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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Catastrophic thinking is related to pain intensity and the degree of disability and influences pain care significantly. However, only few studies have investigated the impact of catastrophic thinking on chronic pain (CP) in the community-dwelling elderly population. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of CP in the community-dwelling elderly population and to investigate the effects of different periods of CP on cognitive and psychological functions. ⋯ The difference in each assessment was compared according to duration of CP among the three groups and analyzed using the chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and one-way analysis of variance. The PCS scores and depression scores were significantly higher in long duration of CP compared with no pain and pain for ≤1 year. The present study is consistent with the fear-avoidance model and was concluded that community-dwelling elderly people with CP are depressive and tend to magnify their pain with long duration of CP.
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This study set out to investigate the effect of massage on the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signalling pathway in the dorsal root ganglia of rats that had undergone spinal nerve ligation (SNL), with the hypothesis that massage could be used as an analgesic. Forty female SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: the control group, sham-operated group, model group, sham massage group, and massage group. There were 8 rats in each group. ⋯ The PWTL and PWMT of SNL rats were decreased, while these parameters were elevated after massage. SNL rats showed higher levels of TLR4, IRAK1, TRAF6, IL-6, and TNF-α, and massage effectively lowered the expression levels of these molecules. Inhibiting activation of the TLR4 signalling pathway, which can reduce the release of inflammatory factors, may be one mechanism by which massage treats neuropathic pain.
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Chronic pain is a serious public health problem that has grown exponentially in recent years, which is why it has received the attention of numerous researchers. Most of the studies in the field of chronic pain have focused on care as a mediating variable on the perception of painful stimuli and emotions. Nevertheless, there are very few studies that have gone in the opposite direction. ⋯ There was also a positive and significant correlation with age and another negative and significant correlation with cognitive anxiety regarding the overall performance times during the undertaking of the experimental task. These results point to the importance of a more in-depth understanding of the impact that the emotional variables and other variables such as age have on attentional processes and the rating of pain. Finally, the discussion focuses on the implications these results could have for clinical practice or for future research studies in this field.
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The incidence of osteoporosis and diabetes mellitus (DM) is known to increase with aging. DM is associated with osteoporotic fractures and decreased bone mineral metabolism. However, no studies have compared the effects of DM on the changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporotic fracture after epidural steroid injections (ESIs). ⋯ There were no significant differences between baseline and posttreatment BMD in the lumbar spine, total femur, and femoral neck region in either group. The incidence of osteoporotic fractures at the hip joint and thoracolumbar spine was not significantly different in both groups. ESIs could be used without concerns regarding osteoporosis and fractures in elderly women with DM if low doses of glucocorticoids are used.
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Many of our rheumatic patients report that weather and seasons affect their symptoms. ⋯ Our study supported the physicians' assumption regarding the effect of climate on pain in RA patients.