May 18, 2008
There is limited research on the connection between theHolocaustand chronicpain, despite evidence suggesting that medical and psychological sequelae are common in survivors. The goals of this study were: (1) to defineHolocaustsurvivors' (n = 33) chronicpaincharacteristics as manifested 50 years after the war, (2) to compare survivors with controls (n = 33) who did not experience World War II atrocities, and (3) to investigate the connection between past trauma and chronicpain. Data were collected through questionnaires that included a detailed medical andpainhistory, visual analog scale (VAS), McGillPainQuestionnaire (MPQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Symptom Check List-90 (SCL-90), andPainDisability Index (PDI). A comparison of variables between the two groups was conducted using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and ANOVA, and canonical discriminant analysis. Results showed thatHolocaustsurvivors reported higherpainlevels (73 +/- 18 vs. 56 +/- 21; P < 0.005), morepainsites (4.5 6 2.8 vs. 2.7 6 1.4; P < 0.05), and significantly higher depression scores (17.6 +/- 8.4 vs. 9.2 +/- 4.6; P < 0.001); they tended to utilize more medical services (5.9 +/- 3.0 vs. 5.1 +/- 2.8). Nonetheless, survivors did not regard themselves more disabled as compared with controls. They reported a higher activity level as measured by walking distance capacity, and spent significantly fewer hours resting (4.3 +/- 3.6 vs. 7 +/- 4.6; P < 0.05). This paradoxical combination of highpainintensity, moderate to severe depression, and high activity level characterizesHolocaustsurvivors' chronicpain. It is conceivable that by remaining activeHolocaustsurvivors fight back theirpain, distress, and depression. These findings suggest thatHolocaustatrocities affect survivors' chronicpaineven years later. (Yaari A. Eisenberg E. Adler R. Birkhan J.ChronicpaininHolocaustsurvivors. Journal ofPain& Symptom Management. 17(3):181-7, 1999).
Fifty years after theirHolocausttrauma, survivors still displayed significant psychosocial and functional impairment.Stesssman J. Cohen A. Hammerman-Rozenberg R. Bursztyn M. Azoulay D. Maaravi Y. Jacobs JM.Holocaustsurvivors in old age: the Jerusalem Longitudinal Study.(Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 56(3):470-7, 2008).
As President of the Alumni Myanmar Institutes of Medicine Association (AMIMA), I urge you to to support of the victims of Cyclone Nargis who also are subjected to man-made disasters in Myanmar.
Please donate by clicking on the link below: http://www.amima.net/projects4
www.stopmusclepain.comPain| Man-made disasters
pain
May 18, 2008
There is limited research on the connection between theHolocaustand chronicpain, despite evidence suggesting that medical and psychological sequelae are common in survivors. The goals of this study were: (1) to defineHolocaustsurvivors' (n = 33) chronicpaincharacteristics as manifested 50 years after the war, (2) to compare survivors with controls (n = 33) who did not experience World War II atrocities, and (3) to investigate the connection between past trauma and chronicpain. Data were collected through questionnaires that included a detailed medical andpainhistory, visual analog scale (VAS), McGillPainQuestionnaire (MPQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Symptom Check List-90 (SCL-90), andPainDisability Index (PDI). A comparison of variables between the two groups was conducted using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and ANOVA, and canonical discriminant analysis. Results showed thatHolocaustsurvivors reported higherpainlevels (73 +/- 18 vs. 56 +/- 21; P < 0.005), morepainsites (4.5 6 2.8 vs. 2.7 6 1.4; P < 0.05), and significantly higher depression scores (17.6 +/- 8.4 vs. 9.2 +/- 4.6; P < 0.001); they tended to utilize more medical services (5.9 +/- 3.0 vs. 5.1 +/- 2.8). Nonetheless, survivors did not regard themselves more disabled as compared with controls. They reported a higher activity level as measured by walking distance capacity, and spent significantly fewer hours resting (4.3 +/- 3.6 vs. 7 +/- 4.6; P < 0.05). This paradoxical combination of highpainintensity, moderate to severe depression, and high activity level characterizesHolocaustsurvivors' chronicpain. It is conceivable that by remaining activeHolocaustsurvivors fight back theirpain, distress, and depression. These findings suggest thatHolocaustatrocities affect survivors' chronicpaineven years later. (Yaari A. Eisenberg E. Adler R. Birkhan J.ChronicpaininHolocaustsurvivors. Journal ofPain& Symptom Management. 17(3):181-7, 1999).
Fifty years after theirHolocausttrauma, survivors still displayed significant psychosocial and functional impairment.Stesssman J. Cohen A. Hammerman-Rozenberg R. Bursztyn M. Azoulay D. Maaravi Y. Jacobs JM.Holocaustsurvivors in old age: the Jerusalem Longitudinal Study.(Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 56(3):470-7, 2008).
As President of the Alumni Myanmar Institutes of Medicine Association (AMIMA), I urge you to to support of the victims of Cyclone Nargis who also are subjected to man-made disasters in Myanmar.
Please donate by clicking on the link below: http://www.amima.net/projects4
www.stopmusclepain.comPain| Man-made disasters
pain