Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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The aim of the present study was to examine whether cognitive functioning (i.e., memory and executive functioning) is related to self-reported presence of pain (i.e., affirmative answer to the question whether the individual feels pain) and experience of pain (i.e., intensity and affect) in adults with Down syndrome (DS). ⋯ Memory seems to be related to the self-reported presence of pain in adults with DS after explicit inquiry, although the clinical use of this model is yet limited. Therefore, further research is needed for insight into the role of cognitive processes in self-report (e.g., involving aspects such as acquiescence and repeated measurements) to evaluate whether neuropsychological examination could contribute to pain assessment in DS.
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A previous study on shoulder pain mapping showed specific pain patterns for common shoulder disorders. This study aimed to test those patterns for accuracy, modify shoulder pain mapping as needed, and observe their reliability and validity. ⋯ This was a unique and extensive study on shoulder pain mapping. The study concluded that pain mapping could be a useful adjunct to the clinical assessment of patients with shoulder pain and can be used in the primary care setting as well as secondary care and for research.
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St. John's Wort Potentiates anti-Nociceptive Effects of Morphine in Mice Models of Neuropathic Pain.
In this study, we compared the efficacy of a combination of PKC-blocker St. John's Wort (SJW) and morphine in mice with painful antiretroviral (2,3-dideoxycitidine [ddC]) and chemotherapic (oxaliplatin) neuropathy. ⋯ These results show that SJW has notable antinociceptive activity for both neuropathic pain models and could be used in neuropathic pain relief alone or in combination with morphine. These data support the utility of combination SJW/opioid therapy in pain management for antinociceptive efficacy by enhancing opioid analgesia.
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Pragmatic Clinical Trial
Real-World Massage Therapy Produces Meaningful Effectiveness Signal for Primary Care Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: Results of a Repeated Measures Cohort Study.
While efficacy of massage and other nonpharmacological treatments for chronic low back pain is established, stakeholders have called for pragmatic studies of effectiveness in "real-world" primary health care. The Kentucky Pain Research and Outcomes Study evaluated massage impact on pain, disability, and health-related quality of life for primary care patients with chronic low back pain. We report effectiveness and feasibility results, and make comparisons with established minimal clinically important differences. ⋯ Results provide a meaningful signal of massage effect for primary care patients with chronic low back pain and call for further research in practice settings using pragmatic designs with control groups.