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Treating chronic pain how do we measure success?
1Joint Departments of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
The New York State Dental Journal
|April 6, 2000
Summary
Clinicians should measure temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain objectively, not rely solely on patient-reported relief. Objective pain measurement before, during, and after treatment ensures treatment efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Dentistry
- Pain Management
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Chronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD) treatments often rely on subjective patient reports of relief.
- Patient-reported relief may not accurately reflect treatment efficacy, potentially influenced by factors like patient-provider relationships or coping mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide practitioners with methods for objectively assessing the success of chronic TMD treatments.
- To highlight the limitations of relying solely on patient-reported relief for treatment evaluation.
Main Methods:
- Recommends objective measurement of patient pain levels.
- Suggests pain assessment before, during, and after treatment.
- Includes pain and relief measurement questionnaires for clinical use.
Main Results:
- Patient reports of relief show poor correlation with actual changes in pain.
- Objective pain monitoring is crucial for determining true treatment efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Objective pain assessment is essential for evaluating the efficacy of chronic TMD treatments.
- Utilizing standardized questionnaires can document patient progress and serve medico-legal purposes.