European journal of pain : EJP
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Multicenter Study
Living with endometriosis: Comorbid pain disorders, characteristics of pain, and relevance for daily life.
Pain plays a central role in endometriosis. The complex relationship among pain characteristics, comorbid pain disorders and daily life represents a challenge for medical support. This multicentre cross-sectional case-control study analysed the association between endometriosis-related chronic pain and functions of daily life in 510 women with endometriosis, 265 (52%) who experienced chronic pain, either from endometriosis alone (N = 134, 26.3%) or in association with additional pain disorders (N = 131, 25.7%). ⋯ The study provides an accurate overview of the impact of endometriosis-associated pain on daily life. This is important because pain plays a central role in women living with endometriosis, and despite modern therapies, many women continue to suffer from chronic pain. The detailed analysis of its impact with a comprehensive survey of all aspects of daily life in a very large study population is unique. We expect an improved understanding of consequences of pain to significantly advance medical support in these patients.
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With regard to attitudes towards pain, many questionnaires have been developed. Although undoubtedly useful, they were specifically designed for the use in chronic pain and are less suitable for the assessment in the general population. The purpose of the present paper was to develop a measure for the assessment of general attitudes towards pain applicable in the general population, regardless of clinical condition, and to test its psychometric properties. ⋯ Acknowledging the lack of basic research on pain attitudes in the general population, we have developed and validated the first psychometric instrument to measure ten general attitudes towards pain. The inventory is based on the literature and clinical expertise and has been demonstrated to be useful in pain sensitivity research. In the clinical context, general pain attitudes could be pivotal when a person who has only known everyday pain suddenly becomes a patient confronted with prolonged states of intense pain.
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Although electroacupuncture is widely used in chronic pain management, it is quite controversial due to its unclear mechanism. We hypothesised that EA alleviates pain by inhibiting degradation of the ecto-nucleotidase prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and facilitating ATP dephosphorylation in dorsal root ganglions (DRGs). ⋯ In a mouse model of chronic pain, electroacupuncture treatment increased levels of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP: an ecto-nucleotidase known to relieve pain hypersensitivity) by inhibiting PAP degradation in dorsal root ganglions. This promoted extracellular ATP dephosphorylation, inhibited glia activation and eventually alleviated peripheral nerve injury-induced mechanical pain hypersensitivity in mice. Our findings represent an important step forward in clarifying the mechanisms of pain relief afforded by acupuncture treatment.
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It has been suggested that chronotype, the individual preference for 24-h circadian rhythms, influences health. Sleep problems and mental distress are amongst the greatest risk factors for musculoskeletal (MS) pain. The aims of this study were first, to explore the associations between chronotypes and MS pain, with special reference to disabling MS pain and second, to test whether mental distress and insomnia have a modifying role in the associations between chronotypes and MS pain. ⋯ This study shows that evening and intermediate chronotypes are associated with disabling MS pain, but that mental distress, insomnia and coexisting diseases also play a role in these associations.