly used outcome measures in clinical trials.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2020 and 2025 was conducted in PubMed and MEDLINE. Eligible studies included adults with TMD treated with physiotherapy. Outcomes focused on pain, mandibular mobility, function, and quality of life. Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From 73 records, 51 RCTs were included. Physiotherapy - particularly manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and laser therapy - was generally associated with reductions in pain and improvements in jaw mobility and function. Compared with no treatment or placebo, physiotherapy showed superior outcomes in most studies, and it was at least comparable to other conservative or pharmacological approaches. Nonetheless, heterogeneity of interventions, small sample sizes, reliance on subjective outcome measures, and frequent methodological shortcomings limited comparability and precluded meta-analysis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Physiotherapy provides short-term benefits in adults with TMD, especially in reducing pain and improving function. More robust research with larger samples, consistent diagnostic approaches, and the use of objective measures is required to provide stronger evidence for clinical decision-making.</p>","PeriodicalId":47407,"journal":{"name":"Scandinavian Journal of Pain","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147436706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Depression and limitations in daily life - the most important factors for work ability among patients with musculoskeletal pain.","authors":"Dag Rissén, Thomas Rudolfsson, Annika Nilsson, Birgitta Wiitavaara","doi":"10.1515/sjpain-2024-0083","DOIUrl":"10.1515/sjpain-2024-0083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study investigates the associations between recommended outcome measures for clinical pain trials, as outlined by The Initiative on Methods, Measurements and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (IMMPACT), and work ability among individuals with non-specific musculoskeletal disorders. Specifically, it examines how general health, physical and mental health, pain intensity, functional limitations, depression, and sleep quality relate to work ability in people with musculoskeletal disorders undergoing multimodal rehabilitation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this cross-sectional study, 116 participants were recruited from eight rehabilitation teams and two specialist care centers in central Sweden. The Work Ability Index (WAI), Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Multidimensional Pain Inventory - Swedish version (MPI-S), and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale - Self-report (MADRS-S) were utilized to measure relevant constructs. Pearson correlations were calculated, followed by multiple linear regression analyses to assess the impact of the independent variables on work ability.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Significant positive correlations were found between work ability and general health (r=0.346; p=0.001) and physical health (r=0.533, p=<0.001), while negative correlations were found with pain intensity (r=-0.423; p=<0.001), limitations in daily life (r=-0.536; p=<0.001), depression (r=-0.500; p=<0.001), and sleep quality (r=-0.431; p=<0.001). Taken together, the multiple linear regression analysis showed that limitations in daily life and depression were significantly associated with work ability, explaining a combined variance of 46.1 %.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study emphasizes the importance of addressing mental health and daily functioning limitations in rehabilitation programs to enhance work ability among participants with musculoskeletal disorders. Tailored interventions targeting these areas could improve rehabilitation outcomes and support workforce participation in this population. Approved by the regional ethical review board of Uppsala (Dnr 2010/116).</p>","PeriodicalId":47407,"journal":{"name":"Scandinavian Journal of Pain","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147436651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Directional discrimination in the nociceptive system is enhanced for non-continuous lines.","authors":"Ken Steffen Frahm, Ole Kæseler Andersen, Carsten Dahl Mørch","doi":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0032","DOIUrl":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0032","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Directional discrimination in the nociceptive system is a measure of how temporospatial information is integrated. When investigating these mechanisms, the stimulus is typically continuously moved across the skin. However, mechanisms such as lateral inhibition may affect the discrimination if non-continuous stimuli are applied. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate if continuous and non-continuous line stimuli are discriminated differently.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>21 healthy participants were stimulated in the right forearm using linearly moving laser stimulation. The directional discrimination was estimated for three different stimulation paradigms, a continuous moving line, and two non-continuous lines (discrete). The discrete stimuli (points) were separated by either 10 or 20 mm. A computational model was used to investigate how these stimulation paradigms affected the temperature profiles at receptor level.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The directional discrimination threshold (DDT) was higher for continuous lines (58.2 mm [95 % CI]) compared to non-continuous lines (DDT@10 mm: 41.6 mm [95 % CI], and DDT@20 mm: 29.8 mm [95 % CI]), indicating better discrimination for the discrete stimuli. The perceived intensity was significantly higher for the continuous lines (ANOVA, p<0.001). The computational model indicated that the receptor temperature is higher for continuous stimuli. But with greater temperature difference i.e. contrast along the line for non-continuous stimuli.