Pain
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Chronic pain is common and creates a significant burden to the individual and society. Emerging research has shown the influence of the family environment on pain outcomes. However, it is not clear what shared factors between family members associate with chronic pain. ⋯ There was an increase in odds of chronic pain if exposure family member had chronic pain (odds ratio [OR]: 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.65), if both were women (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 0.99-1.94), if both were older in age (OR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.31-2.48), and if both had low household income (OR: 3.27, 95% CI: 1.72-6.21). These findings show that most explanation for chronic pain is still at the individual level. However, some significant shared effects between family members associate with chronic pain, and this highlights the influence of the family context.
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We studied children enrolled within 90 days of juvenile idiopathic arthritis diagnosis in the Research in Arthritis in Canadian Children Emphasizing Outcomes (ReACCh-Out) prospective inception cohort to identify longitudinal trajectories of pain severity and features that may predict pain trajectory at diagnosis. A total of 1062 participants were followed a median of 24.3 months (interquartile range = 16.0-37.1 months). Latent trajectory analysis of pain severity, measured in a 100-mm visual analogue scale, identified 5 distinct trajectories: (1) mild-decreasing pain (56.2% of the cohort); (2) moderate-decreasing pain (28.6%); (3) chronically moderate pain (7.4%); (4) minimal pain (4.0%); and (5) mild-increasing pain (3.7%). ⋯ Although most children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in this cohort had mild or moderate initial levels of pain that decreased quickly, about 1 in 10 children had concerning pain trajectories (chronically moderate pain and mild-increasing pain). Systematic periodic assessment of pain severity in the months after diagnosis may help identify these concerning pain trajectories early and lay out appropriate pain management plans. Focused research into the factors leading to these concerning trajectories may help prevent them.
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Recent evidence-based guidelines for long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) for chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) have defined daily morphine equivalent doses (MEQ/d) that require particular caution. The recommendation for a threshold MEQ/d is based on North American studies that have demonstrated negative health outcomes associated with high-dose LTOT for CNCP. We have conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study using an anonymized German health claims database, including 4,028,618 persons insured by 69 German statutory health insurances, representative of age and sex for the German population in 2014. ⋯ Those receiving German guideline-recommended opioid treatments vs those receiving high-dose LTOT differed for the following parameters: risky opioid prescribing (combination with tranquilizers) (11.1% vs 14.3%; P < 0.001), hospital admissions because of mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol, opioids, tranquilizers, multiple substances and intoxication by narcotic agents (1.6% vs 2.9%; P < 0.001), and total health costs (7259 vs 10,732 Euro; P < 0.001). The difference in annual costs between the 2 groups was largely due to differences in pharmaceutical costs in the outpatient setting (2282 vs 5402 &OV0556;; P < 0.001). These data confirm recommendations for a threshold MEQ/d for CNCP as recommended by recent opioid prescribing guidelines for CNCP.
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Higher levels of fear have been shown to partly explain individual differences in placebo analgesic responding. The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) rs4680 Val158Met polymorphism has been associated with both increased placebo analgesia and increased fear-related behavior, in what appears to be inconsistent findings in the literature. The aim of the study was therefore to investigate placebo analgesia and fear-related processes with regard to the COMT genotype, to sort out whether the Met-allele is associated with increased placebo analgesia or increased fear of pain (FOP). ⋯ There was a main effect of the COMT genotype on fear of medical pain (P = 0.032), and Met-allele carriers reported significantly higher fear of medical pain compared with the Val-allele (P = 0.044). We observed no effect of the COMT genotype on mean pain-level report or placebo analgesia. Thus, we conclude that the Met-allele seems to be associated with the negative emotional process of fear, but not with placebo analgesia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effectiveness and costs of a vocational advice service to improve work outcomes in patients with musculoskeletal pain in primary care: A cluster randomised trial (SWAP trial ISRCTN 52269669).
Musculoskeletal pain is a common cause of work absence, and early intervention is advocated to prevent the adverse health and economic consequences of longer-term absence. This cluster randomised controlled trial investigated the effect of introducing a vocational advice service into primary care to provide occupational support. Six general practices were randomised; patients were eligible if they were consulting their general practitioner with musculoskeletal pain and were employed and struggling at work or absent from work <6 months. ⋯ The net societal benefit of the intervention compared with best care was £733: £748 gain (work absence) vs £15 loss (health care costs). The addition of a vocational advice service to best current primary care for patients consulting with musculoskeletal pain led to reduced absence and cost savings for society. If a similar early intervention to the one tested in this trial was implemented widely, it could potentially reduce days absent over 12 months by 16%, equating to an overall societal cost saving of approximately £500 million (US $6 billion) and requiring an investment of only £10 million.