European journal of pain : EJP
-
Pain is more common in multiple sclerosis (MS) than has previously been recognised. In the present study we have investigated the occurrence of central pain (CP) in MS and defined its characteristics. Questionnaires were sent to all 429 patients with definite MS in the patient register at our neurology department. ⋯ Trigeminal neuralgia in MS started later in life and after longer disease duration than non-trigeminal pain. Both types of CP existed either chronically or as a feature of relapse. Central pain is thus an important symptom in MS (around 30%) and causes much suffering.
-
German departments of anaesthesia were surveyed to determine current practice of postoperative pain management in children. The response rate of the survey was 58.6%: Questionnaires of 383 departments in which paediatric surgery was performed could be analyzed. 37.3% operated an acute pain service (APS). In 58.8% of the hospitals, postoperative pain management in children was mainly performed by surgeons or pediatricians. ⋯ The basic primary quality criterion of pain therapy, a regular measurement and documentation of pain scores, was performed in only 4% of the institutions. Paediatric pain management does not meet quality criteria and standards of care already established in adults. In the future, additional education of the medical staff considering analgesic techniques and measurement of pain scores has to be emphasized.
-
Needle stimulation (acupuncture) has recently been shown to increase blood flow in the tibialis anterior muscle and overlying skin in healthy subjects (HS) and patients with fibromyalgia (FM). The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of needle stimulation on local blood flow in the trapezius muscle and overlying skin in HS and two groups of patients suffering from chronic pain in the trapezius muscle, i.e., FM and work-related trapezius myalgia (TM) patients. Two modes of needling, deep muscle stimulation (Deep) and subcutaneous needle insertion (SC), were performed at the upper part of the shoulder and blood flow was monitored for 60 min post-stimulation. ⋯ Positive correlations were found between muscle blood flow at Deep and pressure pain threshold in the trapezius muscle, neck movement and pain experienced at the stimulation, and negative correlations were found with spontaneous pain-related variables, symptom duration and age, pointing to less favorable results with worsening of symptoms, and to the importance of nociceptor activation in blood flow increase. It was hypothesized that the different patterns of muscle blood flow response to the needling may mirror a state of increased sympathetic activity and a generalized hypersensitivity in the patients. The intensity of stimulation should be taken into consideration when applying local needle stimulation (acupuncture) in order to increase the trapezius muscle blood flow in chronic pain conditions.
-
We recorded magnetoencephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) following noxious laser stimulation in a Yoga Master who claims not to feel pain when meditating. As for background MEG activity, the power of alpha frequency bands peaking at around 10 Hz was much increased during meditation over occipital, parietal and temporal regions, when compared with the non-meditative state, which might mean the subject was very relaxed, though he did not fall asleep, during meditation. Primary pain-related cortical activities recorded from primary (SI) and secondary somatosensory cortices (SII) by MEG were very weak or absent during meditation. ⋯ In contrast, activities in all three regions were weaker during meditation, and the level was lower than the baseline in the thalamus. Recent neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies have clarified that the emotional aspect of pain perception mainly involves the insula and cingulate cortex. Though we cannot clearly explain this unusual condition in the Yoga Master, a change of multiple regions relating to pain perception could be responsible, since pain is a complex sensory and emotional experience.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Oxcarbazepine in painful diabetic neuropathy: a randomized, placebo-controlled study.
In this multicentre, placebo-controlled, 16-week trial, the efficacy and safety of oxcarbazepine monotherapy in patients with neuropathic pain of diabetic origin was evaluated. Eligible patients had a 6-month to 5-year history of neuropathic pain symptoms of diabetic origin and a pain rating of > or =50 units on the visual analogue scale (VAS). Oxcarbazepine was initiated at a dose of 300 mg/day and titrated to a maximum dose of 1800 mg/day. ⋯ Patients on oxcarbazepine were awakened less frequently due to pain than patients on placebo. Most adverse events were mild to moderate in severity, transient, and in line with the known tolerability profile of oxcarbazepine. These observations suggest that oxcarbazepine monotherapy, pending additional trials, may be efficacious and may provide clinically meaningful pain relief in patients with neuropathic pain of diabetic origin.