European journal of pain : EJP
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The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of acute trapezius pain, induced by delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS), on habitual trapezius activity. Long-term (5 h) surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity was recorded bilaterally from the clavicular, descending, transverse, and ascending trapezius on two consecutive weekdays in eleven female subjects (mean age 22 years, range 20-24 years). Body and arm posture were recorded by inclinometers. ⋯ In contrast, trapezius sEMG activity remained unchanged for all other trapezius parts and postures. This study indicates that acute trapezius pain induces elevated habitual trapezius activity during periods with low biomechanical loading of the shoulder/neck muscles with the elevated sEMG activity being restricted to the painful part of the muscle. In contrast to the pain-adaption model, the current study indicates a relation between acute muscle pain and elevated low-level muscle activity; however, it remains unknown if development of chronic muscle pain can be preceded by an initial stage with elevated muscle activity.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Self-reported sleep duration associated with distraction analgesia, hyperemia, and secondary hyperalgesia in the heat-capsaicin nociceptive model.
Although sleep deprivation is known to heighten pain sensitivity, the mechanisms by which sleep modifies nociception are largely unknown. Few studies of sleep-pain interactions have utilized quantitative sensory testing models that implicate specific underlying physiologic mechanisms. One possibility, which is beginning to receive attention, is that differences in sleep may alter the analgesic effects of distraction. ⋯ Individuals who slept less than 6.5 h/night in the month prior to the study experienced significantly less behavioral analgesia, increased skin flare and augmented secondary hyperalgesia. These findings suggest that reduced sleep time is associated with diminished analgesic benefits from distraction and/or individuals obtaining less sleep have a reduced ability to disengage from pain-related sensations. The secondary hyperalgesia finding may implicate central involvement, whereas enhanced skin flare response suggests that sleep duration may also impact peripheral inflammatory mechanisms.
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The current study interviewed patients with chronic pain to: (1) identify the most common words used by patients in the samples to describe the "quality" of their pain (i.e. sharp, dull) and (2) evaluate the validity of existing pain quality measures. Two-hundred and thirteen individuals with pain associated with spinal cord injury (SCI) or multiple sclerosis (MS) were asked to describe their pain. Consistent with previous research that has shown that patients with different types of pain problems describe their pain using different pain quality descriptors, there was variability in the frequency of pain descriptors used by the study participants. ⋯ Regarding the validity of existing pain measures, only one pain quality measure assessed all 14 of the most common pain descriptors volunteered by the sample. Also, although a number of pain quality measures have been developed to discriminate neuropathic from nociceptive pain, there was surprisingly little overlap in descriptors between these measures. The results of the current study and other studies using similar procedures would be useful for evaluating and developing existing and future pain quality measures.
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To study the effects of occupational class, physical and psychosocial working conditions, health behaviours, and pain in the low back and the neck on sciatic pain among middle-aged employees. ⋯ Manual occupational class in both genders and semi-professional occupations in men, unhealthy behaviours and previous pain both in the neck and the lower back predicted sciatica, while physical and psychosocial working conditions had no independent effect.
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Minimal access surgery (MAS) in adults is associated with less postoperative pain in comparison to conventional 'open' surgery. It is not known whether this holds true for neonates as well. Less pain would imply that opioid consumption can be reduced, which has a beneficial effect on morbidity. ⋯ Minimal access surgery for the repair of esophageal atresia or congenital diaphragmatic hernia is not associated with less cumulative opioid doses.