Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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To evaluate the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary, nonpharmacological, integrative approach that uses shared medical appointments to improve health-related quality of life and reduce opioid medication use in patients with chronic pain. ⋯ Patients suffering from chronic pain who participated in a multidisciplinary, nonpharmacological treatment approach delivered via shared medical appointments experienced reduced pain and improved measures of physical, mental, and social health without increased use of opioid pain medications.
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Clinical Trial
Green Light Exposure Improves Pain and Quality of Life in Fibromyalgia Patients: A Preliminary One-Way Crossover Clinical Trial.
Fibromyalgia is a functional pain disorder in which patients suffer from widespread pain and poor quality of life. Fibromyalgia pain and its impact on quality of life are not effectively managed with current therapeutics. Previously, in a preclinical rat study, we demonstrated that exposure to green light-emitting diodes (GLED) for 8 hours/day for 5 days resulted in antinociception and reversal of thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity associated with models of injury-related pain. Given the safety of GLED and the ease of its use, our objective is to administer GLED as a potential therapy to patients with fibromyalgia. ⋯ Although the mechanism by which GLED elicits pain reduction is currently being studied, these results supporting its efficacy and safety merit a larger clinical trial.
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Back pain is one of the most common pain syndromes in the United States, but there has been limited recent description of the role of emergency departments (EDs) in caring for patients with back pain. We investigated trends in the evaluation and management of back pain in U.S. EDs from 2007 to 2016. ⋯ Opioid utilization during ED visits for back pain decreased from 2007 to 2016, whereas tramadol use more than doubled. Care intensity increased significantly despite declining admission rates. Further research into optimal strategies for back pain management in the ED is needed.
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To preliminarily examine the psychometric properties (i.e., internal consistency reliability, construct validity) and clinical utility of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) psychological stress experiences scale in a sample of youth with chronic pain. ⋯ The PROMIS psychological stress experiences scale shows promising psychometric properties in youth with pediatric pain and may be useful in assessing for psychological impairment. Future research should further examine the use of this brief measure to assess psychological stress in medical clinics as a way to enhance intervention and prevention efforts in these youth.