My research: a PhD student explains
Philip Rask Lage-Hansen
The project investigates why some people with well-treated rheumatoid arthritis still experience pain.
What is the title of your thesis?
Can unexplained pain in Rheumatoid arthritis be explained?
At which department and/or research unit did you complete your PhD?
Department of Clinical Research, Rheumatology Research Unit, Odense University Hospital (OUH).
Who was your principal supervisor?
Professor Torkell Ellingsen.
What question did you aim to answer with your thesis?
Why do some people with well-treated rheumatoid arthritis still experience pain?
What did you find?
Pain does not always reflect arthritis activity. Fibromyalgia may contribute to persistent pain and increase the burden of disease.
How did you do it?
I reviewed the literature to investigate how pain responds to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis and how this influences physicians’ and patients’ assessments of the overall treatment effect.
I also conducted a study involving muscle and skin biopsies to explore whether chronic pain is associated with tissue abnormalities.
Finally, 300 patients were followed over seven years to examine whether healthcare use differs between patients with and without chronic pain.
How can your research be applied (in the clinic, society, etc.)?
The findings show that pain remains a persistent problem in rheumatoid arthritis despite available treatments. This may lead physicians and patients to disagree about how well treatment is working.
If pain is not appropriately addressed, patients may face repeated referrals and consultations across the healthcare system in search of an explanation.
Finally, the thesis demonstrates that chronic pain may have a physiological abnormalaties in approximately 50% of cases.