European journal of pain : EJP
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Splinting is a quite common intervention for the first carpometacarpal (CMC) osteoarthritis, however, underlying mechanisms of biomechanical and analgesic effects has not been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to develop an experimental basal thumb pain model and to elucidate the effects of CMC splinting on the pain profile and motor function. ⋯ Newly developed experimental basal thumb pain model decreased tip pinch strength approximately 50%, concomitant with the reduction of intrinsic muscle activities. Splinting for the first carpometacarpal joint significantly improved experimental pain, loss of pinch strength and inhibited intrinsic muscle activity compared with bare hand.
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Observational Study
Exercise-induced hypoalgesia is present in people with Parkinson's disease: Two observational cross-sectional studies.
Exercise is prescribed for people with Parkinson's disease to address motor and non-motor impairments, including pain. Exercise-induced hypoalgesia (i.e., an immediate reduction in pain sensitivity following exercise) is reported in the general population; however, the immediate response of pain sensitivity to exercise in people with Parkinson's disease is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate if exercise-induced hypoalgesia is present following isometric and aerobic exercise in people with Parkinson's disease, and if so, if it varies with the dose of aerobic exercise. ⋯ Isometric and aerobic exercise reduces pain sensitivity in people with Parkinson's disease. As exercise is important for people with Parkinson's disease, these results provide assurance that people with Parkinson's disease and pain can exercise without an immediate increase in pain sensitivity. The reduction in pain sensitivity with both modes and with low and moderate intensities of aerobic exercise suggests that people with Parkinson's disease can safely choose the mode and intensity of exercise that best suits their needs.
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The parent's role in the context of pediatric chronic pain is essential. There is growing evidence that parent psychological flexibility positively impacts child functioning. To assess parents' abilities to respond with psychological flexibility to their child's pain, the Parent Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire (PPFQ) was developed. Here, we aim to validate the 10-item version of the questionnaire in an English-speaking population and to evaluate associations with parent behaviour, child pain acceptance and functioning. ⋯ Our findings demonstrate that the PPFQ-10 is an efficient measure of parent psychological flexibility, demonstrating strong psychometric properties. Furthermore, our analyses showed that parent psychological flexibility indirectly affects child functioning through associations with both adaptive parent behaviour and child functioning. Taken together, this study furthers the understanding of how parent psychological flexibility operates and affects children with chronic pain, and may inform and optimize treatments aimed at improving functioning by addressing child and parent coping.
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Somatosensory assessment within the orofacial region may be performed using highly standardized quantitative sensory testing (QST). However, the function of the C-tactile (CT) afferent, a nerve fibre linked to the perception of pleasant touch, is usually not evaluated. Furthermore, the perception of unpleasantness is also rarely assessed, a dimension not only limited to a painful experience. Therefore, the primary aim was to apply standardized QST stimuli as well as standardized pleasant stimuli and evaluate their potential capacity for evocation of perceived pain, pleasant and unpleasant sensations in the facial region. ⋯ The battery of QST tests from the DFNS protocol has been modified to investigate pleasant and unpleasant sensations. This allows the evaluation of psychophysical properties across standardized dimensions to provide a thorough view of somatosensory function and to better understand the affective spectrum of somatosensory function.
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Pro-nociceptive and anti-nociceptive mechanisms are commonly assessed in clinical and experimental pain studies, but their potential interaction is not well understood. ⋯ Current knowledge on the interaction effect of pro and anti-nociceptive paradigms are the lacking. The current study indicates that conditioning pain modulation does not modulate the summation effect of temporal summation of pain, when evaluated by computerized pressure algometry. This finding was independent of the mild, moderate and severe painful conditioning intensities.