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this study it was found that directional discrimination is enhanced for non-continuous lines compared to continuous. The computational model showed that continuous stimulus caused higher receptor temperature, indicating stronger activation, which appears to explain the increase perceived stimulation intensity. This may be caused by higher spatial contrast for discrete stimuli, and is comparable to what has been found in the visual and tactile systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":47407,"journal":{"name":"Scandinavian Journal of Pain","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147436639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mediating effect of catastrophising in correlation between pain and disability amongst patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.","authors":"Veikko Sainio, Mikhail Saltychev, Annika Miikkulainen, Hanna-Stiina Taskinen","doi":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0055","DOIUrl":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0055","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To examine the mediating role of catastrophizing in the relationship between pain and disability among patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cross-sectional register of 141 patients with CTS. Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) was used. Mediation analysis was used to assess the indirect effect of pain catastrophizing on pain-related disability.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The average age was 54.0 (SD 16.1) years and 89 (63 %) were women. For the total PCS score, the indirect effect was responsible for 31 % (95 % CI 15 %-47 %) to 33 % (95 % CI 15 %-52 %). The highest proportion was observed in the helplessness domain, 37 % (95 % CI 19 %-55 %). The lowest effect of 11 % (95 % CI 0 %-23 %) was seen for the magnification domain.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The mediating effect of catastrophizing was responsible for over 30 % of the total effect seen in correlation between pain and disability experienced by patients with CTS. While the effect of magnification sub-score was borderline and could probably be ignored in clinical context, domain of helplessness reached the effect size of almost 40 %. The results suggest that catastrophizing should be considered when treating or rehabilitating people with CTS. Catastrophizing may play a significant role in the development of pain-related disability.</p>","PeriodicalId":47407,"journal":{"name":"Scandinavian Journal of Pain","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147373356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychometric evaluation of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale - Brief Form 2.0 in adults with chronic pain.","authors":"Fillip Ferreira Eikeseth, Geir Pedersen, Audun Stubhaug, Stefan Sütterlin, Gunnvald Kvarstein","doi":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0037","DOIUrl":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0037","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Chronic pain and personality disorders frequently co-occur. This co-occurrence may pose challenges in pain management and should be addressed by clinicians to optimize outcomes. The Level of Personality Functioning Scale - Brief Form 2.0 (LPFS-BF) is a time-efficient screening tool for impairments in personality functioning based on the Alternative DSM-5 Model for Personality Disorders.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study evaluates the psychometric properties of the LPFS-BF in a sample of adults with chronic pain. Data was retrieved from the Oslo University Hospital Pain Registry and includes 892 participants referred to outpatient pain management. The psychometric properties of the LPFS-BF were investigated in terms of factor structure, scale reliability, and concurrent validity with anxiety and depression, health-related quality of life, and past week usual pain intensity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Mean age was 49 years and 64 % were female. A bifactor structure showed best model fit: Comparative fit index=0.995, Tucker-Lewis index=0.993, root mean square error of approximation=0.023, standardized root mean square residual=0.030. Scale reliability was good for the general factor (ω _<i>t</i> =0.89, ω _<i>h</i> =0.79), poor for the self domain (ω _<i>t</i> =0.25, ω _<i>h</i> =0.05), and questionable for the interpersonal domain (ω _<i>t</i> =0.68, ω _<i>h</i> =0.40). Explained common variance for the general factor was 68 % which supported essential unidimensionality. The magnitudes of the associations between the LPFS-BF and the investigated variables were comparable to previous research, thus supporting its concurrent validity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results suggest that the LPFS-BF is best viewed as a unidimensional scale in the current sample and support the LPFS-BF as a valid and reliable screening tool for impairments in personality functioning among individuals with chronic pain.</p>","PeriodicalId":47407,"journal":{"name":"Scandinavian Journal of Pain","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147373435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation of endocannabinoids in plasma and their correlation with physical fitness and resting state functional connectivity of the periaqueductal grey in women with fibromyalgia: An exploratory secondary study.","authors":"Bijar Ghafouri, Niclas Stensson, Rozalyn Simon, Leah M Mayo, Eva Lund, Mikael F Forsgren, Olof Dahlqvist Leinhard, Peter Lundberg, Helene van Ettinger-Veenstra","doi":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0023","DOIUrl":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The endocannabinoid system is a neuromodulatory system linked to pain, distress, and physical activity. The endocannabinoids (eCBs) arachidonoylethanolamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol are known to activate the cannabinoid receptors. The eCB system has been reported to be acutely affected by physical activity. Altered connectivity related to pain intensity in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) has been reported. However, how the peripheral eCBs, including eCB-like <i>N</i>-acylethanolamines (NAEs) concentrations, associate with pain-related regions of the brain and physical activity in FM, is not known. This study aimed to investigate eCBs and eCB-like NAEs in plasma and the association with functional connectivity in brain regions relevant for pain and with physical fitness.