Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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This review wished to determine the reported prevalence of suffering in various patient diagnostic groups and examine the evidence for the association of pain and suffering. ⋯ The above results indicate a consistent association between suffering and pain in some patient groups. Studies addressing suffering are needed in CNPM patients.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Evaluation of a Telementoring Intervention for Pain Management in the Veterans Health Administration.
Half of all Veterans experience chronic pain yet many face geographical barriers to specialty pain care. In 2011, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) launched the Specialty Care Access Network-ECHO (SCAN-ECHO), which uses telehealth technology to provide primary care providers with case-based specialist consultation and pain management education. Our objective was to evaluate the pilot SCAN-ECHO pain management program (SCAN-ECHO-PM). ⋯ SCAN-ECHO-PM was associated with increased utilization of physical medicine services and initiation of nonopioid medications among patients with CNCP. SCAN-ECHO-PM may provide a novel means of building pain management competency among primary care providers.
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Women veterans have a higher prevalence of chronic pain relative to men. One hypothesis is that differential combat and traumatic sexual experiences and attenuated levels of social support between men and women may differentially contribute to the development and perpetuation of pain. This investigation examined [1] gender differences in trauma, social support, and family conflict among veterans with chronic pain, and [2] whether trauma, social support, and family conflict were differentially associated with pain severity, pain interference, and depressive symptom severity as a function of gender. ⋯ Results underscore the potential importance of developing and testing gender specific models of chronic pain that consider the relative roles of trauma, social support, and family conflict.
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Cancer pain is difficult to treat, often requiring a multimodal approach. While medication management remains the mainstay for the treatment of cancer pain, medications are often associated with undesired side effects. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) provides a potential adjunctive method for treating cancer pain with minimal side effects. ⋯ TENS provides a beneficial adjunct for the treatment of cancer pain, especially when utilized as a goal-directed therapy.