Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
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Prior work has demonstrated differences in the transcriptome between those with and without chronic musculoskeletal pain. ⋯ The findings from this study provided some preliminary support that pain-related gene expression is similar between individuals with and without dementia.
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In 2010, the Office of the US Army Surgeon General recommended the Veterans Administration (VA) assess pain using the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS). One item in the DVPRS is for measuring pain intensity. This item contains a combination of five response metrics: categories, faces, colors, numbers, and functional descriptors. A few studies have supported patients' and health care providers' preferences for the DVPRS and its psychometric properties. However, they also left uncertainties about its usability and validity. ⋯ Results from this study inform the nursing community about the DVPRS' pain intensity item, which combines multiple response metrics. The results support the need for nursing units to generate and standardize procedures for using the item to measure multi-site pain and for interpreting and documenting patients' non-numeric responses. The effects of such procedures on the measure's usability and psychometric properties warrants additional investigation.
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Observational Study
Do FIQR Severity Categories and Symptoms, Differentiate Between Continuous, Intermittent and Non-Opioid Users in the Treatment of Fibromyalgia?
Many fibromyalgia patients utilize opioids to treat symptoms. It is important to better understand nuances regarding this treatment option and any stigma associated with this treatment modality. ⋯ Opioid use is common in fibromyalgia and increases monotonically with FIQR severity. Multidisciplinary approaches which help patients perform daily activities, decrease feelings of overwhelm, accomplish goals, and reduce stigma may be beneficial.
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Pain felt in an amputated limb is quite common. Phantom pain affects the lives of individuals in many ways and can negatively affect the holistic well-being of individuals. Distant Reiki can be used in the management of these problems. ⋯ Distant Reiki has been found to be easy to administer, inexpensive, non-pharmacological, and appropriate for independent nursing practice to be effective in reducing phantom pain levels and increasing holistic well-being in people with limb amputation.
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The opioid crisis in the United States is of public health significance, with an estimated 128 opioid overdose-related deaths per day in 2018 and a relapse rate of 90% or higher. This crisis persists despite the adoption of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), therefore, there is a need to prevent relapse. ⋯ Additional research is needed to ascertain other factors predicting relapse in patients with OUD in addiction treatment centers.