Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Stress has a strong influence on pain sensitivity. However, the direction of this influence is unclear. Recent studies reported both decreased and increased pain sensitivities under stress, and one hypothesis is that interindividual differences account for these differences. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of stress on individual pain sensitivity in a relatively large female sample. ⋯ These findings support the view that pain sensitivity under stress shows large interindividual variability, and point to a possible dichotomy of altered pain sensitivity under stress.
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To examine the effects of noninvasive pulsed radio frequency energy (PRFE) on recurrent migraine headache associated with occipital neuralgia. ⋯ Improvement in frequency of headaches was noted, especially when PRFE was combined with GLONB. Further study is warranted.
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Chronic rectal pain secondary to radiation-induced proctitis is fast-becoming a leading cause of chronic pain, especially for prostate cancer survivors. Currently, many elderly patients resort to increased opioid intake to alleviate the pain. However, this increase in opioid consumption often leads to constipation and further aggravates the anorectal pain, thus leading to a perpetual, vicious cycle. We reasoned that blocking the ganglion impar could attenuate this sympathetically maintained pain, which would lead to a reduction in the consumption of opioids, lessen constipation, and lead to an improvement in the patient's quality of life. ⋯ Based on this case's success, a prospective study or randomized control trial evaluating the efficacy of the ganglion impar block as a treatment option for chronic anorectal pain secondary to radiation-induced proctitis appears warranted.
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Letter Case Reports
Atypical cluster and migraine headache starting with a reverse epicrania fugax.