The relationship between chronic musculoskeletal pain, anxiety and mindfulness: Adjustments to the fear-avoidance model of chronic pain

Literature suggested that individuals may enter into a chronic pain due to psychological factors such as anxiety and mindfulness. Katherine B. Curtina et al. described the relationship between ruminative anxiety, mindfulness, and chronic pain in a chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) population, demonstrating the unique associations between specific mindfulness factors and chronic pain elements.

The Fear-Avoidance Model of Chronic Pain introduced by Vlaeyen and Linton states people begin a series of chronic pain because of predisposing psychological factors, like anxiety sensitivity, negative appraisal or negative affectivity.  They do not, although, direct the similarly associated theory of anxious rumination. However, Vlaeyen and Linton propose cognitive-behavioural treatment methods for chronic pain subjects who present pain-associated fear, they do not deem mindfulness treatments. This analysis examined the association among chronic ruminative anxiety musculoskeletal pain (CMP), and mindfulness to discover if (1) ruminative anxiety is a risk factor for producing chronic pain and (2) mindfulness is a possible approach for disrupting the series of chronic pain.

A total of 201 middle-aged patients who self-reported CMP was selected and accomplished the standardised questionnaires evaluating factors of anxiety, mindfulness, and chronic pain.

Ruminative anxiety was negatively associated with mindfulness and positively associated with pain severity, pain catastrophizing, pain interference, pain-related fear and avoidance. High ruminative anxiety level estimated considerably larger factors of chronic pain and substantially lower level of mindfulness. Mindfulness considerably estimated the variance (R2) in anxiety and chronic pain results. Pain-related fear and avoidance, pain severity, mindfulness, pain catastrophizing, and ruminative anxiety, considerably determined 70.0% of the variance in pain interference, with ruminative anxiety, mindfulness, and pain severity being unusual predictors.

This study presents a perception into the direction and strength of the associations between mindfulness, chronic pain and ruminative anxiety in a CMP population, illustrating the significant relationships within specific mindfulness and chronic pain factors.