The Clinical journal of pain
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Assessment of pain quality in a clinical trial of gabapentin extended release for postherpetic neuralgia.
To replicate and extend previous research concerning the validity and utility of using pain quality measures in clinical trials. ⋯ The results provide further support for the importance of assessing specific pain qualities as outcomes in clinical trials. The findings may also be used by clinicians for identifying those patients for whom G-ER may be particularly effective; that is, patients with postherpetic neuralgia presenting with pain described as sharp, dull, sensitive, or itchy.
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Chronic pain after hysterectomy is reported by 5% to 32% of women, but it is unknown whether the pain is a result of surgery or can be attributable to other factors such as preoperative and postoperative pain, physical, and psychosocial status. The aim of this prospective study was therefore to study the role of surgery and other possible predictors for pain 4 months after hysterectomy. ⋯ Pain persisting 4 months after hysterectomy is most often related to preoperative factors and acute postoperative pain. The relative contribution of surgery itself is small.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Acupuncture in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: A randomized controlled trial.
To investigate the efficacy of acupuncture compared with steroid treatment in patients with mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) as measured by objective changes in nerve conduction studies (NCS) and subjective symptoms assessment in a randomized, controlled study. ⋯ Short-term acupuncture treatment is as effective as short-term low-dose prednisolone for mild-to-moderate CTS. For those who do have an intolerance or contraindication for oral steroid or for those who do not opt for early surgery, acupuncture treatment provides an alternative choice.
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Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a severe chronic pain condition characterized by sensory, autonomic, motor, and dystrophic signs and symptoms. This study was undertaken to expand our current knowledge of the evolution of CRPS signs and symptoms with duration of disease. ⋯ This study shows that although CRPS is a progressive disease, after 1 year, the majority of the signs and symptoms were well developed and although many variables worsen over the course of the illness, the majority demonstrated only moderate increases with disease duration.