Clin Exp Rheumatol
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Coccydynia is defined as pain in or around the tail bone area. The most common cause of coccydynia is either a trauma such as a fall directly on to the coccyx or repetitive minor trauma. The etiology remains obscure in up to 30% of patients. The literature on the contribution of rheumatic diseases to coccydynia is scarce. Our objective was to investigate the prevalence of coccydynia in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. ⋯ Coccydynia is a previously neglected symptom of AS and it is almost three times more common in AS than in non-specific chronic low back pain. Our observation may implicate that inflammatory diseases have a role in the etiology of coccydynia, especially in those without a history of recent or past trauma and coccydynia may be a factor associated with the severity of AS as well.
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To identify the socioeconomic status, disease activity and psychiatric disorders that contribute to the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. ⋯ HRQoL in SLE is influenced by disease activity and psychiatric disorders. Socioeconomic status has no direct influence on the quality of life of lupus patients, while disease activity has a direct impact on the quality of life. Anxiety and depression were significant predictors of poor HRQoL. Understanding how these factors are inter-related may help clinicians focus their assessments and develop strategies to improve the HRQoL of lupus patients.
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Fibromyalgia (FM) is currently classified as a chronic pain syndrome. Its main features are chronic widespread pain in the presence of tender points (TPs) upon physical examination, sleep disturbances and fatigue, although patients also report a variety of other complaints. ⋯ Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques have not yet been fully acknowledged by scientific medicine because little is known about their mechanisms of action and usefulness. The aim of this wide-ranging review of the literature is to analyse the types of CAM techniques used to treat FM and their effectiveness, highlighting the disagreements among the authors of more specialised reviews.
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Multicenter Study
Patient-related predictors of treatment satisfaction of patients with fibromyalgia syndrome: results of a cross-sectional survey.
This study aimed to determine patient-related predictors of treatment satisfaction in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS)-patients. ⋯ The results of the study illustrate the influence of patient-related factors on treatment satisfaction. Treating comorbid depression and enabling patients to actively cope with the disease might prove successful in improving treatment satisfaction of FMS-patients.
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Effect of a 24-week physical training programme (in water and on land) on pain, functional capacity, body composition and quality of life in women with fibromyalgia.
To analyse the effect of a 24-week physical training programme in water and on land on women with fibromyalgia. ⋯ The findings of this study show that a 24-week physical training programme (3 sessions/week, of which 2 sessions are in water and 1 session is on land) reduces pain and disease impact and improves functional capacity in women with fibromyalgia.