European journal of pain : EJP
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Chronic widespread pain (CWP) is a significant burden in communities. Understanding the impact of population-dependent (e.g., age, gender) and contextual-dependent (e.g. survey method, region, inequality level) factors have on CWP prevalence may provide a foundation for population-based strategies to address CWP. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to estimate the global prevalence of CWP and evaluate the population and contextual factors associated with CWP. ⋯ Globally CWP affects one in ten individuals within the general population, with women more likely to experience CWP than men. HDI was noted to be the socioeconomic factor related to CWP prevalence, with those in more developed countries having a lower CWP prevalence than those in less developed countries. Most CWP estimates were from developed countries, and CWP estimates from countries with a lower socioeconomic position is needed to further refine the global estimate of CWP.
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Psychological variables and acute post-operative pain are of proven relevance for the prediction of persistent post-operative pain. We aimed at investigating whether pain-specific psychological variables like pain catastrophizing add to the predictive power of acute pain and more general psychological variables like depression. ⋯ Our results suggest that pain-specific psychological variables such as pain anxiety and pain hypervigilance add significantly to the prediction of persistent post-operative pain and might even outperform established predictors such as acute pain and general psychological variables. Clinicians might benefit from the development of time-economic screening tools based on these variables.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy and safety of a fixed-dose combination of ibuprofen and caffeine in the management of moderate to severe dental pain after third molar extraction.
Ibuprofen is an effective analgesic treatment with a ceiling effect at doses above 400 mg. This study compared the combination of ibuprofen 400 mg and caffeine 100 mg with ibuprofen 400 mg monotherapy, caffeine and placebo in the analgesic treatment of moderate to severe acute dental pain following third molar extraction. ⋯ This trial showed superior efficacy of 400/100 mg ibuprofen/caffeine, compared to 400 mg ibuprofen alone, for treating acute pain, reflecting that caffeine is an effective analgesic adjuvant. Data on efficacy of 400 mg ibuprofen combined with caffeine for the treatment of acute pain were not available yet.
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Fear and anxiety are important considerations in both acute and chronic pain. Effectively and efficiently measuring fear and anxiety associated with pain in healthcare settings is critical for identifying vulnerable patients. The length and administration time of current measures of pain-related fear and anxiety inhibit their routine use, as screening tools and otherwise, suggesting the need for a shorter, more efficient instrument. ⋯ The FPQ-9 has considerable potential for dissemination and utility for routine, brief screening, given its length (completion time ~2 min; scoring time ~1 min), reading level and psychometric properties.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Visually induced analgesia during massage treatment in chronic back pain patients.
Previous findings suggest that watching sites of experimental and chronic pain can exert an analgesic effect. Our present study investigates whether watching one's back during massage increases the analgesic effect of this treatment in chronic back pain patients. ⋯ This study shows that inducing visual induced analgesia during massage treatment can be helpful in alleviating chronic pain.