We are interested in the pain that people with COPD experience and how it might impact their treatment in terms of pulmonary rehabilitation. We first conducted a review to determine the prevalence of pain in people with COPD and found that 66% of people with COPD report pain and that higher pain intensity was associated with more shortness of breath and fatigue, and poorer quality of life. We then conducted our own study of pain in our patients and found that upper back and chest pain were very common and that people with pain had more shortness of breath, more depression and lower physical activity. We also used interviews with people with COPD to find out more about the impact of pain. We found that pain is made worse by shortness of breath and anxiety, that patients in pulmonary rehabilitation are reluctant to report pain for fear of being unable to complete the program, and that they report difficulty in describing their pain, feelings of frustration and depression, and changes to their self-worth. We also found that pulmonary rehabilitation is effective in people with and without pain but it did not affect pain intensity or pain coping strategies.   
  
Take home message: Pain is very common in people with COPD and its physical and psychological impact is complicated. We need to know more about our patients’ pain so we can manage ongoing pain in those with COPD.   
  
Publications

Review of Pain in COPD 
Pain and Pulmonary Rehabilitation 
Pain in COPD 
Pain Experiences 
Effect of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Pain