The journal of pain : official journal of the American Pain Society
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Vulvodynia, impacts up to 8% of women by age 40, and is hypothesized to manifest through an altered immune-inflammatory response. To test this hypothesis, we identified all women born in Sweden between 1973 and 1996 diagnosed with localized provoked vulvodynia (N76.3) and/or vaginismus (N94.2 or F52.5) between 2001 and 2018. We matched each case to two women from the same birth year with no vulvar pain ICD codes. ⋯ These findings suggest that women with vulvodynia may have a more compromised immune system either at birth or at points across the life course than women with no vulvar pain history. PERSPECTIVE: Women with vulvodynia are substantially more likely to experience a spectrum of immune related conditions across the life course. These findings lend support to the hypothesis that chronic inflammation initiates the hyperinnervation that causes the debilitating pain in women with vulvodynia.
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Therapeutic ultrasound (tUS) is widely used in chronic muscle pain control. However, its analgesic molecular mechanism is still not known. Our objective is to reveal the mechanism of the tUS-induced analgesia in mouse models of fibromyalgia. ⋯ NSAIDs should be cautiously used or avoided in the tUS treatment. PERSPECTIVE: Therapeutic ultrasound showed analgesic effects against chronic mechanical hyperalgesia in the mouse model of fibromyalgia through the signaling pathways involving substance P and ASIC3-containing ion channels in muscle afferents. NSAIDs should be cautiously used during tUS treatment.
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The 20-item Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale (PASS-20) was adapted for Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans who report chronic pain (SSMACP). The instrument measures pain-related anxiety with fear, physiological, avoidance/escape, and cognitive anxiety as subtypes. In SSMACP, the Spanish PASS-20's psychometric properties were evaluated while exploring relationships between pain-related anxiety with other variables. ⋯ PERSPECTIVE: The Spanish PASS-20 has adequate psychometric properties in SSMACP. This instrument can help catalyze pain research in SSMACP by informing on their pain-related anxiety and by helping evaluate other pain-related instruments. Evidence also informed on pain-related anxiety in SSMACP.
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Although chronic pain states have been associated with impaired cognitive functions, including memory and cognitive flexibility, the cognitive effects of osteoarthritis (OA) pain remain to be clarified. The aim of this study was to measure cognitive function in the mono-iodoacetate (MIA) rat model of chronic OA-like knee pain. We used young adult male Lister hooded rats, which are well-suited for cognitive testing. ⋯ Our finding that OA-like pain does not alter hippocampal function, unlike other chronic pain conditions, is consistent with human neuroimaging findings. PERSPECTIVE: Young adult rats with OA-like knee pain showed no impairments in hippocampal memory function and behavioral flexibility, suggesting that OA pain impacts cognitive functions less than other chronic pain conditions. In patients, OA pain may interact with other factors (e.g., age, socio-economic factors, and medication) to impair cognition.