The accuracy of remembering chronic pain

Twelve chronic pain patients were employed in an investigation of the accuracy of memory for chronic pain. Subjects first made pain ratings before entering a treatment program. At dismissal 3-11 weeks later they were asked to remember how much pain they had had at baseline. Results show that patients remembered having significantly more pain than they actually rated during the baseline period. Caution is therefore warranted when using post-hoc pain measures with chronic pain patients.