European journal of pain : EJP
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This experiment aimed at confirming our incidental observation that, when capsaicin is applied on the volar forearm, raising the arm to a vertical position leads to a dramatic increase in capsaicin-evoked pain and to explore possible underlying mechanisms. ⋯ Capsaicin-evoked pain can be strongly modulated by limb posture and this effect may be caused by an interplay between vascular and nociceptive systems.
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Pain and depressive symptoms often co-occur, but the influence of pain intensity remains unclear. This study analyses the association between pain intensity and depressive symptoms in the general adult German population. ⋯ Our study found a clear association between higher pain intensity and depressive symptoms in the general population across all types of pain. Further, being underweight was linked to depressive symptoms overall and the highest prevalence of depressive symptoms was found in underweight persons with severe pain. These findings highlight the importance of assessing depressive symptoms in patients with higher pain intensity, especially in underweight patients.
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Chronic pain represents a major global healthcare crisis, and current treatments are limited in effectiveness and safety. Emotional freedom techniques (EFTs) show promise as a potential psychological treatment. ⋯ An emerging body-based intervention for chronic pain may be a possible solution for remote clients who cannot attend in-person sessions. In this clinical trial Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) significantly reduced chronic pain severity and interference, and there were no differences between and online self-paced program toan online in-person EFT intervention. Both were equally effective, also enhancing quality of life without compromising outcomes. The results were significant at 6-month follow-up/. These findings highlight a body-based approach as a promising, accessible pain management strategy, and highlights that online programs may be part of the solution for chronic pain patients.
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Neuropathic pain is pain due to a disease or lesion of the somatosensory system, and can be either spontaneous, evoked or both. Hyperpathia is a type of evoked pain defined by IASP as 'a painful syndrome characterized by an abnormally painful reaction to a stimulus, especially a repetitive stimulus, as well as an increased threshold'. The literature is sparse, and definitions are unclear and inconsistent. ⋯ Hyperpathia is a syndrome of evoked pain. It is poorly defined and little is known about its clinical presentation. Since it is part of pain symptomatology it is important to have a clear definition and understand the pathophysiology behind. This study explored signs of hyperpathia in a heterogeneous group of patients with peripheral neuropathic pain. We used stimulus-response function and repetitive pinprick stimulation to group patients based on the IASP definition. More studies are needed to understand how symptoms and signs coincide.
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Extensive audio-motor training and psychological stress can cause professional musicians acute overstrain-injury and chronic pain, resulting in damaged careers and diminished quality of life. It has also been previously shown that musicians might perceive pain differently than non-musicians. Therefore, the aim of our study was to quantify differences between musicians and non-musicians regarding their subjective responses to painful contact heat stimuli and assess how emotional traits might influence these responses. ⋯ The findings of this report justify musicians' repetitive sensorimotor training as an important model for plasticity and contribute to a better understanding of pain perception in musicians.