Epidemiology of Chronic Pain in the Latium Region, Italy. a Cross-sectional Study on the Clinical Characteristics of Patients Attending Pain Clinics

Background: In Italy, chronic pain affects more than a quarter of the population, while the average European prevalence is 21%. This might be due to the high percentage of people who do not receive treatment, even after the passing of law 38/2010. Aims: To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with non-cancer chronic pain. Methods: An observational, multi-center, cross-sectional study was performed and clinical records of adult chronic pain patients attending pain management clinics in the Latium Region, Italy, were retrospectively reviewed. Results. A total of 1606 patients (mean age 56.8 years, sd+11.4), 67% females, were analyzed. Severe pain was present in 54% of the sample. Females experienced it and had pain in 2+ sites more often than males (57% vs 50%; p= 0.02 and 55.2% vs 45.9%; p< 0.001 respectively). Chronic pain was musculoskeletal (45%), mixed (34%), neuropathic (21%). In over 60% of the cases, chronic pain was continuous, in 20% it had lasted for more than 48 months; long-lasting pain was frequently neuropathic. Severe intensity of pain was statistically significantly associated with: female gender (OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.06-1.84), with ICD-9 codes for chronic pain syndrome (OR 2.14; 95% CI 1.55-2.95), with continuous pain (OR 2.02; 95% CI 1.54-2.66). Neuropathic and mixed pain was significantly associated with number of sites and a trend seems to be present (OR 2.11 and 3.02 for 2 and 3+ sites; 95% CI 1.59-2.79 and 2.00-4.55 respectively). Conclusions: Chronic pain is a complex and multidimensional disease which need a holistic and interdisciplinary approach.