Articles: back-pain.
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The prevalence of HIV-related neuropathy may rise nationwide as Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) usage and HIV-survival rates increase, resulting in higher referral rates to pain practitioners for analgesic strategies. However, if patients' symptoms are refractory to conservative measures, an advanced interventional approach may be indicated. ⋯ These 2 cases demonstrate that SCS neuromodulation is a safe, viable, and efficacious option for patients whose HIV-related neuropathic type pain is refractory to conventional treatment modalities. Our patients appear to be the first case reports that show a remarkable efficacy of SCS in the management of HIV-related polyneuropathy.
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Chronic pain affects between 10-20 % of the population of Japan and several specific types of chronic pain have been found to be associated with worse health outcomes. The aim of the current study was to investigate the economic burden of chronic pain as well as the health status among Japanese patients. ⋯ The results suggest that chronic pain has a significant association in an individual's health status, work productivity, daily activity impairment, healthcare resource use, and economic burden in Japan. Along with low treatment rates, a multidisciplinary approach may lead to an improved quality of life and reduce the economic burden among patients with chronic pain in Japan.
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The objective of this study was to identify, document, and weight attributes of a pain medication that are relevant from the perspective of patients with chronic pain. Within the sub-population of patients suffering from "chronic neuropathic pain", three groups were analyzed in depth: patients with neuropathic back pain, patients with painful diabetic polyneuropathy, and patients suffering from pain due to post-herpetic neuralgia. The central question was: "On which features do patients base their assessment of pain medications and which features are most useful in the process of evaluating and selecting possible therapies?" ⋯ The results were intended to enable early selection of an individualized pain medication. The results of the study showed that DCE is an appropriate means for the identification of patient preferences when being treated with specific pain medications. Due to the fact that pain perception is subjective in nature, the identification of patients´ preferences will enable therapists to better develop and implement patient-oriented treatment of chronic pain. It is therefore essential to improve the therapists´ understanding of patient preferences in order to make decisions concerning pain treatment. DCE and direct assessment should become valid instruments to elicit treatment preferences in chronic pain.
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The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) has been used to identify people with back pain who have high levels of "fear of movement" to direct them into fear reduction interventions. However, there is considerable debate as to what construct(s) the scale measures. Somatic Focus and Activity Avoidance subscales identified in factor analytic studies remain poorly defined. Using a mixed methods design, this study sought to understand the beliefs that underlie high scores on the TSK to better understand what construct(s) it measures. ⋯ The TSK may be better described as a measure of the "beliefs that painful activity will result in damage and/or increased suffering and/or functional loss."
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A retrospective study with retrospective and prospective inclusion of 100 patients. ⋯ 3.