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Steven J. Linton

Other affiliations: Royal North Shore Hospital
Bio: Steven J. Linton is an academic researcher from Örebro University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Chronic pain & Pain catastrophizing. The author has an hindex of 76, co-authored 265 publications receiving 27030 citations. Previous affiliations of Steven J. Linton include Royal North Shore Hospital.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
01 Apr 2000-Pain
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed the existing evidence for the mediating role of pain-related fear, and its immediate and long-term consequences in the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain disability.
Abstract: In an attempt to explain how and why some individuals with musculoskeletal pain develop a chronic pain syndrome, Lethem et al. (Lethem J, Slade PD, Troup JDG, Bentley G. Outline of fear-avoidance model of exaggerated pain perceptions. Behav Res Ther 1983; 21: 401-408).ntroduced a so-called 'fear-avoidance' model. The central concept of their model is fear of pain. 'Confrontation' and 'avoidance' are postulated as the two extreme responses to this fear, of which the former leads to the reduction of fear over time. The latter, however, leads to the maintenance or exacerbation of fear, possibly generating a phobic state. In the last decade, an increasing number of investigations have corroborated and refined the fear-avoidance model. The aim of this paper is to review the existing evidence for the mediating role of pain-related fear, and its immediate and long-term consequences in the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain disability. We first highlight possible precursors of pain-related fear including the role negative appraisal of internal and external stimuli, negative affectivity and anxiety sensitivity may play. Subsequently, a number of fear-related processes will be discussed including escape and avoidance behaviors resulting in poor behavioral performance, hypervigilance to internal and external illness information, muscular reactivity, and physical disuse in terms of deconditioning and guarded movement. We also review the available assessment methods for the quantification of pain-related fear and avoidance. Finally, we discuss the implications of the recent findings for the prevention and treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Although there are still a number of unresolved issues which merit future research attention, pain-related fear and avoidance appear to be an essential feature of the development of a chronic problem for a substantial number of patients with musculoskeletal pain.

3,695 citations

Journal Article
30 Mar 2000-Brain
TL;DR: A review of the existing evidence for the mediating role of pain‐related fear, and its immediate and long‐term consequences in the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain disability, and the implications of the recent findings for the prevention and treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Abstract: &NA; In an attempt to explain how and why some individuals with musculoskeletal pain develop a chronic pain syndrome, Lethem et al.(Lethem J, Slade PD, Troup JDG, Bentley G. Outline of fear‐avoidance model of exaggerated pain perceptions. Behav Res Ther 1983; 21: 401‐408).ntroduced a so‐called ‘fear‐avoidance’ model. The central concept of their model is fear of pain. ‘Confrontation’ and ‘avoidance’ are postulated as the two extreme responses to this fear, of which the former leads to the reduction of fear over time. The latter, however, leads to the maintenance or exacerbation of fear, possibly generating a phobic state. In the last decade, an increasing number of investigations have corroborated and refined the fear‐avoidance model. The aim of this paper is to review the existing evidence for the mediating role of pain‐related fear, and its immediate and long‐term consequences in the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain disability. We first highlight possible precursors of pain‐related fear including the role negative appraisal of internal and external stimuli, negative affectivity and anxiety sensitivity may play. Subsequently, a number of fear‐related processes will be discussed including escape and avoidance behaviors resulting in poor behavioral performance, hypervigilance to internal and external illness information, muscular reactivity, and physical disuse in terms of deconditioning and guarded movement. We also review the available assessment methods for the quantification of pain‐related fear and avoidance. Finally, we discuss the implications of the recent findings for the prevention and treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Although there are still a number of unresolved issues which merit future research attention, pain‐related fear and avoidance appear to be an essential feature of the development of a chronic problem for a substantial number of patients with musculoskeletal pain.

