Pain
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The objective of this study was to investigate the national pattern of strong opioid use among community-dwelling persons with and without Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Finland. All persons (n=28,093) with a diagnosis of AD in 2005 were identified by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (SII). For each person with AD, the SII identified a comparison person individually matched in terms of age (±1year), sex, and region of residence. ⋯ However, the results highlight the challenges associated with diagnosing and treating pain in this population, and the importance of balancing the risk of adverse drug reactions against the ease of transdermal administration. Use of opioid analgesics was lower among 28,089 persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared with individually matched comparison persons without AD. However, use of strong opioids and transdermal fentanyl was more prevalent among persons with AD.
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Review Meta Analysis
Relationship between physical activity and disability in low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
It is often assumed that patients with pain-related disability due to low back pain (LBP) will have reduced physical activity levels, but recent studies have provided results that challenge this assumption. The aim of our systematic review was to examine the relationship between physical activity and disability in LBP. The literature search included 6 electronic databases and the reference list of relevant systematic reviews and studies to May 2010. ⋯ Persons with chronic LBP with high levels of disability are also likely to have low levels of physical activity. Persons with acute or subacute back pain appear to vary in the levels of physical activity independent of disability. Persons with chronic back pain with high levels of disability will likely have low levels of physical activity.