Pain and health status in adults with myelomeningocele living in Sweden.
Ann Alriksson-Schmidt, Annika Lundkvist Josenby, Barbro Lindquist and 1 others
PMID 30507588WHAT IT FOUND
Most adults with myelomeningocele in this Swedish pilot reported pain, and women were more likely than men to say it interfered with work.
Women and older participants rated their current health lower. Many needed follow-up referrals.
Key findings
01Pain in the past four weeks was reported by 37 of 48 participants.
02Women were significantly more likely than men to report that pain interfered with work (71% versus 33%).
03After record review, 51% of participants needed referrals for specialized care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was small and convenience based, so the results may not represent all adults with myelomeningocele. Some participants did not answer every item, so the number analysed varied by outcome. The study did not separate nociceptive from neuropathic pain, and it did not know whether pain was being treated. Pain items were dichotomised, so nuances such as mild versus severe pain may have been lost. The questionnaire did not distinguish manual from electric wheelchair use, and mental fatigue was not assessed. Those with intellectual disability may have been less likely to participate, so the findings may not cover them.
Declared interests
No conflict-of-interest or funding statement is supplied in the article text; the journal metadata lists it as supported by non-U.S. government sources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this pilot shows a treatment for pain or that all adults with myelomeningocele have severe pain. The study did not test an intervention, did not separate nociceptive from neuropathic pain, and used a small convenience sample, so it cannot support a cause or treatment effect.