Sparsity-based shrinkage approach for practicability improvement of H-LBP-based edge extraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Chenyi [School of Physics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024 (China); Qiao, Shuang, E-mail: qiaos810@nenu.edu.cn [School of Physics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024 (China); Sun, Jianing, E-mail: sunjn118@nenu.edu.cn [School of Mathematics and Statistics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024 (China); Zhao, Ruikun; Wu, Wei [Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun 130021 (China)

2016-07-21

The local binary pattern with H function (H-LBP) technique enables fast and efficient edge extraction in digital radiography. In this paper, we reformulate the model of H-LBP and propose a novel sparsity-based shrinkage approach, in which the threshold can be adapted to the data sparsity. Using this model, we upgrade fast H-LBP framework and apply it to real digital radiography. The experiments show that the method improved using the new shrinkage approach can avoid elaborately artificial modulation of parameters and possess greater robustness in edge extraction compared with the other current methods without increasing processing time. - Highlights: • An novel sparsity-based shrinkage approach for edge extraction on digital radiography is proposed. • The threshold of SS-LBP can be adaptive to the data sparsity. • SS-LBP is the development of AH-LBP and H-LBP. • Without boosting processing time and losing processing efficiency, SS-LBP can avoid elaborately artificial modulation of parameters provides. • SS-LBP has more robust performance in edge extraction compared with the existing methods.

3D face analysis by using Mesh-LBP feature

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Haoyu; Yang, Fumeng; Zhang, Yuming; Wu, Congzhong

2017-11-01

Objective: Face Recognition is one of the widely application of image processing. Corresponding two-dimensional limitations, such as the pose and illumination changes, to a certain extent restricted its accurate rate and further development. How to overcome the pose and illumination changes and the effects of self-occlusion is the research hotspot and difficulty, also attracting more and more domestic and foreign experts and scholars to study it. 3D face recognition fusing shape and texture descriptors has become a very promising research direction. Method: Our paper presents a 3D point cloud based on mesh local binary pattern grid (Mesh-LBP), then feature extraction for 3D face recognition by fusing shape and texture descriptors. 3D Mesh-LBP not only retains the integrity of the 3D geometry, is also reduces the need for recognition process of normalization steps, because the triangle Mesh-LBP descriptor is calculated on 3D grid. On the other hand, in view of multi-modal consistency in face recognition advantage, construction of LBP can fusing shape and texture information on Triangular Mesh. In this paper, some of the operators used to extract Mesh-LBP, Such as the normal vectors of the triangle each face and vertex, the gaussian curvature, the mean curvature, laplace operator and so on. Conclusion: First, Kinect devices obtain 3D point cloud face, after the pretreatment and normalization, then transform it into triangular grid, grid local binary pattern feature extraction from face key significant parts of face. For each local face, calculate its Mesh-LBP feature with Gaussian curvature, mean curvature laplace operator and so on. Experiments on the our research database, change the method is robust and high recognition accuracy.

Effects of obesity and chronic low back pain on gait

OpenAIRE

Cimolin, Veronica; Vismara, Luca; Galli, Manuela; Zaina, Fabio; Negrini, Stefano; Capodaglio, Paolo

2011-01-01

Abstract Background Obesity is often associated with low back pain (LBP). Despite empirical evidence that LBP induces gait abnormalities, there is a lack of quantitative analysis of the combined effect of obesity and LBP on gait. The aim of our study was to quantify the gait pattern of obese subjects with and without LBP and normal-mass controls by using Gait Analysis (GA), in order to investigate the cumulative effects of obesity and LBP on gait. Methods Eight obese females with chronic LBP ...

Chronic low back pain: a mini-review on pharmacological management and pathophysiological insights from clinical and pre-clinical data.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Thomas S W; Kuo, Andy; Smith, Maree T

2018-05-12

Globally, low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common health problems affecting humans. The lifetime prevalence of non-specific LBP is approximately 84%, with the chronic prevalence at about 23%. Chronic LBP in humans is defined as LBP that persists for more than 12 weeks without a significant pain improvement. Although there are numerous evidence-based guidelines on the management of acute LBP, this is not the case for chronic LBP, which is regarded as particularly difficult to treat. Research aimed at discovering new drug treatments for alleviation of chronic mechanical LBP is lacking due to the paucity of knowledge on the pathobiology of this condition, despite its high morbidity in the affected adult population. For a debilitating condition such as chronic LBP, it is necessary to assess the sustained effects of pharmacotherapy of various agents spanning months to years. Although many rodent models of mechanical LBP have been developed to mimic the human condition, some of the major shortcomings of many of these models are (1) the presence of a concurrent neuropathic component that develops secondary to posterior intervertebral disc puncture, (2) severe model phenotype, and/or (3) use of behavioural endpoints that have yet to be validated for pain. Hence, there is a great, unmet need for research aimed at discovering new biological targets in rodent models of chronic mechanical LBP for use in drug discovery programs as a means to potentially produce new highly effective and well-tolerated analgesic agents to improve relief of chronic LBP. On a cautionary note, it must be borne in mind that because humans and rats display orthograde and pronograde postures, respectively, the different mechanical forces on their spines add to the difficulty in translation of promising rodent data to humans.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of Streptococcus pyogenes laminin-binding protein Lbp

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linke, Christian; Caradoc-Davies, Tom T.; Proft, Thomas; Baker, Edward N.

