Scandinavian journal of pain
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Observational Study
An observational study of pain self-management strategies and outcomes: does type of pain, age, or gender, matter?
Background and aims Acute pain is differentiated from chronic pain by its sudden onset and short duration; in contrast, chronic pain is characterized by a duration of at least several months, typically considered longer than normal healing time. Despite differences in definition, there is little information on how types of self-management strategies or outcomes differ when pain is chronic rather than acute. Additionally, age and gender are thought to be related to types of strategies used and outcomes. ⋯ In contrast, few associations between age and gender with either management strategies or outcomes were identified, although the variability was high. Implications When managing or researching pain management, acute pain should be differentiated from chronic pain. Because of the substantial variability within the gender and age groups, an individual approach to pain management irrespective of age and gender may be most useful.
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Observational Study
Effect of the market withdrawal of dextropropoxyphene on use of other prescribed analgesics.
Background and aims Dextropropoxyphene (DXP) is a synthetic opioid that was prescribed worldwide for mild to moderate pain. It was withdrawn from the European market in 2009. In this study we aim to investigate the effect of the market withdrawal of dextropropoxyphene in Norway on overall use of opioids and other analgesics at an individual level. ⋯ The increase in use among earlier high users of DXP was most striking. Implications This study documents markedly increased prescriptions of other opioids after withdrawal of dextropropoxyphene due to its high risk of serious complications. However, consequences of the increased use of opioids among earlier high users of DXP such as changes in risk of poisonings, accidental deaths and suicides remain to be investigated.
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Case Reports Observational Study
The response to radiofrequency neurotomy of medial branches including a bipolar system for thoracic facet joints.
Background and aims The evidence for interventional treatment of thoracic facet joint pain remains limited. This is partly due to inconsistency of the path of thoracic medial branches and a lower incidence of thoracic facet pain among spine pain patients. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of bipolar radiofrequency (RF) neurotomy of medial branches for treating chronic thoracic facet joint pain. ⋯ There were no serious adverse effects or complications of the procedure reported in this study. Conclusions Bipolar RF neurotomy of thoracic medial branch is associated with a significant reduction in thoracic facet joint pain. The promising findings from this case series merit further assessment with prospective, randomized controlled trial which will produce a more reliable and accurate finding for its clinical applications.
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Background and aims Despite the recognition of pain as a global health problem and advancements achieved in what is known about effective pain management, pain education for undergraduate health care professionals remains insufficient. This study investigated the content of pain curricula and the time allocated to pain education on physiotherapy programs at bachelor's level at Universities of Applied Sciences (UASs) in Finland. Methods A web-based survey questionnaire was sent to the directors of the physiotherapy programs at all the Finnish UASs (n=15) where physiotherapy is taught at bachelor's level. ⋯ Efforts should also be made at keeping integrated pain education well-coordinated and purposeful. There is a need for further research estimating the effectiveness of pain education according to the different ways in which it is organized. There is also a need to investigate whether more hours allocated to pain education results in better understanding and professional skills.