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Pain Catastrophizing

Purpose: To evaluate a patient with chronic pain for elements of catastrophizing.

Description

Catastrophizing can increase the perception and disability associated with pain. A patient who catastrophizes may find it difficult to cope with pain.


 

Features of pain catastrophizing:

(1) The presence of pain, typically chronic.

(2) The patient has a greater perception of pain.

(3) The patient is obsessed or ruminates about the pain.

(4) The patient feels helpless and unable to deal with the pain

(5) The patient feels pessimistic about her/his ability to cope with the pain.

(6) The patient experiences greater distress related to the pain.

(7) The patient tends to be more disabled for a given amount of pain than someone who is not catastrophizing.

(8) The patient may be depressed.

 

Differential diagnosis:

(1) hypesthesia

(2) hypochondria

 


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Specialty

Objective

ICD-10