2008-01-01

The S. pyogenes laminin-binding protein Lbp, which is essential for adhesion to human laminin, has been expressed, purified and crystallized. The laminin-binding protein Lbp (Spy2007) from Streptococcus pyogenes (a group A streptococcus) mediates adhesion to the human basal lamina glycoprotein laminin. Accordingly, Lbp is essential in in vitro models of cell adhesion and invasion. However, the molecular and structural basis of laminin binding by bacteria remains unknown. Therefore, the lbp gene has been cloned for recombinant expression in Escherichia coli. Lbp has been purified and crystallized from 30%(w/v) PEG 1500 by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belonged to the monoclinic space group P2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 42.62, b = 92.16, c = 70.61 Å, β = 106.27°, and diffracted to 2.5 Å resolution

Purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of Streptococcus pyogenes laminin-binding protein Lbp

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Linke, Christian, E-mail: clin180@ec.auckland.ac.nz [School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland (New Zealand); Caradoc-Davies, Tom T. [School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland (New Zealand); Australian Synchrotron, Clayton, Victoria 3168 (Australia); Proft, Thomas [School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland (New Zealand); Baker, Edward N. [School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland (New Zealand)

2008-02-01

The S. pyogenes laminin-binding protein Lbp, which is essential for adhesion to human laminin, has been expressed, purified and crystallized. The laminin-binding protein Lbp (Spy2007) from Streptococcus pyogenes (a group A streptococcus) mediates adhesion to the human basal lamina glycoprotein laminin. Accordingly, Lbp is essential in in vitro models of cell adhesion and invasion. However, the molecular and structural basis of laminin binding by bacteria remains unknown. Therefore, the lbp gene has been cloned for recombinant expression in Escherichia coli. Lbp has been purified and crystallized from 30%(w/v) PEG 1500 by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belonged to the monoclinic space group P2{sub 1}, with unit-cell parameters a = 42.62, b = 92.16, c = 70.61 Å, β = 106.27°, and diffracted to 2.5 Å resolution.

Spoofing detection on facial images recognition using LBP and GLCM combination

Science.gov (United States)

Sthevanie, F.; Ramadhani, K. N.

2018-03-01

The challenge for the facial based security system is how to detect facial image falsification such as facial image spoofing. Spoofing occurs when someone try to pretend as a registered user to obtain illegal access and gain advantage from the protected system. This research implements facial image spoofing detection method by analyzing image texture. The proposed method for texture analysis combines the Local Binary Pattern (LBP) and Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) method. The experimental results show that spoofing detection using LBP and GLCM combination achieves high detection rate compared to that of using only LBP feature or GLCM feature.

PREVALENSI KELUHAN LOW BACK PAIN (LBP PADA PETANI DI WILAYAH KERJA UPT KESMAS PAYANGAN GIANYAR APRIL 2015

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Kiranjit Kaur

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Latar Belakang: LBP merupakan gangguan muskuloskeletal yang banyak dikeluhkan oleh petani. Kegiatan yang dilakukan petani umumnya memerlukan posisi tubuh yang statis dan repetitif yang meningkatkan prevalensi keluhan LBP. Selain posisi kerja yang salah, umur, jenis kelamin, lama kerja, masa kerja, posisi kerja, riwayat merokok dan trauma juga merupakan faktor untuk terjadi LBP. Petani di wilayah cakupan kerja UPT payangan berjumlah sebanyak 4.883. Dilihat dari tingginya jumlah petani di wilayah tersebut angka kejadian LBP diperkirakan tinggi. Namun kenyataannya, dari 43.597 total kunjungan pasien ke balai pengobatan tahun 2014, angka kejadian LBP hanya 111. Tujuan Penelitian: Mengetahui prevalensi keluhan LBP pada petani di wilayah kerja UPT Kesmas Payangan tahun 2015. Metode Penelitian: Penelitianmenggunakan desain studi deskriptif cross-sectional untuk mengetahui prevalensi keluhan LBPpada petani yang tinggal dan bekerja di wilayah kerja UPT Kesmas Payangan.Populasi dari penelitian ini adalah semua petani yang berada di wilayah kerja UPT Kesmas Payangan. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan wawancara terstruktur menggunakan kuesioner lalu dilakukan analisis secara univariat dan bivariat. Hasil:Sebanyak 68,6% (48 orang responden mengeluh LBP. Perempuan (71%lebih banyak mengalami LBP dibandingkan dengan laki-laki (66,7%. Kelompok usia dengan keluhan >45 tahun paling banyak mengalami LBP (73,3%. Sebanyak 63,6% petani yang memiliki waktu kerja kurang dari 5 jam dan sebanyak 70,6% petani yang bekerja lebih dari 5 jam mengalami LBP. Sebanyak 60% petani yang bekerja kurang dari 10 tahun mengalami LBP dan sebanyak 69,2% petani yang bekerja lebih dari 10 tahun mengalami LBP. Sebanyak 72,7% petani yang merokok mengalami LBP dan sebanyak 64,9% petani yang tidak merokok mengalami LBP. Keluhan LBP terbanyak dikeluhkan oleh petani yang sering melakukan posisi kerja membungkuk (68,6%. Sebanyak 93,75% petani yang tidak memiliki riwayat jatuh mengalami LBP

