Articles: pain-management.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2024
MRI-derived abdominal adipose tissue is associated with multisite and widespread chronic pain.
Musculoskeletal pain typically occurs in multiple sites; however, no study has examined whether excessive visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue are associated with musculoskeletal pain. This study therefore aimed to describe the associations between MRI-derived abdominal adipose tissue and multisite and widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain. ⋯ Abdominal adipose tissue was associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain, suggesting that excessive and ectopic fat depositions may be involved in the pathogenesis of multisite and widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain. The identified stronger effects in women than men may reflect sex differences in fat distribution and hormones.
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There is a growing interest in the relationship between nature and pain relief. Evidence from environmental psychology, neuroscience and physiology-based studies point towards analgesic effects of nature being mediated through various cognitive, affective and/or autonomic factors. Being able to harness these therapeutic effects using immersive virtual reality (VR) could help to optimize and improve accessibility of nature-based environments as part of chronic pain management plans. In this narrative review, we present evidence supporting a new theoretical framework for nature-based analgesia and suggest ways for applying this through immersive VR. ⋯ This review article summarizes key multidisciplinary evidence to help understand how nature exerts beneficial effects on pain processing. The use of this theoretical framework alongside advances in immersive VR technologies provides a springboard for future research and can be used to help develop new nature-based therapeutics using VR.
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Beliefs and knowledge about pain can influence how an individual approaches pain management. At present, there have been no investigations into the beliefs and knowledge that females hold about their pelvic pain; therefore, pain intervention approaches may not be targeted at current patient understandings. Exploring beliefs and knowledge may help inform and subsequently improve pain intervention outcomes for pelvic pain by allowing more tailored content to be delivered. This study aimed to identify beliefs and knowledge that females hold about their pelvic pain. ⋯ This study provides insight into the perspectives of females with pelvic pain. Recommendations for clinicians are provided with a focus on delivering targeted education and equipping patients with helpful representations of their pain.
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Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a complex, chronic skin disease characterised by painful inflammatory nodules, abscesses, dermal tunnels, sinus tracts and fistulae with a predilection for intertriginous skin. HS carries a substantial disease burden due to its prevalence, associated comorbidities and quality of life impacts and is associated with high healthcare resource utilisation. Clarity regarding the prevalence and pathogenesis of HS has led to improved therapies and more patients seeking care in both outpatient and acute care settings, including the emergency department. Emergency medicine providers play a critical role in HS diagnosis, management of acute flares and connection of HS patients with long-term dermatologic care, which can in turn help manage utilisation of acute care resources.
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Understanding how large language model (LLM) recommendations vary with patient race/ethnicity provides insight into how LLMs may counter or compound bias in opioid prescription. Forty real-world patient cases were sourced from the MIMIC-IV Note dataset with chief complaints of abdominal pain, back pain, headache, or musculoskeletal pain and amended to include all combinations of race/ethnicity and sex. Large language models were instructed to provide a subjective pain rating and comprehensive pain management recommendation. ⋯ Race/ethnicity and sex did not influence LLM recommendations. This study suggests that LLMs do not preferentially recommend opioid treatment for one group over another. Given that prior research shows race-based disparities in pain perception and treatment by healthcare providers, LLMs may offer physicians a helpful tool to guide their pain management and ensure equitable treatment across patient groups.