Pain Assessment and Quality of Life in Back Pain Patients: Role of Milnacipran

Chronic pain is a costly syndrome that influences every aspect of a patient's life. Significant interference with sleep, employment, social functioning, and daily activities is common. Chronic pain patients frequently report depression, anxiety, irritability, sexual dysfunction, and decreased energy. Family roles are altered, and worries abound about financial limitations and future consequences of a restricted lifestyle. Epidemiological studies have independently documented that chronic pain is an immense international problem. Chronic pain symptoms afflict one third of the American population (more than 80 million people). Chronic pain accounts for 21% of emergency room visits and 25% of annual missed work days. When direct and indirect costs are considered, chronic pain imposes a greater economic burden than any other disease, with annual estimates up to $100 billion.

Patients will complete a number of questionnaires at baseline and undergo quantitative sensory testing (QST) as well as complete a handheld electronic diary PDA throughout the entire 10 weeks of the study. Patients will be evaluated by a physician and receive a complete history and physical. Radiological studies will be consulted to confirm diagnosis. All subjects who consent to participate in this study will be started on or converted to milnacipran if they are currently taking an SSRI, buproprion, or a TCA. This will be done over a 1 to 2 week period of gradually weaning the antidepressant and escalating milnacipran. All other adjuvant medication will remain constant through the course of the 10-week trial. Efforts will be made to recruit at least 40% of the patients (N= 24) who are not taking opioids for pain.

At the end of the study, all patients will repeat the baseline questionnaires listed above except the demographic questionnaire. They will also be asked to complete the Treatment Helpfulness Questionnaire. We will compare secondary outcome differences (treatment satisfaction and helpfulness) between patients either on or off of opioids.