Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Pain and depressive disorders often present together, but little is known about the prevalence of pain in depression subgroups. The objective of this study was to examine the possible differences in the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain between participants in melancholic and atypical depression subgroups. ⋯ Melancholic depression showed to be associated with a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in comparison with atypical depression. This finding highlights the need for further studies about the mechanisms behind the association, particularly in melancholic depression.
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This study’s aim was to identify the most important general and pain-related risk factors of suicidal ideation in a large sample of patients with chronic non-cancer pain. ⋯ These results indicate that development of suicidal ideation is more closely related to pain chronicity and certain psychosocial factors than how severe or physically incapacitating the pain is. Many of these factors could potentially be modified by early identification of suicidal ideation and developing targeted cognitive interventions for suicidal at-risk patients. Research to examine the efficacy of these interventions for reducing suicidal ideation is warranted.
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Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain originating from the posterior ligament manifests in not only the buttocks but also the groin and lower extremities and thus may be difficult to discern from pain secondary to other lumbar disorders. We aimed to develop a simple clinical diagnostic tool to help physicians distinguish between patients with SIJ pain originating from the posterior ligament and those with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) or lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSS). ⋯ The scoring system can help distinguish between patients with SIJ pain originating from the posterior ligament and those with LDH and LSS.
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Centrality of pain refers to the degree to which a patient views chronic pain as integral to his or her life or identity. The purpose of this study was to gain a richer understanding of pain centrality from the perspective of patients who live with chronic pain. ⋯ This study highlights centrality of pain as an important construct to consider within the overall patient experience of chronic pain.
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Observational Study
The Role of Qutenza® (Topical Capsaicin 8%) in Treating Neuropathic Pain from Critical Ischemia in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease: An Observational Cohort Study.
Current treatment strategies for painful critical ischemia in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are suboptimal. A drug that is non-renally excreted has minimal systemic absorption and does not require dose adjustment in renal failure is attractive. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Qutenza® (topical capsaicin 8%) for chronic neuropathic pain from critical ischemia in patients with ESRD. ⋯ In this small, observational study Qutenza® treatment has been shown to be effective and well-tolerated to treat neuropathic pain from critical ischemia in patients with ESRD.