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The plasma concentrations of eCBs and eCB-like NAEs were measured in 31 women with FM and 29 healthy controls (HC). Functional magnetic resonance imaging, measurement of physical fitness and questionnaire regarding pain and depression/anxiety were included.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Significantly higher concentrations of AEA were found in FM compared to HC. The AEA level correlated positively with pain intensity and was inversely associated with physical fitness, which in turn were inversely correlated with pain intensity and psychological distress in FM. Periaqueductal gray (PAG)-thalamus connectivity was not associated with circulating eCB and eCB-like NAEs. Stronger PAG-thalamus connectivity was related to a higher level of physical activity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These results confirm that impaired physical fitness is an important aspect of FM, which can be reflected in the increased eCB levels and in PAG-thalamus connectivity. Further studies are necessary to establish a causal relationship between physical fitness, eCBs, eCB-like NAEs, and brain connectivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":47407,"journal":{"name":"Scandinavian Journal of Pain","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145543173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"There is generally no focus on my pain from the healthcare staff\": A qualitative study exploring the perspective of patients with Parkinson's disease.","authors":"Andrea Søndergaard Armbruster, Susan Tomczak Matthiesen, Christina Jensen-Dahm, Mette Møller, Nanna Brix Finnerup, Lene Vase","doi":"10.1515/sjpain-2024-0068","DOIUrl":"10.1515/sjpain-2024-0068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Pain is a prevalent non-motor symptom in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and associated with significant quality-of-life impairments. Yet, qualitative literature examining how patients with PD experience their pain and pain treatment is scarce. The aim of this study is to understand and report firsthand experiences with pain in PD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Individual interviews (<i>N</i> = 15 patients with PD) following a semi-structured interview guide organized in 7 main topics and 18 subtopics covering both medical and psychological aspects of pain in PD. Data were analyzed by a reflexive thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three major themes emerged: (1) <i>Pain is related to PD</i>: A majority of interviewees were confident pain is caused by motor symptoms and related to sleep disturbances. (2) <i>Healthcare professionals neglect pain in PD:</i> frequently, interviewees expressed satisfaction with general PD treatment, yet urged healthcare professionals to show interest in their pain. Many were uncertain as to who was responsible for pain treatment and wished for increased coordination among healthcare professionals. (3) <i>Treatment of pain is insufficient:</i> self-medication was prevalent. Most interviewees told they hide their pain. Interviewees broadly reported low and/or temporary effect of alternative pain treatment, yet perceived training as efficient. Multiple interviewees called for research on physical or psychological rather than pharmacological pain treatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Patients with PD yearn for dialogue on pain with healthcare professionals. Frequently, patients take medication unsupervised, suggesting a need for integrating assessment of self-medication in standard treatment regimes. Patients urge healthcare professionals to discuss pain with them and acknowledge that motor symptoms may cause pain.</p>","PeriodicalId":47407,"journal":{"name":"Scandinavian Journal of Pain","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145530785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Persistent severe pain following groin hernia repair: Somatosensory profiles, pain trajectories, and clinical outcomes - Synopsis of a PhD thesis.","authors":"Elisabeth Kjær Jensen, Mads U Werner","doi":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0010","DOIUrl":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Persistent severe intensity pain after groin hernia repair (PSPG; 200-400/10,000 repairs) is a significant surgical complication impacting the activity of daily living (ADL) and psychosocial functioning. This PhD synopsis presents an outline and a summary of three clinical studies examining outcomes and pathophysiology behind the post-surgical pain state.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The studies assessed (I) treatment outcomes, i.e., re-surgery with meshectomy and selective neurectomy vs pharmacotherapy, (II) temporal trajectories of pain intensity following the primary repair, and (III) somatosensory profiles before and after re-surgery.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>On a national basis, patients experiencing PSPG (>3 months) with an activity-related or maximal pain intensity >7 (NRS; 0-10) referred to our unit were examined. Validated questionnaires classifying NRS, ADL functions, and psychometrics, and standardized quantitative sensory testing assessing somatosensory phenotypes were used. Study I was a prospective, questionnaire-based cohort analysis comparing outcomes from a 5-year perspective. Study II retrospectively examined patient-reported pain intensity trajectories. Study III followed somatosensory outcomes before and after re-surgery.