569: Awareness and Clinical Utilization of Nociplastic Pain among Pain Physicians: Cross-sectional Survey

Topic: Education, Societal Impact, and Others
Subtopic: Epidemiology

Background and Aims: Background: Nociplastic pain (NP)is an increasingly recognized mechanistic descriptor in chronic pain since its adoption by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), yet its usage in routine clinical practice depends on clinician awareness and use of structured detection approaches. Data on awareness of NP has not been calculated since its introduction. Hence, we proposed to assess its awareness among Indian pain physicians.

Aim: To assess awareness, familiarity, and clinical utilization of NP concepts among Indian pain physicians and pain-medicine trainees.

Methods: Methods: A cross-sectional, paper-based survey was conducted over 1 day during a 3-day 40th Annual National Conference of Indian Society for Study of Pain ISSPCON 2026 (India). Pain physicians and pain-medicine trainees attending the conference were recruited using convenience sampling from 3 lecture halls. The questionnaire assessed demographics, pain-medicine experience, formal pain training, daily use of screening/diagnostic tools, familiarity with NP (not familiar/basic understanding/familiar), and use of NP detection tools. Item on detection tools allowed multiple responses. Descriptive statistics were reported as n (%). Associations were evaluated using Chi-square tests (MedCalc v12.5), with p<0.05 considered significant.

Results: Results: A total of 118 completed surveys were analyzed. 84.75% reported formal pain training. Daily use of screening/diagnostic tools was reported by 78.81%. Regarding NP (40.68% familiar, 50.85% basic understanding, and 8.47% not familiar). Half of respondents (50.85%) reported using NP detection tools, most frequently Daradia Nociplastic Pain Checklist (36.00%) followed by clinical experience (29.33%), IASP criteria (24.00%) and Central Sensitization Inventory (10.67%). Familiarity was significantly associated with formal pain training (p=0.0367) and years of pain-medicine experience (p=0.0042), while tool use did not significantly vary by experience (p=0.1889).

Conclusions: Conclusion: In this ISSPCON 2026 sample, awareness of NP was high, but structured detection-tool use was reported by only about half of respondents. Formal training in pain medicine and experience in pain medicine were associated with familiarity, supporting targeted educational and implementation strategies to improve consistent NP phenotyping in routine practice to enhance patient management outcomes.

References: References:
1. Kosek E. The concept of nociplastic pain-where to from here? Pain. 2024Nov1;165(11S):S50-S57.
2. Das G, Das S, Amatya SP,et al. Why Pain Physicians Must Actively Look for Nociplastic Pain? The Daradia Protocol. Jmupm. 2025Jan-Apr;10(1):5-10.

Presenting Author: Dr. Suzen Sumeet Kaur
Submitting Author: Suzen Sumeet Kaur

Senior Author: Dr. Gautam Das

IASP 2026 Global Year theme of Neuropathic Pain: No

• Pawan Kumar Raya: MBBS, MD, FIPM - Nepal Police Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
• Gautam Das: MBBS, MD, FIPP, FIAPM - Daradia-The Pain Clinic