The Clinical journal of pain
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Meralgia paresthetica is a syndrome of pain or dysesthesia or both in the anterolateral thigh, caused by entrapment of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve at the anterior superior iliac spine. The aim of this report is to emphasize that meralgia paresthetica can be confused with low-back pain. ⋯ It is important to be rigorous in investigating the etiology of low-back pain. Meralgia paresthetica can mimic low-back pain because of the similarity of the symptoms. It can be treated by conservative or ablative therapeutic interventions; however, conservative methods should be considered primarily.
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Clinical Trial
Painful polyneuropathy in patients with and without diabetes: clinical, neurophysiologic, and quantitative sensory characteristics.
To study pain characteristics and peripheral nerve involvement in patients with painful diabetic and nondiabetic polyneuropathy in comparison with patients with non-painful polyneuropathy. ⋯ Neuropathy pain was always located in the feet and more severe in diabetic patients compared with patients with neuropathy pain of other etiologies. The authors also found evidence for a greater tactile sensibility involvement in patients with neuropathy pain, irrespective of etiology, whereas other quantitative sensibility and neurography parameters were equally affected in all patient groups.
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There are no reports in the literature about patients with painfully restricted temporomandibular joints concerning the reliability of unidimensional and multidimensional pain scales on the basis of a generalizability and decision study. Generalizability and decision studies are designed to aid in reasoned decision-making and therefore are complementary to classic psychometric analyses, in which correlation coefficients express the reliability of a measurement design. The smallest detectable difference as an outcome of the decision study is the smallest statistically significant change that can be detected. ⋯ For statistically and clinically successful treatment of patients with painfully restricted temporomandibular joints, clinicians must overcome at least the smallest detectable difference and 38% of the initial average pain level.
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Insomnia and depression are common problems for people with chronic pain, and previous research has found that each is correlated with measures of pain and disability. The goal of this study was to examine the combined impact of major depression and insomnia on individuals with chronic pain. ⋯ These results suggest that patients with chronic pain and concurrent major depression and insomnia report the highest levels of pain-related impairment, but insomnia in the absence of major depression is also associated with increased pain and distress.
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Editorial Comparative Study
Remember the distinction between malignant and benign pain? Well, forget it.