The Clinical journal of pain
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The purpose of this study was to examine the dimensions of coping, measured by the subscales of the new revised Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ-R) using factor analysis, and to perform cluster analysis on these factors to explore the existence of distinct subgroups. No published studies have identifed subgroups of chronic pain patients based on the use of CSQ coping strategies. ⋯ This paper is the first to report empirically derived subgroups from scores on the CSQ or CSQ-R. In addition, the three clusters were significantly different across measures of pain, psychological distress, and levels of physical functioning, demonstrating validity for the clusters.
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We previously determined that "intent" to return to work post pain facility treatment is the strongest predictor for actual return to work. The purposes of the present study were the following: to identify variables predicting "intent"; to predict membership in the "discrepant with intent" group [those chronic pain patients (CPPs) who do intend to return to work but do not]; and to predict membership in the "discrepant with nonintent" group (those CPPs who do not intend to return to work but do). ⋯ CPPs intentions of returning to their preinjury jobs are mainly determined by job availability and job characteristic variables but surprisingly not by pain variables. However, the results with "discrepant with intent" and "discrepant with nonintent" groups indicate that actual return to work is determined by an interaction between job availability variables and pain variables with pain variables predominating for long-term outcome.
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To determine the nature of sensory change and its association with pain and allodynia in acute herpes zoster. ⋯ Pain, allodynia, and altered sensation are common features of acute herpes zoster. They are likely to result primarily from widespread neural inflammation within the affected afferent system. The sensory changes found in acute herpes zoster are different from those reported in published studies on postherpetic neuralgia and suggest sensitization phenomena and preservation of tactile functions rather than major neural damage. The exact mechanisms for acute herpes zoster pain, however, remain speculative.
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To help rectify the underdiagnosis of chronic pain in frail nursing home residents by developing a new feasible pain self-report instrument, the structured pain interview; to use this new tool to estimate pain prevalence and staff's knowledge of residents' pain in two nursing homes; and to compare the performance differences of the structured pain interview and the commonly used 0-10 scale. ⋯ We have developed a highly feasible tool for examining pain prevalence in nursing homes. This tool uncovered considerable miscommunication regarding pain between residents and staff. Improvement in pain communication between nursing home residents and staff is needed, so that more effective pain treatment programs can be developed for this vulnerable population.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Nerve root sleeve injections in patients with failed back surgery syndrome: a comparison of three solutions.
To evaluate outcome in patients with failed back surgery syndrome treated with nerve root sleeve injections. ⋯ Overall, although injections induced analgesia at 1 month, these effects were reduced at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. No statistical differences were found between the three treatment groups (after 1 month, p = 0.71; after 3 months, p = 0.69; after 6 months, p = 0.66. The Friedman test showed a significant decrease in treatment score as a function of time in groups B and C (p = 0.015) but not in group A (p = 0.074). Corticosteroids seem responsible for the last phenomenon.