European journal of pain : EJP
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The most recent Danish health survey of 2005 is based on a region-stratified random sample of 10.916 individuals. Data were collected via personal interviews and self-administrated questionnaires. Respondents suffering from chronic pain were identified through the question 'Do you have chronic/long-lasting pain lasting 6 months or more?' The prevalence of chronic pain among individuals with a present or earlier cancer diagnosis was also assessed. ⋯ Persons with earlier or present cancer diagnosis were more likely to report chronic pain. A substantial part of persons with chronic pain were not satisfied with the examinations and treatments offered. In conclusion, over a five-year period the prevalence of chronic pain in Denmark has remained stable, but high.
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The effect of the alpha(1)-adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine on sensitivity to heat was investigated at three sites of mild burn injury in the cutaneous forearm of 19 healthy participants. Two of the sites were pre-treated with the alpha(1)-antagonist terazosin, to determine whether the effect of phenylephrine was mediated by alpha(1)-adrenoceptors. Terazosin was administered before the burn injury at one site, and after the burn injury at the other site. ⋯ However, neither alpha(2)-adrenoceptor stimulation nor blockade affected sensitivity to heat in the mildly burnt skin. These findings suggest that stimulation of cutaneous alpha(1)-adrenoceptors increased the excitability of heat-sensitized nociceptive afferents. As terazosin was more effective when administered in burnt skin, an inflammatory response induced by the burn injury may have facilitated access of adrenergic agents to alpha(1)-adrenoceptors.