Pressure and cold pain threshold reference values in a large, young adult, pain-free population
Conclusions These data provide the most comprehensive and robust sex specific reference values for pressure pain threshold specific to four body sites and cold pain threshold at the dorsal wrist for young adults aged 21–24 years. Establishing normative values in this young age group is important given that the transition from adolescence to adulthood is a critical temporal period during which trajectories for persistent pain can be established. Implications These data will provide an important research resource to enable more accurate profiling and interpretation of pain sensitivity in clinical pain disorders in young a...
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - August 23, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
A low fermentable oligo-di-mono saccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diet reduced pain and improved daily life in fibromyalgia patients
Conclusions Implementation of diet therapy involving FODMAP restrictions, in this cohort of FM patients, resulted in a significant reduction in GI disorders and FM symptoms, including pain scores. These results need to be extended in future larger studies on dietary therapy for treatment of FM. Implications According to current scientific knowledge, these are the first relevant results found in an intervention with LFD therapy in FM and must be reproduced looking for a future dietetic approach in FM. (Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain)
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - August 21, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
The relative importance of anxiety and depression in pain impact in individuals with migraine headaches
Conclusions The findings support a larger role for anxiety than depression in the impact of migraine headaches on patient function. There are a number of mechanisms by which anxiety could potentially influence the impact of headache on patient function, and this study highlights that anxiety could potentially be a trigger of headache activity. Implications The findings thus suggest the possibility that treatments that focus on anxiety might be potentially more important for individuals with migraine than treatments that focus on depression, at least with respect to having a beneficial impact on the interference of headach...
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - August 20, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
Rasch analysis resulted in an improved Norwegian version of the Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (PABS)
Conclusions Rasch analysis produced an improved Norwegian version of the PABS which represents true (fundamental) measurement of clinicians’ biomedical and biopsychosocial treatment orientation. However, researchers should be aware of the low discriminative ability of the biopsychosocial subscale when analyzing differences and effect changes. Implications The study presents a revised PABS that provides interval-level measurement of clinicians’ pain beliefs. The revision allows for confident use of parametric statistical analysis. Further examination of discriminative validity is required. (Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain)
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - August 10, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
Osteoarthritis patients with pain improvement are highly likely to also have improved quality of life and functioning. A post hoc analysis of a clinical trial
Conclusions Pain is an efficient outcome measure for predicting broader patient response in osteoarthritis. Patients who do not achieve timely, acceptable pain states over 4 weeks were less likely to experience functional or quality of life improvements. Implications Good pain improvements in osteoarthritis with a valid pain instrument are a proxy for good improvements in both function and quality of life. Therefore proper osteoarthritis pain assessment can lead to efficient evaluations in the clinic. (Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain)
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - August 9, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
Constructs of health belief and disabling distal upper limb pain
Conclusion This exploratory cross-sectional study identified five constructs of health belief from responses to a previously used set of statements investigating fear avoidance and illness beliefs in a clinical population with pain in the distal upper limb. Of these constructs, beliefs about prognosis were found to moderate the relationship between pain and disability. Implications At the time of referral to physiotherapy it may be beneficial to assess patients’ perception of prognosis. For those with higher than expected disability for the presenting level of pain, and pessimism about prognosis, focused reassurance may...
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - August 9, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
Assessing the relationship between chronic pain and cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Conclusions Our review supports a possible dose-response type of association between chronic pain and cardiovascular disease, supported by a range of observational studies originating from different countries. Such research has so far failed to satisfactorily rule out that the association is due to confounding variables. What is now needed are further population based longitudinal studies that are designed to allow more robust exploration of a cause and effect relationship. Implications Given the high prevalence of chronic pain in developed and developing countries our results highlight a significant, but underpublicized,...
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - August 3, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
Local infiltration analgesia in knee and hip arthroplasty efficacy and safety
Conclusion LIA provides good postoperative analgesia which is similar to femoral block after total knee arthroplasty. The plasma concentration of ropivacaine seems to be below toxic levels in most TKA patients. The unbound plasma concentration of ropivacaine in THA seems to be below the toxic level. Implication The use of ketorolac in LIA may not be safer than other routes of administration, and similar restrictions should be applied in patients at risk of developing side effects. Graphical abstract (Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain)
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - July 27, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
A meta-analysis of fear-avoidance and pain intensity: The paradox of chronic pain
Conclusions The present meta-analysis synthesizes the results from studies examining the association between fear-avoidance and pain intensity among individuals with chronic pain. The positive association indicates that those with increased fear-avoidance have higher pain intensity, and those with higher pain intensity have increased fear-avoidance. Findings indicate that cultural differences and measurement instruments are important to consider in understanding the variables that affect this association. The significant cultural variations may indicate that it is important to consider the function of avoidance behavior in...
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - July 27, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
How to analyze the Visual Analogue Scale: Myths, truths and clinical relevance
Conclusions and Implications We recommend that in the situation in which no covariates besides treatment group are included in the analysis, distribution-free methods (Wilcoxon, Mann–Whitney) be used, as their power is indistinguishable from that of the proposed method. In the situation in which there are covariates which affect VAS, the proposed method is optimal. However, in this case, if the VAS scores are not concentrated around either extreme of the scale, normal-distribution methods (t-test, linear regression) are almost as powerful, and are recommended as a pragmatic choice. In the case of small sample size and VA...
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - July 26, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
Prolonging the duration of single-shot intrathecal labour analgesia with morphine: A systematic review
Conclusions Evidence from this systematic review suggests a possible beneficial prolonging effect of adding morphine to spinal analgesia with bupivacaine+fentanyl or +sufentanil during labour. The study quality was low and heterogeneity high. No severe side effects were reported. More adequately-powered randomized trials with low bias are needed to determine the benefits and harms of adding morphine to spinal local anaesthetic analgesia during labour. Implications Epidural analgesia is documented as the most effective method for providing pain relief during labour, but from a global perspective most women in labour have ...
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - July 17, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
Mandatory documentation of pain in the emergency department increases analgesic administration but does not improve patients’ satisfaction of pain management
Conclusion Patients’ satisfaction with pain management increased, but not statistically significantly. However, both percentages of patients receiving analgesic drugs increased and pain intensity decrease at discharge were statistically significant after the intervention that made nurses obliged to register pain. Implication According to the findings of this study, mandatory pain documentation facilitates pain management in the ED, but there is still room for improvement. Additional actions are needed to improve patients’ satisfaction on pain management in the ED. Mandatory pain documentation in combination with pers...
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - July 15, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
Emla®-cream as pain relief during pneumococcal vaccination
Publication date: July 2016 Source:Scandinavian Journal of Pain, Volume 12 Author(s): B. Olsson Duse, Y. Sporrong, K. Skoglund, M. Bartocci (Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain)
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - July 13, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
Trait-anxiety and pain intensity predict symptoms related to dysfunctional breathing (DB) in patients with chronic pain
Publication date: July 2016 Source:Scandinavian Journal of Pain, Volume 12 Author(s): L.S. Nævestad, S. Halvorsen, G. Kvarstein (Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain)
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - July 13, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
Pain rehabilitation with language interpreter, a multicenter development project
Publication date: July 2016 Source:Scandinavian Journal of Pain, Volume 12 Author(s): M. Löfgren, K. Uhlin, E. Persson, B.-M. Stålnacke, M. Rivano-Fischer (Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain)
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Pain - July 13, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research
