The Clinical journal of pain
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The current study examined the relationship between preoperative anxiety and acute postoperative phantom limb pain (PLP), residual limb pain (RLP), and analgesic medication use in a sample of persons undergoing lower limb amputation. ⋯ These findings suggest that anxiety may be a risk factor for acute postamputation PLP and RLP, and indicate that further research to examine these associations is warranted. If replicated, the findings would support research to examine the extent to which modifying preoperative anxiety yields a reduction in postoperative acute PLP and RLP.
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Multicenter Study
Patients With Neck Pain are Less Likely to Improve if They Experience Poor Sleep Quality: A Prospective Study in Routine Practice.
To assess whether sleep quality (SQ) at baseline is associated with improvement in pain and disability at 3 months. ⋯ NP is less likely to improve in patients with poorer SQ, irrespective of age, sex, catastrophizing, depression, or treatments prescribed for NP. Future studies should confirm these results with more severely impaired patients.
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This paper assesses the effects of training in and implementation of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP) in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system on therapists' CBT-CP competencies and patients' pain-related outcomes. ⋯ Training in and implementation of CBT-CP in the VA health care system were associated with significant increases in therapist competencies to deliver CBT-CP and improvements in several domains for Veteran patients. Results support the feasibility and effectiveness of broad dissemination of CBT-CP in routine, nonpain specialty settings.
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It has been suggested that tooth clenching may be associated with local metabolic changes, and is a risk factor for myofascial temporomandibular disorders (M-TMD). This study investigated the effects of experimental tooth clenching on the levels of 5-HT, glutamate, pyruvate, and lactate, as well as on blood flow and pain intensity, in the masseter muscles of M-TMD patients. ⋯ This experimental tooth clenching model increased jaw muscle pain levels in M-TMD patients and evoked low levels of jaw muscle pain in controls. M-TMD patients had significantly higher levels of 5-HT than controls and significantly lower blood flow. These 2 factors may facilitate the release of other algesic substances that may cause pain.
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To determine patterns of use, socioeconomic factors, and the impact on total health expenses associated with triptan therapy among patients with migraines. ⋯ The study suggested that socioeconomic factors were associated with triptan use in migraineurs. Higher total and migraine-related health expenses were observed in triptan users.