Articles: chronic-pain.
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The objective of this project was to determine the relationship between cigarette smoking and the reporting of chronic pain syndromes among participants in the Kentucky Women's Health Registry. Data was analyzed on 6,092 women over 18 years of age who responded to survey questions on pain and smoking. The chronic pain syndromes included in the analysis were fibromyalgia, sciatica, chronic neck pain, chronic back pain, joint pain, chronic head pain, nerve problems, and pain all over the body. Analyses controlled for age, body mass index, and Appalachian versus non-Appalachian county of residence. Results showed that women who were daily smokers reported more chronic pain (defined as the presence of any reported chronic pain syndromes) than women who were never smokers (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.04 and 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.67, 2.49). An increased risk was also seen for "some-day" smokers (aOR 1.68, 95% CI 1.24, 2.27), and former smokers (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.06, 1.37), though with less of an association in the latter group. This study provides evidence of an association between chronic pain and cigarette smoking that is reduced in former smokers. ⋯ This paper presents the association between smoking and musculoskeletal pain syndromes among Kentucky women. This finding may provide additional opportunities for intervention in patients with chronic pain.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A kinematic analysis of relative stability of the lower extremities between subjects with and without chronic low back pain.
Even though a number of studies have evaluated postural adjustments based on kinematic changes in subjects with low back pain (LBP), kinematic stability has not been examined for abnormal postural responses during the one leg standing test. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative kinematic stability of the lower extremities and standing duration in subjects with and without chronic LBP. In total, 54 subjects enrolled in the study, including 28 subjects without LBP and 26 subjects with LBP. ⋯ There was a group interaction between side and lower extremities (F = 11.79, p = 0.001) as well as an interaction between age and dominance side (F = 7.91, p = 0.007). The relative kinematic stability had a moderate negative relationship with age (r = -0.60, p = 0.007) in subjects without LBP. Clinicians need to understand the effects of age and relative stability, which decreased significantly in the single leg holding test, in subjects with LBP in order to develop effective rehabilitation strategies.
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In Italy, chronic pain has a prevalence of about 26%, a rate that warrants efforts by specialists and primary care physicians to improve its treatment. From a study of various treatment systems, it is clear that a radical change in the approach to pain pathology is needed. ⋯ A further limitation to current therapeutic practice is to consider pain intensity as the sole reference parameter in its treatment. In light of these considerations, the Advisory Board has drawn up a strategy to improve outcomes of pain therapy: 1) a shared therapeutic pact between physician and patient based on efficacious communication rather than on information alone; 2) identification of defined therapeutic objectives that allow for reaching a balance between reduction of pain and occurrence of adverse effects; 3) adoption of drug therapies that respond at least in part to an approach based on the pathogenic mechanism of pain rather than on pain intensity alone.