European journal of pain : EJP
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Review Meta Analysis
The effect of experimental pain on the excitability of the corticospinal tract in humans: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Pain influences motor control. Previous reviews observed that pain reduces the excitability of corticospinal projections to muscles tested with transcranial magnetic stimulation. However, the independent effect of the type of pain models (tonic, phasic), pain location and tissues targeted (e.g. muscle, skin) remains unexplored. The objective of this review was to determine the influence of experimental pain and of different methodological factors on the corticospinal excitability. ⋯ This study adds evidence on the effect of specific factors on the modulation of corticospinal excitability during/after experimental pain. The reduction in corticospinal excitability was driven by hand and face pain. We confirmed previous results that muscle pain reduces corticospinal excitability and provided evidence of a similar effect for cutaneous pain. Both models may inform on the influence of different types of pain on motor control. Future studies are needed to determine the origin of the effect of pain.
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The many risks associated with opioid therapy for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) have led to questions about use. This is particularly relevant for risk of increased mortality. However, underlying medical conditions of those using opioids may influence mortality findings due to confounding by indication. Similarly, non-opioid analgesics are also associated with an increased risk of mortality, too. ⋯ An increased all-cause mortality associated with opioid use compared to non-opioid analgesics for CNCP was identified by a systematic review of four propensity score matched cohort studies in real-world settings. The number needed to harm for an additional excess death per 10,000 person-years was 116. Despite extensive propensity score matchings and sensitivity analyses, all studies could not fully exclude confounding by indication. The potential risk of increased all-cause mortality with opioids should be discussed with patients when considering opioid treatment.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy of transforaminal epidural magnesium administration when combined with a local anesthetic and steroid in the management of lower limb radicular pain.
Lower limb radicular pain resulting from a herniated intervertebral disc is a cause of functional disability and could lead to increased consumption of opioids. We evaluated the efficacy of epidural magnesium combined with a local anaesthetic and steroid in the management of this pain. ⋯ Magnesium is efficient when added to local anaesthetics and steroids for management of lower limb radicular pain.
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Findings on the short- and long-term effectiveness of intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment (IIPT) for children with severe chronic functional pain are promising. However, a definitive appraisal of long-term effectiveness cannot be made due to a lack of comparison groups. The aim of the present study was to compare the health status of former patients with the health status of an age- and sex-matched comparison group from the community. ⋯ The majority of severely impaired paediatric chronic pain patients no longer suffer from chronic pain seven years after intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment. However, former patients have worse physical and mental health status than a community sample, and continue to seek out more frequent health care utilisation, irrespective of whether or not they continue to experience chronic pain. Therefore, potential negative long-term effects of childhood chronic pain experiences need specific attention early on.