Ultrasound evidence of altered lumbar connective tissue structure in human subjects with chronic low back pain

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Bouffard Nicole A

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although the connective tissues forming the fascial planes of the back have been hypothesized to play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic low back pain (LBP, there have been no previous studies quantitatively evaluating connective tissue structure in this condition. The goal of this study was to perform an ultrasound-based comparison of perimuscular connective tissue structure in the lumbar region in a group of human subjects with chronic or recurrent LBP for more than 12 months, compared with a group of subjects without LBP. Methods In each of 107 human subjects (60 with LBP and 47 without LBP, parasagittal ultrasound images were acquired bilaterally centered on a point 2 cm lateral to the midpoint of the L2-3 interspinous ligament. The outcome measures based on these images were subcutaneous and perimuscular connective tissue thickness and echogenicity measured by ultrasound. Results There were no significant differences in age, sex, body mass index (BMI or activity levels between LBP and No-LBP groups. Perimuscular thickness and echogenicity were not correlated with age but were positively correlated with BMI. The LBP group had ~25% greater perimuscular thickness and echogenicity compared with the No-LBP group (ANCOVA adjusted for BMI, p Conclusion This is the first report of abnormal connective tissue structure in the lumbar region in a group of subjects with chronic or recurrent LBP. This finding was not attributable to differences in age, sex, BMI or activity level between groups. Possible causes include genetic factors, abnormal movement patterns and chronic inflammation.

Directed evolution of an LBP/CD14 inhibitory peptide and its anti-endotoxin activity.

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Li Fang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: LPS-binding protein (LBP and its ligand CD14 are located upstream of the signaling pathway for LPS-induced inflammation. Blocking LBP and CD14 binding might prevent LPS-induced inflammation. In previous studies, we obtained a peptide analog (MP12 for the LBP/CD14 binding site and showed that this peptide analog had anti-endotoxin activity. In this study, we used in vitro directed evolution for this peptide analog to improve its in vivo and in vitro anti-endotoxin activity. METHODS: We used error-prone PCR (ep-PCR and induced mutations in the C-terminus of LBP and attached the PCR products to T7 phages to establish a mutant phage display library. The positive clones that competed with LBP for CD14 binding was obtained by screening. We used both in vivo and in vitro experiments to compare the anti-endotoxin activities of a polypeptide designated P1 contained in a positive clone and MP12. RESULTS: 11 positive clones were obtained from among target phages. Sequencing showed that 9 positive clones had a threonine (T to methionine (M mutation in amino acid 287 of LBP. Compared to polypeptide MP12, polypeptide P1 significantly inhibited LPS-induced TNF-α expression and NF-κB activity in U937 cells (P<0.05. Compared to MP12, P1 significantly improved arterial oxygen pressure, an oxygenation index, and lung pathology scores in LPS-induced ARDS rats (P<0.05. CONCLUSION: By in vitro directed evolution of peptide analogs for the LBP/CD14 binding site, we established a new polypeptide (P1 with a threonine (T-to-methionine (M mutation in amino acid 287 of LBP. This polypeptide had high anti-endotoxin activity in vitro and in vivo, which suggested that amino acid 287 in the C-terminus of LBP may play an important role in LBP binding with CD14.

