Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparison of the effect of ginger and zinc sulfate on primary dysmenorrhea: a placebo-controlled randomized trial.
Primary dysmenorrhea is common among young women and results in their incapacitation; it can be accompanied by various symptoms that can disrupt their lives. The aim of this randomized trial was to compare the effect of ginger, zinc sulfate, and placebo on the severity of primary dysmenorrhea in young women. One hundred and fifty high school students were recruited. ⋯ The severity of pain was significantly different between, before, and after the intervention in both the ginger and the zinc sulfate groups (p < .001). Compared with the placebo receiving group, participants receiving ginger and zinc sulfate reported more alleviation of pain during the intervention (p < .05). Ginger and zinc sulfate had similar positive effects on the improvement of primary dysmenorrheal pain in young women.
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Interest in nonpharmacologic approaches for managing pain continues to grow. The aim of this study was to determine the types of pain-relevant programs offered by senior centers and whether the programs varied by clients' race/ethnicity status and center size. A telephone survey was conducted. ⋯ The programs/classes offered were infrequently advertised as a means of helping seniors manage pain and varied by clients' race/ethnicity status and center size. Programs that have potential utility for older adults with pain are commonly offered by senior centers. Future research should determine optimal strategies for engaging older adults in these programs in the senior center setting.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The effectiveness of physical exercise training in pain, mobility, and psychological well-being of older persons living in nursing homes.
Pain is common in the aging population, particularly among older residents of nursing homes. It has been found that 50% of older people living in the community have been experiencing chronic pain, and the number increased to 80% for older residents of nursing homes. Exercise is an effective non-pharmacological intervention that can reduce pain and improve physical and psychological functions. ⋯ The control group received no training during the eight weeks. Upon completion of the PEP, the experimental group experienced a significantly greater reduction in pain intensity from 4.19 ± 2.25 (on an 11 point scale) to 2.67 ± 2.08, as compared to the control group (p < .05). In addition, the psychological well-being (happiness, loneliness, life satisfaction, and depression) of the experimental group was significantly improved (p < .05).
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Pain is common in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). In 2005, the Australian Pain Society developed 27 recommendations for good practice in the identification, assessment, and management of pain in these settings. This study aimed to address implementation of the standards and evaluate outcomes. ⋯ After implementation, the staff also reported better understanding of the standards (p < .001) or of facility pain management guidelines (p < .001), increased confidence in therapies for pain management (p < .001), and increased confidence in their training to assess pain (p < .001) and recognize pain in residents with dementia who are nonverbal (p = .003). The results show that improved evidence-based practice in RACFs can be achieved with appropriate training and education. Investing resources in the aged care workforce via this implementation program has shown improvements in staff self-efficacy and practice.
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Comparative Study
Neonatal nurses' perceptions of pain management: survey of the United States and China.
Despite growing knowledge, neonatal pain remains unrecognized, undertreated, and generally challenging. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted to investigate neonatal nurses' perceptions, knowledge, and practice of infant pain in the United States and China, including 343 neonatal nurses (American nurses [n = 237]; Chinese nurses [n = 106]). Nurses' responses regarding neonatal pain reflected adequate knowledge in general pain concepts, but knowledge deficits related to several topics were found (e.g., preterm infants are more sensitive to pain and long-term consequences of pain). ⋯ Barriers to effective pain management included resistance to change, lack of knowledge, lack of time, fear of side effects of pain medication, and lack of trust in the tools. The survey reflects concerns that pain has not been well managed in many neonatal intensive care units in the United States and China. Further actions are needed to solve the issues of inadequate training, lack of clinically feasible pain tools, and absence of evidence-based guidelines/protocols.