Personality changes associated with reduction of pain.

Of 113 patients treated in a 2-year period, for whom complete data were available, 29 who received surgery for pain relief were compared with 84 who did not, both groups receiving psychological treatment and rehabilitation. Using an analysis of covariance to eliminate pre-treatment differences, the surgery patients showed significantly greater reductions on the MMPI Hysteria and Hypomania scales, and on the invalidism scale of a Health Index, and this was associated with a significantly greater reduction of pain. These differences obtained despite a greater increase in activity levels by the non-surgery patients at the time of testing. The results support the hypothesis that the neuroticism associated with chronic pain is the result of it, and may be reversible when the pain is reduced or abolished.