Abstract
BackgroundPsychosocial factors play an important role in chronic musculoskeletal pain disorders. Although psychosocial stress is likely to contribute to the development of chronic musculoskeletal pain, investigations are limited to work-related stress or examination of specific conditions such as upper limb pain. The purpose of this review is to assess the evidence for an aetiological role of psychological stress in chronic musculoskeletal pain disorders.MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted. Electronic databases will be searched using predefined search terms to identify relevant studies. Data will be extracted by two independent reviewers, and disagreement will be resolved by a third reviewer. Only prospective longitudinal studies that assess psychosocial stress at baseline will be included. The population of interest will be inception cohorts or cohorts of people who have not yet developed chronic musculoskeletal pain disorders. The primary outcome measure will be the onset of chronic musculoskeletal pain.DiscussionTo our knowledge, this review will be the first to systematically explore the available evidence on the aetiological role of psychosocial stress for the development of chronic musculoskeletal pain disorders. This review has the capacity to inform clinical practice on the importance of an early identification and, consequently, treatment of individuals who present with acute musculoskeletal disorders accompanied by a high level of stress.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42017059949
Highlights
Psychosocial factors play an important role in chronic musculoskeletal pain disorders
Review question Does non-work-related psychosocial stress have an aetiological role in the development of chronic Musculoskeletal disorders (MD) in the general population?
Since the aim of this study is to evaluate whether previous high levels of stress, or high stress present at the time of pain onset, have an aetiological role in the development of chronic MDs, studies will be included if participants are pain free at baseline, or if their pain, deriving from a MD, is acute [13]
Summary
Psychosocial factors play an important role in chronic musculoskeletal pain disorders. Psychosocial stress is likely to contribute to the development of chronic musculoskeletal pain, investigations are limited to work-related stress or examination of specific conditions such as upper limb pain. The purpose of this review is to assess the evidence for an aetiological role of psychological stress in chronic musculoskeletal pain disorders. Musculoskeletal disorders (MDs) are the second most common cause of disability worldwide, causing absence from work and increased costs for employers and the health care system. The term MDs indicates pains or aches of the musculoskeletal body system (muscles, joints, ligaments or tendons) [2], cognitive and psychosocial factors are associated with MDs. psychosocial factors have been. Psychosocial stress can be triggered by different types of stressors, such as adverse life events (e.g. job loss or loss of a loved one), daily hassles (e.g. financial uncertainty or difficult relationships) or work-related stressors
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
