EN
Introduction: Chronic pain is a complex phenomenon, requiring a multidisciplinary treatment program, including psychological and physical aspect. The aim of the treatment is functional status improvement as well as sense of control and patient’s involvement in acceptance and adaptation process to live with persistent pain and increase the quality of life. The aim of this study was to verify the dependency between relaxation and chronic pain intensity and pain coping strategies.Material and methods: The objective of this study was to demonstrate the dependence between relaxation, as a part of multidisciplinary pain treatment, and pain intensity, depression, function and pain coping strategies. The study was conducted among forty five (N = 45) pain patients, at age 60-80,in medical care center for elderly. The studied participants were randomized in three groups, each consisted fifteen persons, including the half part of women and half part of men. First group participated in relaxation training and standard physiotherapy, second group participated only in standard physiotherapy, control group participated in placebo - conversation with relaxation trainer, without training, with standard physiotherapy.Pain intensity was measured with VAS scale(visual-analogue pain scale), every day of the study, twice: before and after activity. Pain coping strategies were verified at the baseline and after two weeks with Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ).Results: Results were analyzed with Statistica program. The study showed pain intensity decrease in all examined group, adaptive pain coping strategies significantly increased in relaxation group.Conclusions: Relaxation caused the pain intensity decrease; pain coping strategies induced pain intensity decline.