Pain research & management : the journal of the Canadian Pain Society = journal de la société canadienne pour le traitement de la douleur
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Chronic discogenic low back pain (CDP) is frequently diagnosed in patients referred to specialized pain clinics for their back pain. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of CDP both on the individual patient and on society. ⋯ This study shows that in patients with CDP referred to a pain clinic, costs for society are high and the most used healthcare resources are pain therapies. Patients suffer severe pain, are physically limited, and experience a serious loss in quality of life.
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Activity patterns are the product of pain and of the self-regulation of current goals in the context of pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between goal management strategies and activity patterns while taking into account the role of optimism/pessimism and positive/negative affect. ⋯ The strategies used by the patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain to manage their life goals are related to their activity patterns.
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A quadratus lumborum (QL) block is an abdominal truncal block technique that primarily provides analgesia and anaesthesia to the abdominal wall. This cadaveric study was undertaken to compare the dye spread between different needle approaches for ultrasound-guided QL blocks in soft-embalmed cadavers. ⋯ The alternative approach for QL blocks was able to achieve a comparable extent when compared to the conventional approach.
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Chronic low back pain (CLBP) arising from degenerative disc disease continues to be a challenging clinical and diagnostic problem whether treated with nonsurgical, pain intervention, or motion-preserving stabilization and arthrodesis. ⋯ The transforaminal epiduroscopic basivertebral nerve laser ablation (TEBLA) appears to be a promising option in carefully selected patients with CLBP associated with the Modic changes.
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To assess changes in the craniocervical structure and in hyoid bone position in skeletal Class II subjects with and without temporomandibular disorders (TMD). ⋯ The significant relationship between skeletal Class II and cervical spine cannot be highlighted. The alteration of craniocervical angle seems to be mildly present, with backward counterclockwise rotation of the head upon the neck in the sample (groups A and B). The presence of TMD as a key factor of changes in neck posture could explain the different result between the two groups about the relationship between ANB and craniocervical angle. This result should be further analyzed in order to better understand if cervical spine changes could be related to mandibular postural ones in the craniocervical space or to temporomandibular joint retropositioning, more recognizable in Class II with TMD, which could determine functional changes in other structures of this unit; neck posture could be the result of a compensatory/antalgic mechanism in response to TMD.