Objective: Kinesiophobia is a clinically relevant factor in the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain. The aim of this study was to explore the cross-sectional association between kinesiophobia and both pain intensity and disability among individuals with chronic shoulder pain.

Methods: A total of 65 participants with chronic unilateral subacromial shoulder pain were recruited from 3 primary care centers. The Shoulder Pain and Disability Index assessed pain intensity and disability. The Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia short form assessed the presence of kinesiophobia. A linear multivariable regression analysis evaluated the potential association between kinesiophobia and range of movement free of pain with pain intensity and disability. The analysis was adjusted for sex and age.

Results: In the linear multivariable regression analysis, only greater kinesiophobia (standardized β = 0.35, P < .01) and sex (standardized β = -0.29, P < .01) contributed to explain 19% of the variance in shoulder pain and disability scores.

Conclusion: This cross-sectional study provides preliminary evidence about the association between kinesiophobia and pain intensity and disability among individuals with chronic shoulder pain. However, our findings only contributed to explain 19% of the variance in shoulder pain and disability scores.

Author keywords: Shoulder Pain; Chronic Pain; Fear; Disabled Persons

Author affiliations: ALS: Universidad de Malaga, Facultad Ciencias de la Salud, Department of Physiotherapy, Malaga, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Malaga, Spain; JMC: Universidad de Malaga, Facultad Ciencias de la Salud, Department of Physiotherapy, Malaga, Spain; SNL: Department of Physiotherapy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; JMMA: Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Malaga, Spain; Universidad de Malaga, Facultad Ciencias de la Salud, Department of Nursing, Malaga, Spain; MM: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Pain in Motion International Research Group, Antwerp, Belgium; FS: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

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