Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Pain has been shown to be associated with poor sleep quality. The aim of this study was to better understand the role that pain intensity and pain extent (number of painful areas) may play in the sleep quality of young people with acute and chronic pain. ⋯ Sleep quality in young people could be improved by teaching them strategies to better manage pain intensity and pain extent. Clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of (and best timing for) pain interventions to improve sleep quality are warranted.
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Ultrasound-guided cervical nerve root block (US-CRB) is considered a safe and effective method for the treatment of radicular pain. However, previous studies on the spreading pattern of injected solution in US-CRB have reported conflicting results. The aim of this study was to investigate the spreading pattern in relation to injection volume. ⋯ The spreading pattern of injected solution in US-CRB could be partially affected by the injectant volume. However, further studies are needed to assess the importance of other factors, such as needle position and physiological effects.
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Comparative Study
Women with Chronic and Episodic Migraine Exhibit Similar Widespread Pressure Pain Sensitivity.
To investigate widespread pressure hyperalgesia in the trigemino-cervical and extra-trigeminal (distant pain-free) regions in women with episodic and chronic migraine. ⋯ This study found similar widespread pressure hypersensitivity in women with episodic or chronic migraine suggesting that central manifestations are involved both in episodic and chronic migraine.
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Clinician communication with patients regarding worrisome findings in Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) may influence patient responses and subsequent care. The authors studied the range of approaches clinicians report when communicating with patients in this situation and how practice policies and procedures may influence this communication. ⋯ Clinicians' self-reported approaches to sharing PDMP findings and communicating prescribing decisions with patients vary and may be facilitated by appropriate practice policies. Such communication may have implications for patient engagement and alliance building. More research is needed to identify best practices and potential guidelines for effectively communicating about PDMP findings, as this may enhance health outcomes.
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Developing a new measurement index is the first step in evaluating pain relief outcomes. Although the percentage difference in pain intensity (%PID) is the most popular indicator, this indicator does not take into account the goal of pain relief. Therefore, the aims of this study were to develop a pain relief index (PRI) for outcome evaluation and to examine the index using demographic characteristics of cancer inpatients with clinically significant pain. ⋯ This hospital-based study demonstrated that the PRI is an effective and valid measure for evaluating outcome data using an electronic nursing information system. We will further define the meaningful range of percentage difference in PRI from various perspectives.