New Research Finds Psychological Therapy Eases Pain Management for Dialysis Patients - Video

Among people with dialysis-dependent kidney failure, a form of psychological therapy called pain coping skills training reduced how much pain got in the way of their daily lives, also known as pain interference. The clinical trial found that training people on how to manage pain reduced the extent to which pain affected their work and social activities, mood, and relationships.

The multi-center trial enrolled 643 adults being treated with maintenance dialysis for end-stage kidney disease and experiencing chronic pain. About half of participants were assigned to the pain coping skills training intervention, while the other half received usual clinical care with no trial-based intervention. The pain coping skills training comprised 12 weeks of virtual, one-on-one, coach-led sessions to teach coping skills for chronic pain, enhance self-efficacy, and reduce pain-related sleep difficulties, anxiety, and stress. The intervention included instruction, modeling of skills, guided practice, and experiential training. The coach-led sessions were followed by 12 weeks of automated interactive voice response sessions to refresh the newly acquired skills.

At 12 weeks, 51% of people in the pain coping skills training group reported a reduction in pain interference vs. 37% in the usual care group, and the benefit continued throughout the 24-week intervention period. The difference between the two groups diminished at week 36, 12 weeks after the intervention ended. Researchers believe people receiving pain coping skills training may need continued reinforcement to see additional or long-term benefit.

The study results indicate that pain coping skills training may be an appealing alternative or complement to pain medications.

Reference: Dember LM, Hsu JY, Mehrotra R, et al. Pain Coping Skills Training for Patients Receiving Hemodialysis: The HOPE Consortium Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. Published online December 30, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.7140