3,661 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The current state of scientific evidence for the individual components of the fear-avoidance model: pain severity, pain catastrophizing, attention to pain, escape/avoidance behavior, disability, disuse, and vulnerabilities is reviewed.
Abstract: Research studies focusing on the fear-avoidance model have expanded considerably since the review by Vlaeyen and Linton (Vlaeyen J. W. S. & Linton, S. J. (2000). Fear-avoidance and its consequences in chronic musculoskeletal pain: a state of the art. Pain, 85(3), 317--332). The fear-avoidance model is a cognitive-behavioral account that explains why a minority of acute low back pain sufferers develop a chronic pain problem. This paper reviews the current state of scientific evidence for the individual components of the model: pain severity, pain catastrophizing, attention to pain, escape/avoidance behavior, disability, disuse, and vulnerabilities. Furthermore, support for the contribution of pain-related fear in the inception of low back pain, the development of chronic low back pain from an acute episode, and the maintenance of enduring pain, will be highlighted. Finally, available evidence on recent clinical applications is provided, and unresolved issues that need further exploration are discussed.

1,900 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 May 2000-Spine
TL;DR: Because the methodologic quality of the studies varied considerably, future research should focus on improving quality and addressing new questions such as the mechanism, the developmental time factor, and the relevance that these risk factors have for intervention.
Abstract: STUDY DESIGN: The literature on psychological factors in neck and back pain was systematically searched and reviewed. OBJECTIVES: To summarize current knowledge concerning the role of psychological variables in the etiology and development of neck and back pain. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Recent conceptions of spinal pain, especially chronic back pain, have highlighted the role of psychological factors. Numerous studies subsequently have examined the effects of various psychological factors in neck and back pain. There is a need to review this material to ascertain what conclusions may be drawn. METHODS: Medical and psychological databases and cross-referencing were used to locate 913 potentially relevant articles. A table of 37 studies was constructed, consisting only of studies with prospective designs to ensure quality. Each study was reviewed for the population studied, the psychological predictor variables, and the outcome. RESULTS: The available literature indicated a clear link between psychological variables and neck and back pain. The prospective studies indicated that psychological variables were related to the onset of pain, and to acute, subacute, and chronic pain. Stress, distress, or anxiety as well as mood and emotions, cognitive functioning, and pain behavior all were found to be significant factors. Personality factors produced mixed results. Although the level of evidence was low, abuse also was found to be a potentially significant factor. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological factors play a significant role not only in chronic pain, but also in the etiology of acute pain, particularly in the transition to chronic problems. Specific types of psychological variables emerge and may be important in distinct developmental time frames, also implying that assessment and intervention need to reflect these variables. Still, psychological factors account for only a portion of the variance, thereby highlighting the multidimensional view. Because the methodologic quality of the studies varied considerably, future research should focus on improving quality and addressing new questions such as the mechanism, the developmental time factor, and the relevance that these risk factors have for intervention.

1,718 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jan 2012-Pain
TL;DR: The research evidence supporting the role of fear of pain in the development of chronic pain disability is summarized, a model incorporating basic mechanisms is presented, and a selected number of remaining challenges and areas for future research are highlighted.
Abstract: It is widely acknowledged that pain is a universal experience that affects human beings across the life span, serving an important protective function. Typical protective behaviors are the withdrawal from the noxious stimulus, nonverbal expressions that signal others for impending harm, and verbal utterances. Some of these occur involuntarily, as a reflex, whereas other behaviors are more deliberate. However, there is accumulating evidence that it is not pain itself, but the meaning of pain that predicts the extent to which individuals engage in these protective behaviors [1,3]. About a decade ago, we summarized the research evidence supporting the role of fear of pain in the development of chronic pain disability, presented a model incorporating basic mechanisms, but also noted a number of unresolved issues that called for further scientific attention [39] (Fig. 1). In the last decade, the number of studies on this subject has increased exponentially [21], and novel directions are being proposed [6]. Two main stances have emerged. First, although pain has intrinsic threatening features, the threat value of similar pain stimulus may vary across contexts and individuals. Second, protective responding may be adaptive in the short term, but may paradoxically worsen the problem in the long term. In the current updated review, we briefly summarize the progress made since, and highlight a selected number of remaining challenges and areas for future research.