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In Study I (responder ratio: 172/204 [84%]), patients were allocated to re-surgery (<i>n</i> = 54) or to pharmacotherapy (<i>n</i> = 118). Compared to baseline, both cohorts showed significant improvements in pain intensity and ADL functions (<i>P</i> < 0.0001), with a slight superiority in ADL functions for the re-surgical cohort (<i>P</i> = 0.02). The number needed to operate for one patient to achieve a positive outcome (≥25% change in NRS/ADL) ranged between 1.5 and 1.9, and for experiencing a negative outcome, between 14 and 28. Study II (<i>n</i> = 95) identified two main prototypes of post-surgical pain intensity trajectories, where 51% experienced undiminished pain after the primary repair, while 29% experienced normal post-surgical recovery followed by late development of PSPG. Study III (<i>n</i> = 60) indicated that re-surgery was associated with a loss in the cutaneous somatosensory function and deep mechanical nociceptive function (decrease in evoked pain sensitivity).</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>The thesis corroborates that both re-surgical intervention and pharmacotherapy may ameliorate high-intensity pain and increase ADL functions in PSPG. Since the study design cannot account for non-specific therapeutic effects, a high-quality RCT is still needed. The pathophysiologic results indicate that the implanted mesh acts as a \"pain generator\", and future research should be targeted at dampening the immuno-inflammatory response to the implanted mesh.</p>","PeriodicalId":47407,"journal":{"name":"Scandinavian Journal of Pain","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145356453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Is it personality or genes? - A secondary analysis on a randomized controlled trial investigating responsiveness to placebo analgesia.","authors":"Johan P A van Lennep, Henriët van Middendorp, Oyin V Leong, Susan L Kloet, Rolf H A M Vossen, Tom Heyman, Andrea W M Evers","doi":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0029","DOIUrl":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0029","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To understand how different individuals respond to placebo effects, it is relevant to disentangle the influence of someone's personality and genetic variations. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the role of different personality characteristics and different single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the responsiveness to placebo analgesia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Secondary data analyses were conducted on an experimental behavioural study in healthy controls primarily aimed at the influence of three learning mechanisms (i.e., verbal suggestions, classical conditioning, or observational learning) or combinations thereof, on placebo analgesia in heat pain. Moderation by five different personality characteristics (optimism, neuroticism, worrying, empathy, and somatosensory amplification) was studied. Also, the predictive role of three different SNPs on the OPRM-1 gene, the COMT gene, and the FAAH gene on placebo analgesia was assessed. The personality characteristics were studied with validated questionnaires. The genetic variants were obtained by sequencing DNA from saliva cells.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The moderation analysis from 206 participants concerning the personality characteristics did not show significant effects. Of the 108 (52%) genotyped participants, the results showed no significant relationship between any of the SNPs and placebo analgesia.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Results did not support a role of a person's personality characteristics or genetic variations in predicting their responsiveness to placebo analgesia through learning mechanisms. The clinical relevance of predicting someone's responsiveness to placebo effects, therefore, requires careful reconsideration.</p>","PeriodicalId":47407,"journal":{"name":"Scandinavian Journal of Pain","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145369083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding the experiences of Canadian military veterans participating in aquatic exercise for musculoskeletal pain.","authors":"Nicholas J Held, Jordan Miller, Heidi Cramm","doi":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0003","DOIUrl":"10.1515/sjpain-2025-0003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veterans report living with chronic pain at nearly double the rate of comparable Canadians. They have unique pain management needs, highlighting the need for further research. Aquatic exercise is one treatment option that may offer meaningful benefits. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of CAF Veterans incorporating aquatic exercise as part of their pain management routines, offering insight into its potential role in managing chronic pain among military Veterans.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Informed by interpretive phenomenological analysis, ten CAF Veterans with chronic pain and experience with aquatic exercise were interviewed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three superordinate themes were constructed: Respite from the pain; reconstructing an identity as a physically capable individual; and reclaiming a sense of self and seeing a new path forward. Exercise has the potential to improve pain, function, and quality of life for individuals living with pain. Among CAF Veterans, aquatic exercise can further support personal growth, development, and recovery after release from the military.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings provide insight for rehabilitation providers of the positive experiences and additional impacts of participating in aquatic exercise for CAF Veterans with chronic pain. Rehabilitation providers may consider incorporating aquatic exercise into physical activity-based rehabilitation programs for CAF Veterans living with musculoskeletal pain. The current investigation was approved by and followed the recommendations of the Health Sciences and Affiliated Teaching Hospitals Research Ethics Board at Queen's University (REH-797-21).</p>","PeriodicalId":47407,"journal":{"name":"Scandinavian Journal of Pain","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145356561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}