European journal of pain : EJP
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Adjunctive cognitive behavioural treatment for chronic pain couples improves marital satisfaction but not pain management outcomes.
Data have consistently shown that patient coping with chronic pain can be affected by various factors associated with the primary relationship, and hence efforts to include the patient's partner in the treatment process have merit. This study evaluated the benefit of adding an adjunctive, couples-based, cognitive behavioural treatment (CBT) for chronic pain to a standard cognitive behavioural pain management programme. ⋯ These data demonstrate that a brief CBT intervention can significantly improve marital satisfaction for spouses of chronic pain patients, but the treatment does not translate to improvements in function on any outcomes, including marital satisfaction, for patients of chronic pain. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD?: A brief, telephone-based intervention for couples living with chronic pain is an acceptable format for intervention. This intervention can significantly improve marital satisfaction for partners of chronic pain patients. Patients who are already participating in a multidisciplinary pain programme will not obtain further benefit.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The effects of total knee replacement and non-surgical treatment on pain sensitization and clinical pain.
The objective was to compare the effect of total knee replacement (TKR) followed by a 3-month non-surgical treatment with the non-surgical treatment alone in reducing pain sensitization and other pain-related measures in patients with knee osteoarthritis. ⋯ At 3 months, TKR followed by non-surgical treatment is more effective in reducing localized and spreading pain sensitization than non-surgical treatment alone. Both treatments are equally efficacious in reducing the pain-related measures of this study. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD?: Knee replacement followed by non-surgical treatment is more effective in reducing pain sensitization, but not other pain-related measures, as compared to non-surgical treatment alone at 3 months.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of the carrier frequency of interferential current on pain modulation and central hypersensitivity in people with chronic nonspecific low back pain: A randomized placebo-controlled trial.
Interferential current (IFC) is commonly used for pain relief, but the effects of carrier frequency of the current and its action on pain mechanisms remain unclear. This randomized placebo-controlled trial tested the effects of IFC in people with chronic nonspecific low back pain. ⋯ These results suggest that although the IFC has changed some physiological mechanisms of pain and showed decrease frequency use of pain medication, there was no change in the primary aim, pain intensity. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD?: The interferential current (IFC) presented advantages in the physiological measures of pain and showed decrease frequency use of pain medication. Future studies should investigate analgesic intake with IFC treatment.