Psychological aspects of the pain experience of patients with war injuries of the peripheral nervous system

Scientists as well as people in general agree that pain is a very complex experience which includes cognitive, emotional and behavioral components. In our study we have analyzed pain experience in the case of patients with injuries of the peripheral nervous system which occurred during the war in Croatia. All lesions were verified by EMNG diagnostics. We assessed pain experience shortly after the trauma and about ten years later after medical treatment and rehabilitation, when we also assessed the state of functional health. The study included 109 patients (99 men and 10 women), mean age 41.85 years. For the assessment of pain experience we used the short form of the McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) and visual analogue scale (VAS). For functional health assessment we used Coop-Wonca charts. The results show a high intensity of pain experience in both examinations, but a significantly higher one (p < 0.01) in the first situation (after the trauma) than about ten years later. Results of the Coop-Wonca charts show moderate to severe difficulties in the physical, daily and social activities, and emotions. The patients' general health has mostly been assessed as severely damaged, and the pain as moderately high. Most of the patients have registered no changes in their health situation lately. Our study emphasizes again the importance of the psychological component in pain experience and the efforts for assessing pain in the process of rehabilitation.