Pain 'Catastrophizing' May Lead to Little Exercise, More Time Sedentary

A new study published in Pain suggests that how people perceive their pain can affect whether they get enough physical exercise or spend more time sedentary, reports Medical Xpress . The researchers determined when people with knee osteoarthritis "catastrophized" — felt exaggerated helplessness or hopelessness — about their pain more than typically, they were less likely to exercise later in the day, which cascaded into sedentary behavior followed by even more pain catastrophizing. "The detrimental influence of catastrophizing thinking about pain is independent of the pain experience itself," said Pennsylvania State University Professor Ruixue Zhaoyang. "In other words, how patients think about their pain, rather than the level of experienced pain, had a more powerful impact on their daily physical activity." The implication is that pain catastrophizing could be a critical therapeutic target for interventions and pain management. "Reducing daily pain catastrophizing may help older patients to be more active and less sedentary on a daily basis," said Zhaoyang. "This could help improve their chronic pain condition, physical function, and overall health, and reduce the possibility of hospitalization, institutionalization, and healthcare costs in the long term."