The following is a summary of “Objectively measured activity is not associated with average pain intensity 1 week after surgery: A cross-sectional study,” published in the March 2024 issue of Pain by Komann, et al.
While physical activity and patient-reported pain are crucial for post-surgical recovery, their link in the immediate post-operative phase remains unclear.
Researchers started a retrospective study investigating the link between average pain intensity and post-surgical activity levels (measured in steps) at the one-week mark.
They obtained data from the PROMPT sub-project of IMI-PainCare, focusing on patients after breast and endometriosis-related surgery, sternotomy, and total knee arthroplasty. After completing pain-related outcomes questionnaires and wearing an ActiGraph activity-tracking device, correlations were made between steps and average pain intensity on postoperative days 6 and 7. Secondary analyses involved correlations and t-tests.
The results showed 284 instances with no statistically significant correlation between steps and average pain intensity. Furthermore, none of the 28 subsequent analyses yielded a statistically significant outcome.
Investigators concluded that post-surgical assessment needs both activity and pain scores, offering separate insights crucial for recovery.
Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ejp.2260
