The Role of Pain Severity and Fear of Movement on Explanation of Physical Disability in Patients with Chronic Pain

Pain is associated with varying degrees of limitation in function. Although many people experience pain, but there is difference in disability. Some think this difference is due to pain severity or psychological variables such as fear of movement. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of pain severity and fear of movement on explanation of physical disability in patients with chronic pain. Methods: 207 patients with chronic pain (71 men and 136 women) were chosen by purposeful method and pain intensity subscale of multidimensional pain inventory, Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) and Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) were completed and data were analyzed by regression method. Results: The mean age of the sample was 44.41 years and main location of pain for most was back (42%) and feet (22.7%). Regression analysis showed that pain intensity and fear of movement explains 33% of the variance in disability. While comparing the zero-order correlation indicates the pain severity is stronger. Conclusion: Pain severity and fear of movement are effective in disability and it is necessary, especially for treatments that aim to boost or restore the physical ability of patients, attention to them.