Insights
Calm now, comfortable later: anxiety and lasting pain
Pre-surgery anxiety is linked to a higher risk of pain that lingers. Calm is not a luxury.
Mind & calm · 2 min read
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 29 studies asked whether anxiety or pain catastrophizing (expecting the worst) before surgery relate to chronic postsurgical pain. About 55% of studies found a significant link, and the pooled odds ratios ranged from roughly 1.55 to 2.10. The authors concluded that anxiety and catastrophizing play a role.
A multicentre European study of 3,120 patients adds context: at 12 months, 11.8% of those followed had moderate to severe chronic postsurgical pain.
Careful: this is association, not proof that calming you prevents chronic pain. But it is a good reason to treat anxiety as a medical issue and not a character flaw.
That is why awakeMD starts with comfort planning, not just a surgical plan.
Explore your options at a consultation Take the Comfort Compass
References
- Theunissen M, Peters ML, Bruce J, et al. Preoperative anxiety and catastrophizing: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association with chronic postsurgical pain. Clin J Pain. 2012;819-841. PMID 22760489
- Fletcher D, Stamer UM, Pogatzki-Zahn E, et al. Chronic postsurgical pain in Europe: an observational study. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2015;725-734. PMID 26241763