Ocena percepcji bólu w zależności od typu osobowości w grupie pacjentów z rozpoznaną dyskopatią
Assessment of pain perception depending on personallity type among patients with diagnosed discopathy

Summary/Abstract: Background: The most common symptom among people suffering from spinal degeneration is pain. The character of the pain is usually intermittent – periods of increased pain are interchangeable with periods of remission. The perception of pain can be affected by various physical (obesity, lack of activity, non-observance of ergonomics at work), as well as psychological factors – emotional, cognitive and personality. In treatment of pain, rehabilitation (kinesiotherapy and physiotherapy) is of paramount importance. During periods of severe pain, rehabilitation should be complemented with pharmacological treatment. Furthermore, during those periods some patients are qualified for neurosurgical operations. Doctors from different specialties (orthopaedists, neurologists, doctors of rehabilitation medicine), to whom patients suffering from discopathy are referred, often do not notice the need to suggest, apart from the abovementioned treatments, psychological consultation.Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between pain perception and the personality type in a group of patients with diagnosed discopathy.Material and methods: The study population comprised of 101 patients (68 women and 33 men) who were hospitalised in Jasinski Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital in Zakopane (Wojewódzki Szpital Rehabilitacyjny), between January and March 2012.Results: Significant difference in pain perception was found between groups of extroverts and introverts. No significant difference was found between groups of neurotics and the emotionally stable.Conclusions: Results of the conducted study show that introverts described pain as stronger than extroverts. Therefore, it is worth to consider adding psychological support, appropriate to a patient’s personality type, to comprehensive therapy for diagnosed discopathy, which already includes an individualised physiotherapy program and drug regimen.

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