Is Chronic Low Back Pain Associated with the Prevalence of Coronary Heart Disease when Genetic Susceptibility Is Considered?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernandez, Matt; Ordoñana, Juan R; Hartvigsen, Jan

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the chronic low back pain and coronary heart disease relationship, after adjusting for relevant confounders, including genetics. METHODS: In a cross-sectional design, 2148 twins were recruited from the Murcia Twin Registry, Spain. The exposure was chronic LBP...... twin pairs discordant for chronic LBP utilised, separated for zygosity-dizygotic (DZ) and monozygotic (MZ) pairs, which adjusted for shared familial factors, including genetics. RESULTS: Chronic LBP pain is associated with lifetime myocardial infarction [odds ratio (OR) = 2.69, 95% confidence interval...... of the association remained or increased in the co-twin control analyses, none reached statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Chronic LBP is associated with a higher prevalence of myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease. It is possible that this association remains even when controlling for genetics...

LUMBAR LORDOSIS IN ASYMPTOMATICS SUBJECTS AND PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN

OpenAIRE

S.J MOUSAVI; MOHAMMAD REZA NOURBAKHSH

2003-01-01

Introduction: The relationship between the degree of lumbar lordosis and chronic and purpose low back pain (LBP) has long been speculated, but there is discrepancy in findings of previous researchers. The purpose of this of this study was to drtermin differences between lumbar lordosis in asymptomatic and LBP subjects. Matherials: Lumbar lordosis of 420 patients with chronic LBP and 420 asymptomatic subjects was measured by two examiner. A flexible ruler was used to measure lumbar l...

Incidence of low back pain related occupational diseases in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Miedema, H. S.; van der Molen, H. F.; Kuijer, P. P. F. M.; Koes, B. W.; Burdorf, A.

2014-01-01

BackgroundUntil recently, no evidence-based criteria were available to determine the work-relatedness of low back pain (LBP) in an individual worker. Incidence figures for LBP that can be qualified as occupational disease (OD) are scarce. We studied the trend in the number of OD notifications due to

Effect of Tramadol/Acetaminophen on Motivation in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Tetsunaga, Tomoko; Tetsunaga, Tomonori; Tanaka, Masato; Nishida, Keiichiro; Takei, Yoshitaka; Ozaki, Toshifumi

2016-01-01

Background. The contribution of apathy, frequently recognized in individuals with neurodegenerative diseases, to chronic low back pain (LBP) remains unclear. Objectives. To investigate levels of apathy and clinical outcomes in patients with chronic LBP treated with tramadol-acetaminophen. Methods. A retrospective case-control study involving 73 patients with chronic LBP (23 male, 50 female; mean age 71 years) treated with tramadol-acetaminophen (n = 36) and celecoxib (n = 37) was performed. All patients were assessed using the self-reported questionnaires. A mediation model was constructed using a bootstrapping method to evaluate the mediating effects of pain relief after treatment. Results. A total of 35 (55.6%) patients met the criteria for apathy. A four-week treatment regimen in the tramadol group conferred significant improvements in the Apathy scale and numerical rating scale but not in the Rolland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, Pain Disability Assessment Scale, or Pain Catastrophizing Scale. The depression component of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was lower in the tramadol group than in the celecoxib group. The mediation analysis found that the impact of tramadol-acetaminophen on the change in apathy was not mediated by the pain relief. Conclusions. Tramadol-acetaminophen was effective at reducing chronic LBP and conferred a prophylactic motivational effect in patients with chronic LBP.

Chronic low back pain: possibilities for prevention and treatment

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P. R. Kamchatnov

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Low back pain (LBP is a very common syndrome that is associated with the extremely high rate of temporary disability and the development of chronic pain syndrome. In addition to structural changes in the locomotor system, psychological and social factors contribute to the development and maintenance of chronic pain. Drug therapy for chronic LBP frequently gives rise to complications. A physician’s important task in this situation is to prevent pain chronization and to reduce the risk of side effects of treatment. One of the ways to solve this task is to use the vitamin B complex (milgamma along with analgesics and myorelaxants. The review considers the possible effects of combination therapy in patients with LBP and discusses whether it should be used.

The effect of physical and psychosocial occupational factors on the chronicity of low back pain in the workers of Iranian metal industry: a cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Aghilinejad, Mashallah; Tavakolifard, Negah; Mortazavi, Sayed Aliakbar; Kabir Mokamelkhah, Elahe; Sotudehmanesh, Akbar; Mortazavi, Seyed Alireza

2015-01-01

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common problems among the workers of different industries. The role of occupational factors in causing the LBP has been indicated previously. LBP has great socio-economic costs and most of its costs are related to the chronic LBP. The aim of this study was to identify the occupational risk factors that are related to the progression of the LBP from acute to chronic phase. This cohort study has been conducted on 185 workers with acute LBP. Information related to their occupational exposure at baseline has been measured with a valid questionnaire using the self-report approach. Patients follow up was done monthly for three months after the start of the pain. Those workers whose occupational exposure had not changed during the follow up were divided into two groups of chronic LBP (n = 49) and cured (n = 136) according to the duration of the pain period (more or less than 3 months), and their job exposures were compared. Among the physical and psychosocial risk factors, social support (OR= 0.466, CI= 0.231- 0.940) and job satisfaction (OR= 0.455, CI= 0.232-0.891), and lifting weights more than 15kg (OR=2.482, CI= 1.274-4.834) indicated a significant relationship with the chronicity of the LBP. After putting the variables into the regression model, only lifting>15kg remained statistically significant. According to the observed relationship between these occupational risk factors (social support, job satisfaction, lifting>15kg) and the chronicity of the LBP, there is hope that eliminating these factors in the workers with acute LBP will prevent its progression to the chronic phase.

