Arthritis and rheumatism
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Feb 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialLow-dose naltrexone for the treatment of fibromyalgia: findings of a small, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, counterbalanced, crossover trial assessing daily pain levels.
To determine whether low dosages (4.5 mg/day) of naltrexone reduce fibromyalgia severity as compared with the nonspecific effects of placebo. In this replication and extension study of a previous clinical trial, we tested the impact of low-dose naltrexone on daily self-reported pain. Secondary outcomes included general satisfaction with life, positive mood, sleep quality, and fatigue. ⋯ The preliminary evidence continues to show that low-dose naltrexone has a specific and clinically beneficial impact on fibromyalgia pain. The medication is widely available, inexpensive, safe, and well-tolerated. Parallel-group randomized controlled trials are needed to fully determine the efficacy of the medication.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Feb 2013
Discordance between pain and radiographic severity in knee osteoarthritis: findings from quantitative sensory testing of central sensitization.
Radiographic measures of the pathologic changes of knee osteoarthritis (OA) have shown modest associations with clinical pain. We sought to evaluate possible differences in quantitative sensory testing (QST) results and psychosocial distress profiles between knee OA patients with discordant versus congruent clinical pain reports relative to radiographic severity measures. ⋯ The results suggest that central sensitization in knee OA is especially apparent among patients with reports of high levels of clinical pain in the absence of moderate-to-severe radiographic evidence of pathologic changes of knee OA.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Feb 2013
Association of fibromyalgia with altered skeletal muscle characteristics which may contribute to postexertional fatigue in postmenopausal women.
To identify muscle physiologic properties that may contribute to postexertional fatigue and malaise in women with fibromyalgia (FM). ⋯ Peripheral mechanisms, i.e., altered muscle fiber size distribution and decreased capillary density, may contribute to postexertional fatigue in FM. Understanding of these defects in fibromyalgic muscle may provide valuable insight with regard to treatment.