Der Schmerz
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Apart from the prescribed administration and indications for pain relief, opioids are also used for unintended purposes. Information for misuse is circulated on the internet. In order to analyze the abuse of opioids and opiates,which are only available by prescription, defined search keywords were entered into the search engine of a German language internet forum on drugs in 2010 and 2013 and the results were evaluated. ⋯ Other opioids were named in only 10 % of the entries. Oral intake was the most frequently mentioned mode of administration followed by parenteral and nasal routes. These findings can support caregivers to identify unintended use of opioids and to increase awareness of the most frequently used opioids and modes of administration.
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Multimodal pain management is a comprehensive treatment of complex chronic pain syndromes. In addition to medical therapy various other specialized therapeutic interventions based on the biopsychosocial model of pain origin and chronic pain development, are added. During the last few years treatment centers for chronic pain have been established throughout Germany. ⋯ In daily practice there is, however, still a lack of clarity and of consistency about the components that multimodal pain management should contain. This is the reason for the ad hoc commission on multimodal interdisciplinary pain management of the German Pain Society to propose the following position paper that has been worked out in a multilevel and interdisciplinary consensus process. The paper describes the mandatory treatment measures in the four core disciplines of multimodal pain management, pain medicine, psychotherapy, exercise therapy including physiotherapy and assistant medical professions including nurses.
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In the context of the biopsychosocial pain concept and on the basis of empirical evidence those cognitive traits and mechanisms are described that have reliably been found to be potent moderators of pain and disability. Expectations of patients which result in placebo or nocebo effects as well as more complex belief patterns influence subjective pain severity as well as disability. ⋯ The impact of most of these cognitive factors, such as catastrophizing, low self-efficacy, certain pain beliefs, low acceptance or fear of pain can be integrated into the general stress coping model. It denominates situational appraisal and self-appraisal processes beside actual coping behaviors as the main psychological factors influencing severity of pain and related disability.
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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most relevant disorders of patients with chronic pain, but is often underdiagnosed. This also applies to expert testimony. ⋯ This forms the basis for a differentiated expert testimony in the different fields of law (e.g., criminal law, statutory or private accident insurance or social security benefits), in which different requirements must be taken into consideration by the expert. The recognition of malingering is described at length, which plays a major role in PTSD expert testimony in all fields of law.
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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases. It is characterized by chronic abdominal pain, typically associated with altered bowel habits that cannot be explained by structural abnormalities in routine diagnostic workup. Based on the predominant symptom, IBS can be divided into different subtypes: IBS with predominant constipation, diarrhea, bloating, or pain. ⋯ Especially in patients with psychological comorbidities, antidepressants may be used. Modern drug treatments include the GC-C agonist linaclotide in IBS with predominant constipation, the locally acting antibiotic rifaximin in IBS with bloating, and 5-HT3 antagonists in IBS with predominant diarrhea. Psychotherapy should be included in an interdisciplinary approach in refractory cases or in psychological comorbidity.