Do abnormal serum lipid levels increase the risk of chronic low back pain? The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study.

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Ingrid Heuch

Full Text Available Cross-sectional studies suggest associations between abnormal lipid levels and prevalence of low back pain (LBP, but it is not known if there is any causal relationship.The objective was to determine, in a population-based prospective cohort study, whether there is any relation between levels of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol and triglycerides and the probability of experiencing subsequent chronic (LBP, both among individuals with and without LBP at baseline.Information was collected in the community-based HUNT 2 (1995-1997 and HUNT 3 (2006-2008 surveys of an entire Norwegian county. Participants were 10,151 women and 8731 men aged 30-69 years, not affected by chronic LBP at baseline, and 3902 women and 2666 men with LBP at baseline. Eleven years later the participants indicated whether they currently suffered from chronic LBP.Among women without LBP at baseline, HDL cholesterol levels were inversely associated and triglyceride levels positively associated with the risk of chronic LBP at end of follow-up in analyses adjusted for age only. Adjustment for the baseline factors education, work status, physical activity, smoking, blood pressure and in particular BMI largely removed these associations (RR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.85-1.07 per mmol/l of HDL cholesterol; RR: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.94-1.42 per unit of lg(triglycerides. Total cholesterol levels showed no associations. In women with LBP at baseline and men without LBP at baseline weaker relationships were observed. In men with LBP at baseline, an inverse association with HDL cholesterol remained after complete adjustment (RR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.72-0.95 per mmol/l.Crude associations between lipid levels and risk of subsequent LBP in individuals without current LBP are mainly caused by confounding with body mass. However, an association with low HDL levels may still remain in men who are already affected and possibly experience a higher pain intensity.

Impact of exercise programs among helicopter pilots with transient LBP.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Knut; Baardsen, Roald; Dalen, Ingvild; Larsen, Jan Petter

2017-06-20

Flight related low back pain (LBP) among helicopter pilots is frequent and may influence flight performance. Prolonged confined sitting during flights seems to weaken lumbar trunk (LT) muscles with associated secondary transient pain. Aim of the study was to investigate if structured training could improve muscular function and thus improve LBP related to flying. 39 helicopter pilots (35 men and 4 women), who reported flying related LBP on at least 1 of 3 missions last month, were allocated to two training programs over a 3-month period. Program A consisted of 10 exercises recommended for general LBP. Program B consisted of 4 exercises designed specifically to improve LT muscular endurance. The pilots were examined before and after the training using questionnaires for pain, function, quality of health and tests of LT muscular endurance as well as ultrasound measurements of the contractility of the lumbar multifidus muscle (LMM). Approximately half of the participants performed the training per-protocol. Participants in this subset group had comparable baseline characteristics as the total study sample. Pre and post analysis of all pilots included, showed participants had marked improvement in endurance and contractility of the LMM following training. Similarly, participants had improvement in function and quality of health. Participants in program B had significant improvement in pain, function and quality of health. This study indicates that participants who performed a three months exercise program had improved muscle endurance at the end of the program. The helicopter pilots also experienced improved function and quality of health. Identifier: NCT01788111 Registration date; February 5th, 2013, verified April 2016.

LUMBAR LORDOSIS IN ASYMPTOMATICS SUBJECTS AND PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN

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S.J MOUSAVI

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The relationship between the degree of lumbar lordosis and chronic and purpose low back pain (LBP has long been speculated, but there is discrepancy in findings of previous researchers. The purpose of this of this study was to drtermin differences between lumbar lordosis in asymptomatic and LBP subjects. Matherials: Lumbar lordosis of 420 patients with chronic LBP and 420 asymptomatic subjects was measured by two examiner. A flexible ruler was used to measure lumbar lodosis in all subjects. Results: The averagr degree of lumbar lordosis for all subjects was 37±13°. Females had greater lumbar lordosis (42 ±15° than males (32±100 and elderly subjects had lesser lumbar lordosis than younger and middle aged subjects. Conclussoion: The degree of lumbar lordosis was not differet between normal subjects and those with LBP. It seems that effects of lumbar lordosis on LBP and treatment programs need to be reevaluated.

