Preliminary Qualitative Findings of an EMG-Biofeedback Intervention for Women Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery

This prospective cross-section study (N=101) aimed to 1) compare generalized anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing between individuals with chronic low back pain (cLBP; n=56; M age =31 § 11y; f=35) and healthy controls (HC; n=45; M age =28 §9y; f=31) and 2) examine the impact of these cognitive-behavioral factors along with pain-specific anxiety, fear of movement, and coping on pain intensity in cLBP.All participants completed self-report questionnaires, including the Pain Catastrophizing scale (PCS), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).Participants' current and recent (last seven days) pain intensity ratings were assessed using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS; range=0-10).Participants in the cLBP group also completed the Pain-Anxiety Symptom Scale (PASS-20), the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK-17), and the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ).Participants with cLBP reported greater current (p<.001) and recent (p<.001) pain intensity than HC.Participants with cLBP also reported greater depression (p<.001), and higher scores on the PCS-RUM (p=.004),PCS-MAG(p<.001), and PCS-HELP (p<.001), scales of the PCS than HC participants.In the cLBP group, current pain intensity was positively correlated with the two domains of TSK: TSK-AA (p=.05),TSK-SF (p<.01),PCS-RUM(p<.001), and PCS-HELP(p<.05).Recent pain intensity was positively correlated with all domains of the PASS (p's<.05),and with the PCS-MAG, PCS-RUM, PCS-HELP (p<.05, p<.01, p<.05, respectively) as well as State Anxiety (p<.05).The CPAQ, a measure of coping was negatively correlated with current and recent pain intensity (p's<.05)suggesting further research should be conducted on interventions that target coping with anxiety related to pain.