European journal of pain : EJP
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Poorly controlled pain is a global public health issue. The personal, familial and societal costs are immeasurable. Only a minority of European patients have access to a comprehensive specialist pain clinic. ⋯ In a considered attempt to empower and inform non-specialist opioid prescribers, EFIC convened a European group of experts, drawn from a diverse range of basic science and relevant clinical disciplines, to prepare a position paper on appropriate opioid use in chronic pain. The expert panel reviewed the available literature and harnessed the experience of many years of clinical practice to produce these series of recommendations. Its success will be judged on the extent to which it contributes to an improved pain management experience for chronic pain patients across Europe.
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Frequent abdominal pain (AP) in childhood has been shown to be associated with elevated experience of stress and with deficits in stress coping, but psychophysiological stress reactivity has been studied rarely. ⋯ Childhood abdominal pain could be related to down-regulated HPA axis reactivity to stress but not to altered parasympathetic reaction. Children with abdominal pain and children with anxiety disorders exhibit a divergent stress-related HPA axis reaction.
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Despite being common early in life and affecting individuals' quality of life to the same degree as neck and low back pain, research into epidemiological aspects of mid-back pain (MBP) has been scarce. The purpose of our systematic review was therefore to describe the incidence and prognosis of MBP in the general population. The PRISMA Statement guided the study process. ⋯ Knowledge about the incidence and prognosis of MBP in the general population is limited. The incidence of MBP in children and adolescents seems to be similar to the incidence of neck and low back pain; in adults, it is lower than that of neck and low back pain. Studies investigating recovery trajectories of MBP in adults and prognostic factors for MBP are lacking. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD?: The incidence of mid-back pain (MBP) in young individuals is similar to that of neck and low back pain, and ≤50% report persistent pain; however, the evidence base is limited. Knowledge about adult trajectories and prognostic factors for MBP is lacking.
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Review
A content review of cognitive process measures used in pain research within adult populations.
Previous research suggests that measures of cognitive process may be confounded by the inclusion of items that also assess cognitive content. The primary aims of this content review were to: (1) identify the domains of cognitive processes assessed by measures used in pain research; and (2) determine if pain-specific cognitive process measures with adequate psychometric properties exist. ⋯ Many cognitive process measures used in pain research contain a 'mix' of items that assess cognitive process, cognitive content, and behavioural/emotional responses. Databases searched: PsychInfo, CINAHL, PsycArticles, MEDLINE and Academic Search Complete. This review describes the domains assessed by measures assessing cognitive processes in pain research, as well as the strengths and limitations of these measures.
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Up to 30% of patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) run the risk of progressing to chronic pain with significant disability. This prospective cohort study assessed the effects of baseline pain and general health and psychosocial factors on the presence of clinically significant pain in patients with TMD pain at 1 year after initial consultation. ⋯ About 27% of primary care TMD pain patients reported clinically significant pain at 1 year after initial consultation. Reporting several previous healthcare visits and comorbid pains with high pain intensity and disability were associated with poor prognosis of TMD pain.