771 citations


Cited by
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01 Jan 2016
TL;DR: The using multivariate statistics is universally compatible with any devices to read, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of the authors' books like this one.
Abstract: Thank you for downloading using multivariate statistics. As you may know, people have look hundreds times for their favorite novels like this using multivariate statistics, but end up in infectious downloads. Rather than reading a good book with a cup of tea in the afternoon, instead they juggled with some harmful bugs inside their laptop. using multivariate statistics is available in our digital library an online access to it is set as public so you can download it instantly. Our books collection saves in multiple locations, allowing you to get the most less latency time to download any of our books like this one. Merely said, the using multivariate statistics is universally compatible with any devices to read.

14,604 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Jes Olesen, André Bes, Robert S. Kunkel, James W. Lance, Giuseppe Nappi, V Pfaffenrath, Frank Clifford Rose, Bruce S. Schoenberg, D. Soyka, Peer Tfelt-Hansen, K. Michael A. Welch, Marica Wilkinson, Marie-Germaine Bousser, Hans-Christoph Diener, David W. Dodick, Michael First, Peter J. Goadsby, Hartmut Göbel, Miguel J. A. Láinez, Richard B. Lipton, Fumihiko Sakai, Jean Schoenen, Stephen D. Silberstein, Timothy J. Steiner, Lars Bendtsen, Anne Ducros, Stefan Evers, Andrew D. Hershey, Zaza Katsarava, Morris Levin, Julio Pascual, Michael Bjørn Russell, Todd J. Schwedt, Cristina Tassorelli, Gisela M. Terwindt, Maurice Vincent, Shuu Jiun Wang, Andrew Charles, R. Lipton, Hayrunnisa Bolay, Michel Lantéri-Minet, E. A. Macgregor, T. Takeshima, Henrik Winther Schytz, S. Ashina, M. T. Goicochea, K. Hirata, Kenneth A. Holroyd, Christian Lampl, Dimos-Dimitrios Mitsikostas, P. Goadsby, C. Boes, C. Bordini, E. Cittadini, Andrew I. Cohen, M. Leone, A. May, L. Newman, J. Pareja, J. W. Park, T. Rozen, E. Waldenlind, Jong Ling Fuh, Aynur Özge, J. A. Pareja, Mario Fernando Prieto Peres, William B. Young, S. Y. Yu, Ishaq Abu-Arafeh, J. Gladstone, S. J. Huang, Rigmor Jensen, J.M. Láinez, D. Obelieniene, Peter S. Sandor, A. I. Scher, Marcel Arnold, Martin Dichgans, E. Houdart, José M. Ferro, Elizabeth Leroux, Y. S. Li, Aneesh B. Singhal, Gretchen E. Tietjen, Deborah I. Friedman, S. Kirby, B. Mokri, A. Purdy, K. Ravishankar, W. Schievink, R. Stark, F. Taylor, A. V. Krymchantowski, A. Tugrul, N. J. Wiendels, E. Marchioni, V. V. Osipova, Lidia Savi, J. R. Berger, Marcelo E. Bigal, J. González Menacho, Federico Mainardi, J. Pereira-Monteiro, M. Serrano-Dueñas, Roger Cady, C. Fernandez de las Peñas, Vincenzo Guidetti, J. Lance, Peter Svensson, Elizabeth Loder, A. E. Lake, Françoise Radat, J. I. Escobar, R. Benoliel, Claudia Sommer, A. Woda, Joanna M Zakrzewska, V. Aggarwal, L. Bonamico, Dominik A Ettlin, S. Graff-Radford, Jean-Paul Goulet, S. Jääskeläinen, Volker Limmroth, Ambra Michelotti, Donald R. Nixdorf, Mark Obermann, Richard Ohrbach, Paul Pionchon, Tara Renton, S. De Siqueira, Çiçek Wöber-Bingöl 
TL;DR: The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3 edition (beta version), may be reproduced freely for scientific, educational or clinical uses by institutions, societies or individuals as mentioned in this paper. But the authors require the permission of the International Headache Society.
Abstract: The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3 edition (beta version), may be reproduced freely for scientific, educational or clinical uses by institutions, societies or individuals. Otherwise, copyright belongs exclusively to the International Headache Society. Reproduction of any part or parts in any manner for commercial uses requires the Society’s permission, which will be granted on payment of a fee. Please contact the publisher at the address below. International Headache Society 2013. Applications for copyright permissions should be submitted to Sage Publications Ltd, 1 Oliver’s Yard, 55 City Road, London EC1Y 1SP, United Kingdom (tel: þ44 (0) 20 7324 8500; fax: þ44 (0) 207 324 8600) (www.sagepub.co.uk). Translations

