The journal of pain : official journal of the American Pain Society
-
The goal of the current study was to enhance the measurement of the pediatric chronic pain experience through a methodologically rigorous approach. This paper outlines the development and initial validation of a pain intensity measure for pediatric patients with chronic pain using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System methodology. Measure development incorporated feedback from children with painful conditions. ⋯ PERSPECTIVE: We have developed and evaluated a clinically sensitive and psychometrically precise 3-item pain intensity measure with Likert-type responses for self-report use among children and adolescents ages 8 to 18 years with chronic pain. Development of the item content and response options included input from children and adolescents with chronic pain. The development of pain intensity items with pediatric appropriate language, and labeled, fewer response options to yield maximal clinically meaningful information improves the precision of pain intensity measurement in children.
-
During pain, motor performance tends to decline. However, athletes who engage in contact sports are able to maintain performance despite the inherent pain that accompanies participation. This may be the result of being challenged rather than threatened by pain; adaptive coping strategies; habituation to pain; or finding pain less bothersome. ⋯ Moreover, pain tolerance, intensity, and bothersomeness may differentiate novice and experienced athletes. PERSPECTIVE: Exposure to voluntary pain and challenge states are associated with adaptive responses to pain. Motor task performance may be maintained in individuals with more experience of sports-related pain.
-
Comparative Study
En pointe: dancers report their pain less variably than do controls.
The subjective nature of pain and the lack of a gold standard for objective measurement hinders effective assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Some individuals, such as professional dancers, are better in assessing and reporting bodily sensations. This observational study aimed to assess whether dancers report their pain less variably, than other people do. ⋯ Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness subscores correlated with pain reporting variability: R2 and ICC with emotional awareness (r = .260, P = .040, and r = .274, P = .030, respectively), and R2 with trusting [r = .254, P = .044]). PERSPECTIVE: The difference between dancers and controls in the magnitude of variability of pain reports is probably due to the dancers' extensive training, which focuses on attention to body signals. Our results suggest that training can improve subjective pain reports, which are essential for quality clinical care.
-
Treatment of neuropathic pain (NP) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a major challenge. The aim of the present study is to investigate if the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation combined with visual illusion, following a previously published protocol, has differential effects on pain-related sensory symptoms according to sensory phenotypes profiles. One hundred and thirty SCI patients with NP participated in this open-label trial. ⋯ Despite a reduction of NP with the combined treatment, the analysis of sensory phenotype pain profiles does not provide a predictive value regarding the analgesic results of this combined neuromodulatory treatment. PERSPECTIVE: In this article we confirm the analgesic effect of a combined neuromodulatory therapy, transcranial direct current stimulation associated with visual illusion in patients with NP after an SCI. We have identified 5 clusters of NP with distinct sensory phenotypes, but there was not any specific sensory phenotype cluster that significantly responded to the combined therapy better than the other.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
An Initial Psychometric Evaluation of the Pain Concepts Questionnaire in a Low-SES Setting.
The examination of pain beliefs for chronic pain assessment and treatment has been a growing area of interest. A variety of questionnaires have been developed to assess pain beliefs, however, these questionnaires often require high levels of literacy and education. The pain concepts questionnaire (PCQ) was developed with literacy-adaptations to better evaluate pain beliefs in a low socioeconomic (SES) population. ⋯ PERSPECTIVE: This study is an initial evaluation of the psychometric properties of a new measure of chronic pain beliefs, the pain concepts questionnaire (PCQ). The PCQ is literacy-adapted and was assessed within a low-SES population. Psychometric proprieties of this measure were promising and could be useful in pain assessment and interventions.