The Clinical journal of pain
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To evaluate if sensory, motor, and psychological factors are different in severe lateral epicondylalgia compared with less severe cases and control. ⋯ Lateral epicondylalgia patients presenting with severe pain and disability could be distinguished by hypersensitivity to thermal stimuli, notably bilateral cold hyperalgesia. Findings may implicate a combination of central, peripheral, and sympathetic nervous system processes and may help explain the poorer outcomes found in this subpopulation.
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To describe the prevalence and characteristics of flare-ups of chronic nonspecific back pain (CNSBP) among primary care patients, and to examine associations with measures of pain severity and psychosocial factors. ⋯ Flare-ups of CNSBP are common among primary care patients, and are independently associated with higher levels of pain intensity, disability, and passive coping. The presence of flare-ups and the perception of activity as a trigger may predispose patients with flare-ups to experience disability not explained by pain intensity alone. Further longitudinal studies are required to better characterize CNSBP flare-ups and determine their clinical implications.
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To examine the relationship between knee pain, altered somatosensation, and self-reported instability in individuals with knee osteoarthrosis (OA) during a step-up-and-over task. ⋯ Severe OA may result in both hyperalgesia and hypoesthesia at the affected knee. Perceived instability during functional tasks may be mediated in part by pain in individuals with knee OA.
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There has been increased recognition of calcineurin, a phosphoprotein serine/threonine phosphatase enzyme, in the regulation of many physiologic systems. Calcineurin mediates activation of lymphocytes, which play a role in immune response. Widely distributed in the central nervous system, calcinuerin also plays an important role in sensory neural function, via its role in the regulation of newly discovered 2-pore potassium channels, which greatly influence neuronal resting membrane potentials. Calcinuerin inhibition is the mechanism of action of immunomodulatory drugs such as cyclosporine and tacrolimus, which are widely used in transplantation medicine to prevent rejection. While important for immunosuppression, the use of calcineurin inhibitors has been associated with the development of a new pain syndrome called the calcineurin pain syndrome, which appears to be an untoward complication of the interruption of the physiologic function of calcineurin. ⋯ The calcineurin syndrome is a newly recognized complication associated with the use of calcineurin inhibitors. There is no standard therapy at this time but anecdotal reports suggest the effectiveness of calcium channel blockers.
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Comparative Study
Comparing pain modulation and autonomic responses in fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome patients.
Past studies confirm that patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) show similar pain processing dysfunctions, such as reduced pain inhibition and aberrant autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses. However, patients with FM and IBS have rarely been investigated in the same study. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to compare descending pain inhibition, pain sensitivity, and ANS reactivity to pain in FM, IBS, and healthy controls (HC). ⋯ Our results confirm the presence of graded levels of somatic hyperalgesia across patients with IBS and FM. A similar pattern of result was observed for pain inhibitory dysfunctions. These pain processing changes were accompanied by abnormal autonomic responses, which maintained patients (principally patients with FM) in a state of sympathetic hyperactivity. Results suggest that patients with IBS and FM may present common, but graded, pain processing and autonomic dysfunctions.