LBP/BPI homologue in Eisenia andrei earthworms

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Škanta, František; Procházková, Petra; Roubalová, Radka; Dvořák, Jiří; Bilej, Martin

2016-01-01

Roč. 54, č. 1 (2016), s. 1-6 ISSN 0145-305X R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109; GA MŠk(CZ) EE2.3.30.0003 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : Earthworm * Eisenia * LBP/BPI Subject RIV: EC - Immunology Impact factor: 3.218, year: 2016

Chronic Low Back Pain in Individuals with Lower-limb Amputation

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Ademir Kušljugić

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Low back pain (LBP is a common condition in individuals which experienced psychology and physical trauma. LBP is usually found in persons with lower-limb amputation (LLA, as the most common sign of somatisation or inappropriately made prostheses. Our goal was to investigate cases of chronic pain syndrome in persons with LLA and to determine factors, which influence their functional inability due to LBP. Pain after LLA has been studied. 37 persons, including 26 war veterans (70.2 % and 11 (29.8 % civilians with LLA due to an illness, were examined. All participants gave their informed consent and filled Oswestry index of disability due to chronic LBP, divided into 10 sections with 6 questions each, with marks in the range 0-5. The average age of 37 analyzed participants with LLA was 46.2+-10.92 years. 30 participants (81.1 % were married, 4 (10.8 % were single and 3 (8.1 % were widows. 27 (73.0 % participants had below the knee amputation, 5 (13.5 % had above the knee amputation and 5 (13.5 % had foot amputation. 33 (89.6 % participants experienced chronic LBP in the last 2-10 years and 4 (10.8 % did not have pains. According to Oswestry index for chronic pain higher level of social functionality was found in civilian amputees than in war veterans (p<0.05. Married civilian amputees have higher level of disability during seating (p<0.01, sleeping (p<0.01 and traveling (p<0.05. Higher level of social disorder among civilian amputees is due to the fact that they belong to older group of participants which usually have social integration at the lower degree. More serious problems during seating, traveling and sleeping among this group are probably due to co morbidity. Chronic LBP was found among 89.6 % of the participants. Higher level of social disorder, problems during seating, traveling and sleeping were identified in the civilian amputees and the married participants.

Low back pain and limitations of daily living in Asia: longitudinal findings in the Thai cohort study.

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Yiengprugsawan, Vasoontara; Hoy, Damian; Buchbinder, Rachelle; Bain, Chris; Seubsman, Sam-Ang; Sleigh, Adrian C

2017-01-19

Low back pain (LBP) is a major cause of disability throughout the world. However, longitudinal evidence to relate low back pain and functional limitations is mostly confined to Western countries. In this study, we investigate the associations between low back pain and functional limitations in a prospective cohort of Thai adults. We analysed information from the Thai Cohort Study of adult Open University adults which included 42,785 participants in both 2009 and 2013, with the majority aged 30 to 65 years and residing nationwide. We used multivariate logistic regression to explore the longitudinal associations between LBP in 2009 and 2013 ('never': no LBP in 2009 or 2013; 'reverting': LBP in 2009 but not in 2013; 'incident': no LBP in 2009 but LBP in 2013; and 'chronic': reporting LBP at both time points) and the outcome of functional limitations relating to Activities of Daily Living (ADL) in 2013. Low back pain was common with 30% of cohort members reporting low back pain in both 2009 and 2013 ('chronic LBP'). The 'chronic LBP' group was more likely than the 'never' back pain group to report functional limitations in 2013: adjusted odds ratios 1.60 [95% Confidence Interval: 1.38-1.85] for difficulties getting dressed; 1.98 [1.71-2.30] for walking; 2.02 [1.71-2.39] for climbing stairs; and 3.80 [3.38-4.27] for bending/kneeling. Those with 'incident LBP' or 'reverting LBP' both had increased odds of functional limitations in 2013 but the odds were not generally as high. Our nationwide data from Thailand suggests that LBP is a frequent public health problem among economically productive age groups with adverse effects on the activities of daily living. This study adds to the limited longitudinal evidence on the substantial impact of low back pain in Southeast Asia.

INCIDENCE AND RISK FACTORS FOR CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN AFTER HYSTEROSCOPIC STERILIZATION

Science.gov (United States)

YUNKER, Amanda C.; RITCH, Jessica M. B.; ROBINSON, Erica F.; GOLISH, Cara T.

