Current pain and headache reports
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Sep 2013
ReviewFibromyalgia comorbid with anxiety disorders and depression: combined medical and psychological treatment.
Fibromyalgia is associated with high level of pain and suffering. Lack of diagnosis leads to onerous indirect economic costs. Recent data indicate that fibromyalgia; anxiety disorders, and depression tend to occur as comorbid conditions. ⋯ Combined pharmacotherapy and cognitive-behavior therapy should ideally be offered to all patients. Lifestyle changes, such as physical exercise should be encouraged. The message to patients should be that all forms of pain are true medical conditions and deserve proper care.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Sep 2013
ReviewConditioned pain modulation: a predictor for development and treatment of neuropathic pain.
Psychophysical evaluation of endogenous pain inhibition via conditioned pain modulation (CPM) represents a new generation of laboratory tests for pain assessment. In this review we discuss recent findings on CPM in neuropathic pain and refer to psychophysical, neurophysiological, and methodological aspects of its clinical implications. ⋯ Moreover, pre-treatment CPM evaluation may assist in the correct choice of serotonin-noradrenalin reuptake inhibitor analgesic agents for individual patients. Evaluation of pain modulation capabilities can serve as a step forward in individualizing pain medicine.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Sep 2013
ReviewUpdate on neuropathic pain treatment: ion channel blockers and gabapentinoids.
Neuropathic pain is a debilitating chronic pain condition, which remains difficult to treat. The current mainstays of treatment include physical therapy, interventional procedures and medications. ⋯ It has been suggested that these medications may be useful to treat a variety of neuropathic pain conditions. This article provides several updates on the utility of both ion channel blockers and gabapentinoids for the treatment of neuropathic pain.
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During the past decades, worldwide clinical and scientific interest in dry needling (DN) therapy has grown exponentially. Various clinical effects have been credited to dry needling, but rigorous evidence about its potential physiological mechanisms of actions and effects is still lacking. ⋯ The studies of potential effects of DN are reviewed in reference to the different aspects involved in the pathophysiology of myofascial triggerpoints: the taut band, local ischemia and hypoxia, peripheral and central sensitization. This article aims to provide the physiotherapist with a greater understanding of the contemporary data available: what effects could be attributed to dry needling and what are their potential underlying mechanisms of action, and also indicate some directions at which future research could be aimed to fill current voids.
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Studying the epidemiology of fibromyalgia (FM) is very important to understand the impact of this disorder on persons, families and society. The recent modified 2010 classification criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), without the need of tender points palpation, allows that larger and nationwide surveys may be done, worldwide. This article reviews the prevalence and incidence studies done in the general population, in several countries/continents, the prevalence of FM in special groups/settings, the association of FM with some sociodemographic characteristics of the population, and the comorbidity of FM with others disorders, especially with headaches.