The role of self-efficiency toward pain following surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Some very poor results after carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) surgery are difficult to explain. The main hypothesis of this study was that a relationship exists between self-efficiency toward pain and the difference between pre-operative and post-operative pain. The secondary hypothesis was that a relationship exists between self-efficiency toward pain and the pre-operative and post-operative QuickDASH score. The records of 64 patients operated for purely subjective CTS were reviewed. The evaluation consisted in determining self-efficacy beliefs from two PSEQ2 questions (1: I can still accomplish most of my goals in life, despite the pain; 2: I can live a normal lifestyle, despite the pain), pain levels and the QuickDASH score. There was an inversely proportional relationship between the pre-operative PSEQ2 and pain on one hand, and post-operative pain and the pre-operative QuickDASH score on the other hand. We found no correlation between the pre-operative PSEQ2 and post-operative QuickDASH score. Self-efficiency beliefs as measured by PSEQ2 help to predict pain levels after surgical CTS treatment in the absence of sensory and/or motor deficits and/or associated morbidity.