Articles: pain-clinics.
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Sex-related differences in the experience of clinical and experimental pain have been widely reported. Females are at elevated risk for developing several chronic pain conditions and women demonstrate greater sensitivity to noxious stimulation in the laboratory. However, relationships between responses to experimental noxious stimuli and the experience of clinical pain have not been well characterized. ⋯ Women with higher pain tolerances showed greater improvement in pain, more reduction in pain-related interference, and more increases in activity level than women with lower pain tolerances. In contrast, pain tolerance was not associated with positive treatment outcomes among men. These results indicate that experimental pain responses may be most clinically relevant for women, and that sex differences may exist in the determinants of pain-treatment outcomes.
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Int J Qual Health Care · Dec 2003
Validity and reliability of guidelines for neck pain treatment in primary health care. A nationwide empirical analysis in Spain.
To assess the reliability and validity of existing clinical guidelines on neck-pain physiotherapy treatment and follow-up in Spain. ⋯ The results question the guidelines' reliability and validity, and their usefulness in ensuring quality. We conclude that guidelines should be reviewed and re-designed with greater scientific rigour.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · Nov 2003
Acute, painful, and swollen testicle as the presenting feature in polyarteritis nodosa.
A 74-year-old man presented with spiking fever, myalgias, and a painful left testicle. A diagnosis of polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) was made. Corticosteroids, in combination with cyclophosphamide, induced clinical remission.