2014-01-01

Objective To investigate the incidence and pre-operative risk factors for developing pelvic pain after hysteroscopic sterilization using the Essure™ micro-inserts Design Retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting University Medical Center Patients A total of 458 patients who underwent hysteroscopic sterilization with Essure™ between January 1, 2005 and June 30, 2012. Results The incidence of acute pelvic pain after hysteroscopic sterilization was 8.1%, and the incidence of persistent pain after 3 months post-procedure was 4.2%. The range of presentation with pain was 1 to 469 days, with a mean time of 56 days. Of the patients that developed chronic pelvic pain after the procedure, 75% presented within 130 days of the procedure. Patients with previous diagnoses of any chronic pain (chronic pelvic pain, chronic low back pain, chronic headache, and fibromyalgia) were more likely to report both acute pain (OR 6.81, 95% CI 2.95,15.73) and chronic pain (OR 6.15, 95% CI 2.10,18.10) after hysteroscopic sterilization. Conclusions Pelvic pain may develop after hysteroscopic sterilization. Patients with preexisting chronic pain diagnoses may be at increased risk of developing pelvic pain after the procedure. Fifty percent of new pelvic pain after Essure™ placement will resolve by 3 months. PMID:24952343

Antineuropathic and Antinociceptive Drugs Combination in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review

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Carlo Luca Romanò

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Chronic low back pain (LBP is often characterized by both nociceptive and neuropathic components. While various monotherapies have been reported of only limited efficacy, combining drugs with different mechanisms of action and targets appears a rational approach. Aim of this systematic review is to assess the efficacy and safety of different combined pharmacological treatments, compared to monotherapy or placebo, for the pharmacological treatment of chronic LBP. Methods. Published papers, written or abstracted in English from 1990 through 2011, comparing combined pharmacological treatments of chronic LBP to monotherapy or placebo were reviewed. Results. Six articles met the inclusion criteria. Pregabalin combined with celecoxib or opioids was shown to be more effective than either monotherapy. Oxycodone-paracetamol versus previous treatments and tramadol-paracetamol versus placebo were also reported as effective, while morphine-nortriptyline did not show any benefit over any single agent. Conclusions. In spite of theoretical advantages of combined pharmacological treatments of chronic LBP, clinical studies are remarkably few. Available data show that combined therapy, including antinociceptive and antineuropathic agents is more effective than monotherapy, with similar side effects.

Disc degeneration and chronic low back pain: an association which becomes nonsignificant when endplate changes and disc contour are taken into account

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovacs, Francisco M.; Arana, Estanislao; Royuela, Ana; Estremera, Ana; Amengual, Guillermo; Sarasibar, Helena; Martinez, Carmen; Asenjo, Beatriz; Galarraga, Isabel; Alonso, Ana; Casillas, Carlos; Muriel, Alfonso; Abraira, Victor

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess the association between severe disc degeneration (DD) and low back pain (LBP). A case-control study was conducted with 304 subjects, aged 35-50, recruited in routine clinical practice across six hospitals; 240 cases (chronic LBP patients with a median pain duration of 46 months) and 64 controls (asymptomatic subjects without any lifetime history of significant LBP). The following variables were assessed once, using previously validated methods: gender, age, body mass index (BMI), lifetime smoking exposure, degree of physical activity, severity of LBP, disability, and findings on magnetic resonance (MRI) (disc degeneration, Modic changes (MC), disc protrusion/hernia, annular tears, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis). Radiologists who interpreted MRI were blinded to the subjects' characteristics. A multivariate logistic regression model assessed the association between severe DD and chronic LBP, adjusting for gender, age, BMI, physical activity, MC, disc protrusion/hernia, and spinal stenosis. Severe DD at ≥1 level was found in 46.9 % of the controls and 65.8 % of the cases. Crude odds ratio (95 % CI), for suffering chronic LBP when having severe DD, was 2.06 (1.05; 4.06). After adjusting for ''MC'' and ''disc protrusion/hernia,'' it was 1.81 (0.81; 4.05). The association between severe DD and LBP ceases to be significant when adjusted for MC and disc protrusion/hernia. These results do not support that DD as a major cause of chronic LBP. (orig.)

An investigation of p-normed sparsity evaluation for SS-LBP-based edge extraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen-yi, Zhao [School of Physics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun (China); Jia-ning, Sun, E-mail: sunjn118@nenu.edu.cn [School of Mathematics and Statistics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun (China); Shuang, Qiao, E-mail: qiaos810@nenu.edu.cn [School of Physics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun (China)

2017-02-01

SS-LBP is a very efficient tool for fast edge extraction in digital radiography. In this paper, we introduce a p-normed sparsity evaluation strategy to improve and generalize the existing SS-LBP framework. To illustrate the feasibility of the proposed approach, several experimental results are presented. Comparisons show that 1-normed sparsity evaluation is more effective and robust in practical applications.

Coping with chronic lower back pain: designing and testing the online tool ONESELF

OpenAIRE

Schulz, Peter J.; Rubinelli, Sara; Caiata Zufferey, Maria; Hartung, Uwe

2011-01-01

A website was designed in order to help patients with chronic lower back pain (cLBP) to cope with their condition, relying on the concept of health literacy. A sample of 748 chronic or potentially chronic LBP patients were asked to regularly visit the site for a period of 12 months. The intervention was evaluated quantitatively (both preuse and postuse surveys, logfiles) and qualitatively. Users appear to have taken less painkillers than before in the period they accessed the site. Most use...

