Distribution and impact on quality of life of the pain modalities assessed by the King’s Parkinson’s disease pain scale

Abstract

Pain: Under-appreciated impact on quality of life Researchers confirm that the pain experienced by patients with Parkinson disease (PD) is a key determinant of health-related quality of life. Pain is a common non-motor symptom that is often underacknowledged and undertreated. Using data from the recently validated pain scale for PD, Pablo Martinez-Martin (Carlos III Institute of Health in Madrid, Spain) and colleagues explored the impact of specific pain modalities on patients’ quality of life. They found that patients with PD reported experiencing twice as many types of pain than controls, with pain around the joints and pain while moving in bed being the most prevalent. Furthermore, there was a close correlation between the number of experienced pain modalities and quality of life as evaluated with the PD questionnaire PDQ-8. Understanding the different types of pain in PD will aid the provision of effective pain relief and greatly improve patients’wellbeing.