Current pain and headache reports
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Aug 2012
ReviewHow to investigate and treat: migraine in patients with temporomandibular disorders.
Migraine and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are highly prevalent conditions that frequently coexist in the same patient. The relationship between migraine and TMD is complex. ⋯ Herein we briefly discuss the clinical commonalities of migraine and TMD, and the differential diagnosis of these conditions with other causes of facial pain. We close by presenting our experience in the treatment of patients with the comorbidity.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Aug 2012
ReviewIntegrative oncology: managing cancer pain with complementary and alternative therapies.
For the projected 1,638,910 patients with a diagnosis of cancer this year, the great majority of them (75-90 %) will experience cancer-related pain. A growing number of these patients will turn to complementary and alternative therapies to assist with the management of their pain and other cancer-related symptoms. ⋯ Practitioners and researchers must be aware of the evidence that exists to support or refute the use of these therapies. In this manuscript we review evidence from the recent past on complementary and alternative therapies for pain with emphasis on more common modalities including acupuncture, bio-energy, massage, and music.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Aug 2012
Complementary medicine in cancer care: adding a therapy dog to the team.
Animal-assisted therapy, including visits from certified therapy dogs, offer a valuable and often underutilized resource for addressing unmet needs in cancer patients. Prospective research studies have documented symptomatic benefits for reducing pain, psychological distress, and fatigue in a variety of patient populations, including cancer patients. Utilizing consistent policies minimizes patient risk and infection control concerns associated with animal visits.
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Pain is prevalent, burdensome, and undertreated in individuals with cancer across the disease trajectory. Providing patients and family caregivers with psychosocial support and education to manage cancer pain is a core component of quality care that can result in significant clinical benefit. In this review, we: (1) outline an approach for developing and assessing the effectiveness of education programs for adults with cancer pain; (2) discuss considerations for tailoring programs to the needs of diverse populations and those with limited health literacy skills; (3) describe the resource needs and costs of developing a program; (4) highlight innovative approaches to cancer pain education. We conclude with recommendations for future research and the next generation of educational interventions.
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Regular assessment for the presence of pain and response to pain management strategies should be high priority in cancer patients. Pain is a multidimensional experience in cancer patients. Pain management will be most effective when treatments are individualized after exploring the various physical and non-physical components of pain, and the patient and family are educated and involved in decision making. This article discusses the various issues that are pertinent to the assessment of pain in cancer patients.