The 13-Item Pain Catastrophizing Scale

The 13-Item Pain Catastrophizing Scale

Catastrophizing is a natural response to being in pain. It has, however, been shown to increase pain levels and suffering. If you're doing it and you can stop it, you should see a reduction in your pain. One way to stop catastrophizing is to watch for times when you use words (either to yourself or others) like "always" or "never".

Studies show that people who are catastrophizing show more activation in the parts of their brains that control the anticipation of and attention to pain as well as the emotional response to pain.

How To: Rate how much each statement is true for you on a scale from 0 (not at all) to 4 (all the time) and then add up your score.

  1. I worry all the time whether it will end
  2. I feel I can't go on.
  3. It's terrible and I think it's never going to get any better.
  4. It's awful and I feel that it overwhelms me.
  5. I feel I can't stand it anymore
  6. I become afraid that the pain will get worse
  7. I keep thinking of other painful events
  8. I anxiously want the pain to go away
  9. I can't seem to get it out of my mind
  10. I keep thinking about how much it hurts
  11. I keep thinking about how badly I want the pain to stop
  12. There's nothing I can do to reduce the intensity of the pain
  13. I wonder whether something serious may happen
Moderate catastrophizer - mid teens
Typical fibromyalgia score - mid to high 20's.

Taken from the book "A Nation in Pain" by Judy Foreman
Author
Cort
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I don't think people in significant pain can control it by changing their perspective or view point on the situation. It is like telling people with worn out hips ( and terrible hip/ leg pain) to stop catastrophizing and feel better. No orthopedic doc recommends that !!! These people get rid of pain with a hip replacement.

Unfortunately, we do not have the technology or expertise to carefully define exactly where the ' fibromyalgia' pain is coming from. Virtually no one has looked at pain syndromes in people with scoliosis. Before MRI Chiari malformations, syringomyelia, and tethered cord syndrome were not at all clearly diagnosable or defined. There is still a lot of disagreement on exactly how these syndromes can be diagnosed - what is normal, what is causing symptoms.

There is a condition called myelomalacia ( tiny bubbles of spinal fluid in the spinal cord)that can not be seen on typical MRIs.

When so called experts state that Fibromyalgia pain is due to catastrophizing it invalidates the terrible disability, loss of 'Life,' and human suffering that these once healthy and pain- free individuals are experiencing.
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