6,519 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Apr 2000-Pain
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed the existing evidence for the mediating role of pain-related fear, and its immediate and long-term consequences in the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain disability.
Abstract: In an attempt to explain how and why some individuals with musculoskeletal pain develop a chronic pain syndrome, Lethem et al. (Lethem J, Slade PD, Troup JDG, Bentley G. Outline of fear-avoidance model of exaggerated pain perceptions. Behav Res Ther 1983; 21: 401-408).ntroduced a so-called 'fear-avoidance' model. The central concept of their model is fear of pain. 'Confrontation' and 'avoidance' are postulated as the two extreme responses to this fear, of which the former leads to the reduction of fear over time. The latter, however, leads to the maintenance or exacerbation of fear, possibly generating a phobic state. In the last decade, an increasing number of investigations have corroborated and refined the fear-avoidance model. The aim of this paper is to review the existing evidence for the mediating role of pain-related fear, and its immediate and long-term consequences in the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain disability. We first highlight possible precursors of pain-related fear including the role negative appraisal of internal and external stimuli, negative affectivity and anxiety sensitivity may play. Subsequently, a number of fear-related processes will be discussed including escape and avoidance behaviors resulting in poor behavioral performance, hypervigilance to internal and external illness information, muscular reactivity, and physical disuse in terms of deconditioning and guarded movement. We also review the available assessment methods for the quantification of pain-related fear and avoidance. Finally, we discuss the implications of the recent findings for the prevention and treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Although there are still a number of unresolved issues which merit future research attention, pain-related fear and avoidance appear to be an essential feature of the development of a chronic problem for a substantial number of patients with musculoskeletal pain.

3,695 citations

Journal Article
30 Mar 2000-Brain
TL;DR: A review of the existing evidence for the mediating role of pain‐related fear, and its immediate and long‐term consequences in the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain disability, and the implications of the recent findings for the prevention and treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Abstract: &NA; In an attempt to explain how and why some individuals with musculoskeletal pain develop a chronic pain syndrome, Lethem et al.(Lethem J, Slade PD, Troup JDG, Bentley G. Outline of fear‐avoidance model of exaggerated pain perceptions. Behav Res Ther 1983; 21: 401‐408).ntroduced a so‐called ‘fear‐avoidance’ model. The central concept of their model is fear of pain. ‘Confrontation’ and ‘avoidance’ are postulated as the two extreme responses to this fear, of which the former leads to the reduction of fear over time. The latter, however, leads to the maintenance or exacerbation of fear, possibly generating a phobic state. In the last decade, an increasing number of investigations have corroborated and refined the fear‐avoidance model. The aim of this paper is to review the existing evidence for the mediating role of pain‐related fear, and its immediate and long‐term consequences in the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain disability. We first highlight possible precursors of pain‐related fear including the role negative appraisal of internal and external stimuli, negative affectivity and anxiety sensitivity may play. Subsequently, a number of fear‐related processes will be discussed including escape and avoidance behaviors resulting in poor behavioral performance, hypervigilance to internal and external illness information, muscular reactivity, and physical disuse in terms of deconditioning and guarded movement. We also review the available assessment methods for the quantification of pain‐related fear and avoidance. Finally, we discuss the implications of the recent findings for the prevention and treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Although there are still a number of unresolved issues which merit future research attention, pain‐related fear and avoidance appear to be an essential feature of the development of a chronic problem for a substantial number of patients with musculoskeletal pain.

3,661 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Strategies for identification of patients at risk and for prevention and possible treatment of this important entity of chronic pain are outlined.

3,365 citations