Table 3.
Responses for the Neurophysiology of Pain (NPQ) questionnaire items (matched data only)
| Pre-intervention | Post-intervention | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPQ item | Correct responses | Undecided responses | Correct responses | Undecided responses |
| 1. Receptors on nerves work by opening ion channels in the wall of the nerve. | 44 (80%) | 10 (18.2%) | 48 (88.9%) | 3 (5.5%) |
| 2. When part of your body is injured, special pain receptors convey the pain message to your brain. | 1 (1.8%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (5.5%) | 0 (0%) |
| 3. Pain only occurs when you are injured or at risk of being injured. | 37 (67.3%) | 5 (9.1%) | 40 (72.7%) | 1 (1.8%) |
| 4. Special nerves in your spinal cord convey “danger” messages to your brain. | 42 (76.4%) | 9 (16.4%) | 46 (83.6%) | 2 (3.6%) |
| 5. Pain is not possible when there are no nerve messages coming from the painful body part. | 26 (47.3%) | 8 (14.5%) | 36 (65.5%) | 3 (5.5%) |
| 6. Pain occurs whenever you are injured. | 35 (63.6%) | 7 (12.7%) | 41 (74.5%) | 3 (5.5%) |
| 7. The brain sends messages down your spinal cord that can change the message going up your spinal cord.^ | 29 (52.7%) | 14 (25.5%) | 44 (80.0%) | 5 (9.1%) |
| 8. The brain decides when you will experience pain.* | 34 (61.8%) | 9 (16.4%) | 48 (87.3%) | 3 (5.5%) |
| 9. Nerves adapt by increasing their resting level of excitement. | 42 (76.4%) | 9 (16.4%) | 49 (89.1%) | 4 (7.3%) |
| 10. Chronic pain means that an injury hasn’t healed properly. | 28 (50.9%) | 7 (12.7%) | 38 (69.1%) | 4 (7.3%) |
| 11. The body tells the brain when it is in pain.^ | 11 (20.0%) | 7 (12.7%) | 31 (56.4%) | 4 (7.3%) |
| 12. Nerves can adapt by producing more receptors.^ | 31 (56.4%) | 14 (25.5%) | 47 (85.5%) | 14 (25.5%) |
| 13. Worse injuries always result in worse pain. | 39 (70.9%) | 7 (12.7%) | 46 (83.6%) | 2 (3.6%) |
| 14. Nerves adapt by making ion channels stay open longer.^ | 21 (38.2%) | 31 (56.4%) | 41 (74.5%) | 8 (14.5%) |
| 15. Descending neurons are always inhibitory.^ | 16 (29.1%) | 38 (69.1%) | 44 (80.0%) | 8 (14.5%) |
| 16. When you injure yourself, the environment that you are in will not affect the amount of pain you experience, as long as the injury is exactly the same. | 44 (80.0%) | 6 (10.9%) | 51 (92.7%) | 2 (3.6%) |
| 17. It is possible to have pain and not know about it. | 15 (27.3%) | 5 (9.1%) | 16 (29.1%) | 4 (7.3%) |
| 18. When you are injured, special receptors convey the danger message to your spinal cord. | 40 (72.7%) | 8 (14.5%) | 44 (80.0%) | 3 (5.5%) |
| 19. All other things being equal, an identical finger injury will probably hurt the left little finger more than the right little finger in a violinist but not a piano player. | 11 (20.0%) | 26 (47.3%) | 7 (20.0%) | 15 (27.3%) |
| Total score (median & range) | 10 (4–16) | 14 (7–19) | ||
^p < 0.001, *p < 0.01