The Clinical journal of pain
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To reanalyze scoring criteria for automatic detection of nociceptive flexion reflexes (NFRs) in electromyography (EMG) recordings and to improve detection accuracy by accounting for multiple characteristics of the recordings, such as baseline noise level or sampling rate. ⋯ The automatic detection of reflex responses in electromyograms can be significantly improved by including multiple reflex, baseline, and EMG characteristics into a classification model. These findings should help to improve the accuracy of currently used standard measurement algorithms and algorithms engineered toward specific properties, such as short measurements or less induced pain for the patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Body Awareness as an Important Target in Multidisciplinary Chronic Pain Treatment: Mediation and Subgroup Analyses.
The results of a recently performed randomized clinical trial showed that the effect of a multidisciplinary treatment of chronic pain patients on body awareness (BA), catastrophizing, and depression was improved by adding psychomotor therapy (PMT), an intervention targeting BA. No significant effects were found on quality of life and disability. The present follow-up study aimed to explore the relationship between improvements in BA and multidisciplinary chronic pain rehabilitation treatment outcome across treatment conditions and the possible mediating effect of BA between treatment conditions. Furthermore, the hypothesis that patients with low BA benefit more from PMT was investigated. ⋯ BA might be an important target of treatment to improve the multidisciplinary treatment outcome in chronic pain patients. Furthermore, PMT is an intervention that seems to provide its benefits through improving BA and may be especially beneficial for patients with low BA.
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Severe pain after joint replacement surgeries is common and is usually managed by opioid analgesics. We described joint replacement surgery patients who received prescriptions for long-acting opioids (LAOs) and compared their health care utilization and costs with postsurgical patients who did not receive LAO prescriptions. ⋯ We found associations between patients who received prescriptions for LAOs and increased costs and utilization. Future studies should elucidate causal relationships between LAOs and increased resource use. Providers should consider alternative pain management strategies.
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Pain, mood problems, and sleeping difficulties are often comorbid and contribute to reduced physical function and quality of life for those with chronic pain. However, the way in which these factors interact is unclear. Until recently it was thought that the effect of sleep on pain and physical function was simply a result of its common association with mood problems. However, a growing body of research suggests that sleep may have a unique contribution. ⋯ Given that sleep has an important and unique contribution to pain and physical function, it is important that sleep disturbances are addressed both in the assessment and treatment of chronic pain.