C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with chronic pain independently of biopsychosocial factors

Inflammation is linked with chronic pain but the extent to which this relationship is associated with biopsychosocial factors is not known. We investigated relationships between blood C-reactive protein (CRP) and regional chronic pain conditions adjusting for a large range and number of potential confounders. We performed cross-sectional analyses using the UK Biobank (N=415,567) comparing CRP in people reporting any of nine types of regional chronic pain with pain-free controls. Using logistic regression modelling, we explored relationships between CRP and the presence of chronic pain, with demographic, socioeconomic, psychological/lifestyle factors, and medical comorbidities as covariates. CRP was higher in chronic pain at any site compared with controls (Females: median [IQR] 1.60mg/L [2.74] vs 1.17mg/L [1.87], P