Ethnic similarities and differences in the chronic pain experience: a comparison of african american, Hispanic, and white patients.

Objective: Ethnic differences in the perception, experience, and impact of pain have received growing attention in recent years. Although studies comparing pain among African Americans, Hispanics, and whites have yielded mixed findings, increasing evidence suggests an enhancement of the pain experience for African American and Hispanic patients. Mechanisms proposed to account for this effect include systematic differences in psychological distress and in pain-coping strategies, or differential relationships between these factors and pain.

Psychological differences between reflex sympathetic dystrophy and non-RSD chronic pain patients.

This study examined possible psychological differences between Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) and non-RSD chronic pain patients. Unlike the few previous studies in this area, this study controlled statistically for age and pain duration differences across diagnostic groups, and included a non-RSD limb pain control group. Subjects were a consecutive series of 34 RSD, 50 non-RSD limb pain (Limb), and 165 low back pain (LBP) patients presenting for treatment at the Rush Pain Center.