Preoperative Chronic Stress and Pain Outcomes: A Pilot Study of Hair Cortisol, Perceived Stress, and Chronic Post-Surgical Pain

This pilot study investigated the relationship between preoperative chronic stress, measured by hair cortisol concentration (HCC) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) scores, and the development of chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) in 42 participants. Despite the hypothesis that elevated stress markers might predict CPSP, no significant associations were found between HCC, perceived stress, cold pain sensitivity, or CPSP outcomes. The study's limitations include a small sample size and variability in HCC values. The findings suggest that HCC or perceived stress alone may not effectively identify CPSP risk, highlighting the need for screening approaches that consider a combination of psychological, biological, and perioperative factors for better risk detection and intervention.