European journal of pain : EJP
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The 'Opioid Crisis', which originated in Western countries, has been misrepresented and is misinforming the global public. For 20 years, since the advent of the synthetic opioids, 25,000 Americans, on average, have died annually from opioid-related overdoses. The United States produces and consumes by far the greatest amounts of opioids. ⋯ SIGNIFICANCE: The opioid crisis is, more accurately, a multicomponent global crisis and one that is not fully apparent or well understood. Regulations of the wealthy and powerful to control a surfeit of opioids, which encourages misuse, cannot be allowed to govern legislation in the majority of countries worldwide where citizens have little or no access to opioids to reduce pain and suffering. International conventions must be revised to ensure an optimal balance that allows access to opioids for all those who need them.
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We assessed whether COVID-19 is associated with de novo pain and de novo chronic pain (CP). ⋯ There exists de novo pain in a substantial number of COVID-19 survivours, and some develop chronic pain. New-onset pain after the infection was more common in patients who reported anosmia after hospital discharge.
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Although there is growing evidence of metformin's pleiotropic effects, including possible effects on pain, there is a lack of studies investigating the association of metformin with the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among a large cohort with type 2 diabetes cohort. ⋯ People with type 2 diabetes taking metformin are less likely to present with musculoskeletal pain than those not taking metformin. Metformin may have a protective effect for musculoskeletal pain, which appears to be stronger among women than men.
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Domestic abuse is a global public health issue. The association between the development of central sensitivity syndromes (CSS) and previous exposure to domestic abuse has been poorly understood particularly within European populations. ⋯ Domestic abuse is a global public health issue, with a poorly understood relationship with the development of complex pain syndromes. Using a large UK primary care database, we were able to conduct the first global cohort study to explore this further. We found a strong pain morbidity burden associated with domestic abuse, suggesting the need for urgent public health intervention to not only prevent domestic abuse but also the associated negative pain consequences.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Abnormal sensory thresholds of dystonic patients are not affected by deep brain stimulation.
Unlike motor symptoms, the effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on non-motor symptoms associated with dystonia remain unknown. ⋯ The analgesic effects after DBS do not seem to depend on short-duration changes in cutaneous sensory thresholds in dystonic patients and may be related to changes in the central processing of nociceptive inputs.