Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most prevalent primary headache. Chronic TTH (CTTH), the most serious form of TTH, is refractory, with a high socio-economic burden. Research studies have shown patients with migraine often had cognitive impairment, but few studies have focused on the cognition in patients with CTTH. ⋯ We also assessed the correlations between the neuroendocrine hormones and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score, 17-term Hamilton's Depression Scale score, pain intensity, and duration of pain to determine whether the neuroendocrine hormones had any associations with these symptoms of CTTH. These results showed that changes in neuroendocrine hormones were involved in these symptoms of CTTH. Intervention with the neuroendocrine state may be a strategy for CTTH treatment.
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The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a relatively simple regional anesthesia technique which entails the injection of local anesthetics (LA) into the interfascial plane between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis muscles, where nerves supplying the anterolateral abdominal wall course. It is widely used for acute pain management following abdominal surgical procedures. We describe a series of cases in which TAP blocks were used to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic abdominal wall pain (CAWP). ⋯ Transversus abdominis plane blocks are a valuable addition to the diagnostic armamentarium of pain physicians confronted with abdominal pain of unclear origin. Although most patients responded to the LA injection, the varying degrees of response duration may have been influenced by the different etiologies underlying each condition and the variable expressions of placebo responses. Once the abdominal wall and/or its nerves are identified as pain generators, the optimal therapeutic management remains to be determined. Available literature as well as our case series shows that long-term benefit may be obtained with 1 or more injections, but we speculate that this may only be the case for pain with predominantly neuropathic components.
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According to existing literature, musicians are at risk of experiencing a range of painful musculoskeletal conditions. Recently, a novel digital technology was developed to investigate pain location and pain extent. The aim of this study was to describe pain location and pain extent in musicians using a digital method for pain drawing (PD) analysis. Additionally, the association between PD variables and clinical features were explored in musicians with pain. ⋯ The high prevalence of pain among musicians has been confirmed using a digital technique for PD acquisition and analysis. In addition, positive correlations between pain extent and upper limb disability have been demonstrated. Our findings highlight the need for effective prevention and treatment strategies for musicians.
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Review Meta Analysis
Brief Clinical Report: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Pain Memory-Reframing Interventions for Children's Needle Procedures.
Children's pain memories play a powerful role in shaping future pain experiences. Interventions aiming to reframe children's memories of painful medical procedures hold promise for altering pain memories and improving subsequent pain experience; however, this evidence has not been synthesized. This brief clinical report includes a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing memory-reframing interventions for needle procedures in children and adolescents to stimulate future research. ⋯ There are limited data suggesting that interventions that reframe children's memories of needle procedures hold promise for altering pain memories and potentially reducing anticipatory fear. High-quality intervention development work is needed to determine how these interventions can be adapted to the developing child in order to lead to lasting reductions in pain, fear, and distress at future needle procedures.
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To compare fibromyalgia (FM) characteristics among patients identified in a community-based chronic pain cohort based on traditional International Classification of Diagnoses 9th revision (ICD-9) diagnostic coding, with that of patients identified using a novel predictive model. ⋯ The identification of multiple comorbidities, diagnoses, and musculoskeletal procedures that were significantly associated with FM may facilitate differentiation of FM patients from other conditions characterized by chronic widespread pain. Predictive modeling may enhance identification of FM patients who may otherwise go undiagnosed.