Articles: pain-management.
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In the present study 267 patients with chronic neurogenic or musculoskeletal pain were given vibratory stimulation for the pain. The patients were observed for 18 months or until they terminated the treatment. ⋯ Seventy-two per cent of these patients reported an increased social activity and greater than 50% reduced intake of analgesic drugs after 12 months of home treatment. It is suggested that vibration may be a valuable measure for symptomatic treatment of chronic pain.
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Case Reports
Results of spinal cord stimulation in patients suffering from chronic pain after a two year observation period.
Attempts were made to treat 50 patients suffering from various types of chronic pain with SCS (PISCES). In 33 patients the test stimulation was successful so that an implantation of the system was carried out. After a minimum observation period of two years, only six patients still reported satisfactory alleviation of pain. A more careful selection of patients suffering from different types of pain would appear to be the pre-requisite for better results.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Auriculotherapy fails to relieve chronic pain. A controlled crossover study.
Enthusiastic reports of the effectiveness of electrical stimulation of the outer ear for the relief of pain ("auriculotherapy") have led to increasing use of the procedure. In the present study, auriculotherapy was evaluated in 36 patients suffering from chronic pain, using a controlled crossover design. ⋯ Pain-relief scores obtained with the McGill Pain Questionnaire failed to show any differences in either experiment. It is concluded that auriculotherapy is not an effective therapeutic procedure for chronic pain.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Effects of acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on cold-induced pain in normal subjects.
The effects of acupuncture, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) at high (100 Hz) and low (8 Hz) frequency and placebo on pain induced by cold immersion of the hand were studied in 46 young healthy male and female volunteers. Acupuncture produced significant elevations of pain threshold, while 100 Hz TENS or placebo had no effect. ⋯ There was some evidence that the L scale score of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire predicted analgesic outcome for 8 Hz TENS. No significant relationship was found between baseline pain threshold or tolerance and personality variables.