Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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Chronic musculoskeletal pain is accompanied by central sensitization, which can be determined with quantitative sensory testing (QST). In this study, we aim to investigate whether central sensitization, as measured by thermal QST, is detectable in community-dwelling elderly individuals suffering from self-reported chronic pain and identify determinants influencing thermal QST measurement analyses and interpretation. ⋯ Higher sensitivity for heat pain, one feature of central sensitization, is present in community-dwelling elderly with chronic pain. Additional determinants should be considered when analyzing and interpreting QST measurements.
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There is a paucity of published data on the prevalence of chronic pain conditions within large, integrated healthcare organizations in the U.S.A. Such data are essential to inform the development of appropriate treatment programs. ⋯ In this comprehensive analysis of 2 years of data from a large, vertically integrated metropolitan health system, chronic pain was identified in 12% of adult patients. Approximately 75% of chronic pain conditions were musculoskeletal. The triad of age ≥ 60 years, BMI ≥ 30, and female sex were the most salient demographic characteristics of patients with chronic pain conditions. These diagnostic and demographic data may be used to inform treatment program development.