Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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Pain drawings (PD) are frequently used in research to illustrate the pain response to pain provocation tests. However, there is a lack of data on the reliability in defining the extent and location of pain. We investigated the test-retest reliability in reporting an acute painful sensation induced by a pain provocation test using a novel approach for PD acquisition and analysis in healthy volunteers. ⋯ Pain drawings is a reliable instrument to investigate pain extent and pain location in healthy individuals experiencing an acute painful sensation induced by a pain provocation test.
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Treat-to-target (T2T) includes a target or goal, standard symptom assessment, and a treatment decision. In specialties that threat chronic pain, T2T is expected to be implemented collaboratively. The ability of patients to participate fully has been questioned, but these concerns have not been demonstrated empirically. The current study examined how patient self-assessed symptom measures and illness beliefs affect their willingness to change their current treatment. ⋯ Concerns about the ability of patients to participate in a collaborative implementation of T2T were not substantiated. Future studies can examine the subtle interplay of goals, assessments, and treatment decisions and clarify outstanding issues about the practice of clinical decision making.
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The aim of this study was to create and validate severity levels for the central sensitization inventory (CSI), a valid and reliable patient-reported outcome instrument designed to identify patients whose presenting symptoms may be related to a central sensitivity syndrome (CSS; eg, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome), with a proposed common etiology of central sensitization (CS). ⋯ This study provides support for these CSI severity levels as a guideline for healthcare providers and researchers in interpreting CSI scores and evaluating treatment responsiveness.
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Persistent pain after breast cancer surgery (PPBCS) develops in 15% to 25% of patients, sometimes years after surgery. Approximately 50% of PPBCS patients have neuropathic pain in the breast, which may be due to dysfunction of the pectoral nerves. The Pecs local anesthetic block proposes to block these nerves and has provided pain relief for patients undergoing breast cancer surgery, but has yet to be evaluated in patients with PPBCS. ⋯ This pilot study suggests that the pectoral nerves play a role in the maintenance of pain in the breast area in PPBCS and begs for further research.
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This phase 3 study evaluated quality of life, functioning, and productivity after treatment with extended-release (ER) hydrocodone formulated with CIMA(®) Abuse-Deterrence Technology platform. ⋯ Patients receiving hydrocodone ER showed early numeric improvements in functioning that continued throughout this 12-month study.