227: Pain Catastrophization Changes Postpartum Differences in Women With and Without Chronic Pain

Topic: Clinical Science
Subtopic: Non-specific to any diagnosis, Psychology, Assessment and Measurement of Pain/Nociception, Pain in special populations (e.g. neonates, children, teens, elderly, neurodegenerative diseases)

Background and Aims: Chronic Pain affects around 17% of women postpartum impacting their wellbeing and capacity to take care of their new born. Eventhough Pain Catastrophization has been shown to be a psychological factor that influences the perception of pain, it’s relation with Pain Intensity and the development of Chronic Pain is not yet clear. This study aims to understand the changes in time of Pain Catastrophization in women postpartum, it’s relation to prepartum Pain Catastrophization and the Pain Intensity in every follow-up, and to identify differences in the trajectories of the women that do or don’t develop Chronic Pain 12 months postpartum.

Methods: Pain Catastrophization and Pain Intensity was measured in 616 adult healthy women a month before giving birth, and in four follow-ups (1, 3, 6 and 12 months postpartum). Growth curves were developed and analyzed, afterwards Pain Catastrophization prepartum and Pain Intensity in each follow-up were included to measure the effects on the curves. Afterwards, the same analysis was applied separating in two groups the women who developed Chronic Pain at 12 months and the ones who didn’t comparing the trajectories of the curves and the effects of the predictors.

Results: Model adjustment was adecuate throughout the analysis. Latent parameters of the growth curves were identified. There were differences in Pain Catastrophization and Pain Intensity between the women who developed chronic pain and the ones who didn’t in every follow-up. Women without chronic pain tend to lower their Pain Catastrophization between 1 and 3 months and then maintain low levels. Women with chronic pain shows maintenance of Pain Catastrophization over time. Pain Catastrophization did not differ prepartum and showed limited effects on the trajectories, while pain intensity had an important effect on Pain Catastrophization changes over time.

Conclusions: There seems to be a natural history for Pain Catastrophization in women postpartum. Women that don’t develop chronic pain seem to lower their Pain Catastrophization according to tissue healing times (1 to 3 months). Women with Chronic Pain persist with higher levels of Pain Catastrophization. Pain Catastrophization prepartum couldn’t predict who developed Chronic Pain, while Pain Intensity in every follow-up had an important effect on Pain Catastrophization. This study highlights the importance of integral pain management and utility of measuring Pain Catastrophization after birth and contribute to the understanding of this psychological factor and its relationship with chronic pain development.

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Presenting Author: Germán Bannen
Submitting Author: Germán Bannen

Senior Author: Patricio Cumsille

IASP 2026 Global Year theme of Neuropathic Pain: No

• Patricio Cumsille: PhD - Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
• Lydia Gómez-Pérez: PhD - Universidad de Málaga