• Cecilia Norrbrink Budh, Jan Kowalski, and Thomas Lundeberg.
• Spinalis SCI Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. cecilianorrbrink-budh@karolinska.se
• J Rehabil Med. 2006 May 1;38(3):172-80.

ObjectiveTo assess whether a comprehensive multidisciplinary pain management programme could contribute to improvement regarding sleep quality, mood, life satisfaction, health-related quality of life, sense of coherence and pain for patients with a spinal cord injury and neuropathic pain.DesignA prospective intervention study.PatientsTwenty-seven patients with spinal cord injury and neuropathic pain participated in a pain management programme in parallel with 11 patients in a control group.MethodsA comprehensive pain management programme comprising educational, cognitive, and behavioural interventions was created for patients with spinal cord injury and neuropathic pain. The pain management programme consisted of 20 sessions over a 10-week period and included educational sessions, behavioural therapy, relaxation, stretching, light exercise and body awareness training. All patients were followed-up 3, 6 and 12 months after completion of the programme.ResultsAt the 12-month follow-up, levels of anxiety and depression in the treatment group decreased compared with baseline values, and a tendency towards better quality of sleep was seen. In comparison with the control group, patients in the treatment group improved regarding sense of coherence and depression.ConclusionThis study implies that a multidimensional pain management programme can be a valuable complement in the treatment of spinal cord injured patients with neuropathic pain.

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