Articles: pain.
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The relationship between persistent pain in spinal cord injury and medical-descriptive, demographic, psychological and familial-social data was studied. Multiple linear regression and discriminant analysis were used to predict (1) presence or absence of pain; (2) severity of pain; (3) time post-injury onset of pain; (4) whether or not pain interfered with activities of daily living. The best combinations of predictor variables accounted for only 15 and 19% of the dependent measures pain vs. no-pain and onset of pain, respectively. ⋯ Higher levels of subjective pain were associated with greater age, higher verbal intelligence, higher levels of anxiety and a more negative psycho-social situation. Persons who reported pain interfering with activities of daily living were more likely to be older, of higher intelligence, more depressed, clinically rated as experiencing greater levels of distress and immersed in a more negative psycho-social environment. The importance of psycho-social variables in the understanding of persistent spinal cord injury pain and the need for prospective studies along these lines are demonstrated.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Cryoanalgesia in the management of pain after thoracotomy.
The demand for postoperative analgesia was compared between 29 patients treated with cryoanalgesia to the relevant intercostal nerves during thoracotomy and a control group who did not have cryoanalgesia. The cryoanalgesia group required significantly less (p < 0.005) postoperative analgesia than did the control group.
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Antagonism of nitrous oxide analgesia by naloxone in man.
The possible reversal of nitrous oxide analgesia by naloxone was investigated. Two studies were conducted in 21 healthy male subjects, who responded to ischemic pain produced by tourniquet applied to the upper arm for 15 min, while breathing air or nitrous oxide, 33 per cent. Using a double-blind procedure, the subjects received intravenous injections of naloxone and saline solution on different days. ⋯ In 13 subjects, naloxone, 4 mg, also decreased significantly the effect of nitrous oxide analgesia in comparison with saline solution. Naloxone showed its reversal effect mainly on sensory response rating obtained during the painful stages of ischemia, between 11 and 15 min. The results suggest that analgesia induced by nitrous oxide may be partly related to the opiate receptor--endorphin system in man.
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In the treatment of cancer, particularly when pain is a serious symptom, psychological support of a patient is important and can, in fact, facilitate ongoing oncologic treatment. Hypnosis represents a psychological technique of great potency for reducing pain, increasing patients' life-enhancing attitudes, and helping patients deal with death and separation. Ultimately, the value of hypnosis lies in enabling an individual to potentiate inner capacities for creating psychological quiescence and physical comfort. For a suffering cancer patient, relief that comes from within can provide a much-needed experience of personal efficacy and strength.