Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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The association between low-grade systemic inflammation and musculoskeletal pain may be influenced by multiple factors. However, little is known about the relative importance of these factors, and few studies account for them. This Delphi study aimed to reach consensus on the most important confounders which influence the association between low-grade systemic inflammation and musculoskeletal pain. ⋯ These findings provide insight in the complexity of the association between low-grade systemic inflammation and musculoskeletal pain. Some factors currently listed as confounders may be re-classified as moderators or mediators as insights progress.
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This study sought to evaluate if actively informing new chronic pain patients about treatment options and setting realistic expectations for care, through the use of a pre-visit informational handout prior to the first clinic visit, improved patient satisfaction with subsequently proposed treatment plans. ⋯ Patient satisfaction with proposed chronic pain treatment plans was improved when clinic approaches to pain were explicitly outlined and therapeutic expectations were clearly established in the form of an informational handout at the outset of the first visit.
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To describe the method and clinical efficacy of awake computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) as a treatment for trigeminal neuralgia (TN). ⋯ This new awake CT-guided PBC technique produces better outcomes than the traditional PBC under fluoroscopy guidance and general anesthesia.
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Research suggests that ethnicity is a predictor of pain-related outcomes; however, studies comparing the differences in experimental pain sensitivity between Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) are scarce. This study investigated these differences between Hispanics and NHW from the U.S.- Mexico border. ⋯ The experimental pain sensitivity and psychosocial factors included in this study differed by ethnic group, where Hispanics reported significantly higher pain ratings, when compared with NHW. However, ethnic identity and acculturation were not associated with these pain-related outcomes. Overall, enhanced understanding by clinicians of pain sensitivity and disparities in the pain experience between ethnic groups allows for increased cultural sensitivity and can be used to optimize pain treatment on an individual-by-individual basis.