Pain in women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and in healthy women: a comparative study

The purpose of this study was to examine multidimensional aspects of pain in women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and in healthy women. A cross-sectional, comparative design was used. The convenience sample included 40 women with RRMS and 40 healthy women. Participants completed the Brief Pain Inventory-Long Form and the McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form. The women with RRMS had a significantly higher presence of pain (p = .005), present pain intensity (p = .02), average pain intensity (p = .001), pain interference (p = .0008), and pain in different locations (p = .02) than healthy women. Pain has significant nursing implications for women with RRMS. Women with RRMS could benefit from a comprehensive pain assessment and management strategy. Nursing care should be designed to focus on interventions for minimizing and managing pain in women with RRMS.