American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation
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Am J Phys Med Rehabil · Nov 2004
Comparative Study Clinical TrialAssessing persistent pain and its relation to affective distress, depressive symptoms, and pain catastrophizing in patients with chronic wounds: a pilot study.
The purpose of this study was to examine pain experience among patients with chronic wounds, assess the utility of pain assessment scales for chronic wound-related pain, and determine the relation of wound-related pain to wound stage, affective distress, depressive symptoms, and pain catastrophizing. ⋯ Pain associated with chronic wounds is a significant clinical challenge for both patients and health practitioners.
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Am J Phys Med Rehabil · Sep 2004
Effect of lung mechanics on mechanically assisted flows and volumes.
To correlate the air flows generated by mechanical insufflation-exsufflation as a function of pressure delivery in a lung model at two pulmonary compliance and three airway resistance settings. ⋯ Although mechanical insufflation-exsufflation pressures of 40 to -40 cm H2O are generally adequate for most patients with normal lung compliance and airway resistance, higher settings are often required when compliance decreases, by obesity or scoliosis, and possibly when airway resistance is increased.
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Am J Phys Med Rehabil · Sep 2004
Shoulder pain in hemiplegia: results from a national rehabilitation hospital in Turkey.
Shoulder pain is a common complication after stroke that can limit the patients' ability to reach their maximum functional potential and impede rehabilitation. The aim of our study was to examine the occurrence of hemiplegic shoulder pain in a group of Turkish patients and clarify contributing factors such as glenohumeral subluxation, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, tonus changes, motor functional level, limitation in shoulder range of motion, thalamic pain, neglect, and time since onset of hemiplegia. The effect of shoulder pain on the duration of rehabilitation stay was also identified. ⋯ These results indicate that shoulder pain is a frequent complication after stroke and that it may develop from a variety of factors. To prevent and alleviate shoulder pain, efforts should be directed toward proper positioning of the shoulder, range of motion activities, and the avoidance of immobilization.
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Am J Phys Med Rehabil · Aug 2004
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison of stochastic vs. conventional transcutaneous electrical stimulation for pain modulation in patients with electromyographically documented radiculopathy.
To determine if a transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS) unit modified to deliver electrical impulses at random (R) or stochastic frequency, called TENS-R, provided better pain relief than conventional TENS. ⋯ Qualitative pain scores significantly improved when the patient used TENS-R vs. conventional TENS. Lead placement of any TENS modality over the back vs. over the leg improved all pain scores.
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Although physicians are aware of phantom limb pain, which can occur in up to 85% of patients who undergo amputation, and its potential effect on functional status, the presence of phantom pain after amputation of other body parts such as the breast and its effect on function may be less appreciated. We report the case of a 63-yr-old woman with multiple sclerosis who underwent a modified radical mastectomy for left intraductal breast carcinoma. ⋯ Two months after her mastectomy, she had difficulty with these tasks because of phantom breast pain. Accurate diagnosis of her pain and successful treatment resulted in a return to premorbid functional status.