Pain Coping Skills Training Alleviates Chronic Pain in Dialysis Patients, Enhancing Quality of Life

Mark Unruh, MD, Chair of the UNM Department of Internal Medicine, shared insights from the study. “Twenty-two participants, many of them Native American, took part in the New Mexico component of the study,” he noted. “This is particularly significant as the options for pain management are often limited, and opioid use has been linked to negative outcomes in this patient group.”

The Scope of Dialysis-Related Pain

The study involved 643 participants from 16 medical centers and 103 dialysis clinics across the HOPE Consortium, a large-scale research initiative exploring innovative treatments for dialysis patients. “New Mexico played a pivotal role in the trial,” Unruh emphasized. “We oversaw the primary outcomes, focusing on underrepresented populations in rural clinics.”

Pain Coping Skills Training: A Promising Alternative

In the trial, half the participants received pain coping skills training, while the other half received standard care. The PCST program included 45-minute coaching sessions via phone or video for 12 weeks, followed by an additional 12 weeks of daily interactive voice response sessions to track progress.

The results were encouraging. “We observed modest but noticeable improvements in how pain interfered with daily activities for those who underwent PCST,” Unruh commented. “This suggests that instead of prescribing opioids, healthcare providers could refer patients to psychologists practicing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as an alternative approach to pain management.”

Broader Implications for Clinical Care

This study underscores the potential of research-driven methods to enhance clinical outcomes for dialysis patients. “It’s exciting to see these findings in print, offering viable alternatives to opioid use for pain treatment,” Unruh noted. “This shift could significantly improve the quality of life for patients dealing with chronic pain from dialysis.”