The impact of chronic low back pain is partly related to loss of social role: A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bailly, Florian; Foltz, Violaine; Rozenberg, Sylvie; Fautrel, Bruno; Gossec, Laure

2015-12-01

Chronic low back pain (LBP) has an important impact on quality of life, through pain and functional incapacity, but also psychosocial distress. The social participation consequences of LBP have been less explored. The objective was to better understand experiences of patients living with chronic LBP, with a focus on impact on relationships with family, friends and work colleagues. Monocentric qualitative study in a tertiary-referral centre in Paris, France. Participants had chronic mechanical LBP. Semi-structured interviews were conducted during 4 focus groups discussions focusing on living with LBP. Verbatim was categorized and coded using thematic content analysis. Twenty-five persons (11 men, 14 women) participated; ages ranged 25-81 years. Participants often reported a negative self-perception in social interactions, with shame and frustration regarding their difficulties to perform activities of daily living. They often felt misunderstood and unsupported, partly due to the absence of visible signs of the condition. Participants suffered from the negative collective image attached to LBP ("benign/psychological disease"). LBP resulted in some patients in a significant loss of social identity with perceived impossibility to perform one's social role at home and at work. In contrast, family and friends were sometimes a support and helped in pain management. A systematic assessment of social role is needed in LBP care. Copyright © 2015 Société française de rhumatologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Steadiness of Spinal Regions during Single-Leg Standing in Older Adults with and without Chronic Low Back Pain.

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Yi-Liang Kuo

Full Text Available The aims of this study were to compare the steadiness index of spinal regions during single-leg standing in older adults with and without chronic low back pain (LBP and to correlate measurements of steadiness index with the performance of clinical balance tests. Thirteen community-dwelling older adults (aged 55 years or above with chronic LBP and 13 age- and gender-matched asymptomatic volunteers participated in this study. Data collection was conducted in a university research laboratory. Measurements were steadiness index of spinal regions (trunk, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, and pelvis during single-leg standing including relative holding time (RHT and relative standstill time (RST, and clinical balance tests (timed up and go test and 5-repetition sit to stand test. The LBP group had a statistically significantly smaller RHT than the control group, regardless of one leg stance on the painful or non-painful sides. The RSTs on the painful side leg in the LBP group were not statistically significantly different from the average RSTs of both legs in the control group; however, the RSTs on the non-painful side leg in the LBP group were statistically significantly smaller than those in the control group for the trunk, thoracic spine, and lumbar spine. No statistically significant intra-group differences were found in the RHTs and RSTs between the painful and non-painful side legs in the LBP group. Measurements of clinical balance tests also showed insignificant weak to moderate correlations with steadiness index. In conclusion, older adults with chronic LBP demonstrated decreased spinal steadiness not only in the symptomatic lumbar spine but also in the other spinal regions within the kinetic chain of the spine. When treating older adults with chronic LBP, clinicians may also need to examine their balance performance and spinal steadiness during balance challenging tests.

Disc degeneration and chronic low back pain: an association which becomes nonsignificant when endplate changes and disc contour are taken into account

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kovacs, Francisco M. [Fundacion Kovacs, Departamento Cientifico, Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Fundacion Kovacs, Spanish Back Pain Research Network, Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Arana, Estanislao [Fundacion Kovacs, Spanish Back Pain Research Network, Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Fundacion Instituto Valenciano de Oncologia, Servicio de Radiologia, Valencia (Spain); Royuela, Ana [CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Madrid (Spain); Hospital Ramon y Cajal, Unidad de Bioestadistica Clinica, IRYCIS, Madrid (Spain); Estremera, Ana; Amengual, Guillermo; Sarasibar, Helena; Martinez, Carmen [Fundacion Kovacs, Spanish Back Pain Research Network, Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Hospital Son Llatzer, Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Asenjo, Beatriz [Fundacion Kovacs, Spanish Back Pain Research Network, Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Hospital Carlos Haya, Malaga (Spain); Galarraga, Isabel [Fundacion Kovacs, Spanish Back Pain Research Network, Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Hospital de Manacor, Manacor, Mallorca (Spain); Alonso, Ana [Fundacion Kovacs, Spanish Back Pain Research Network, Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Madrid (Spain); Casillas, Carlos [Fundacion Kovacs, Spanish Back Pain Research Network, Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Instituto de Traumatologia Union de Mutuas, Castellon (Spain); Muriel, Alfonso; Abraira, Victor [Hospital Ramon y Cajal, Unidad de Bioestadistica Clinica, IRYCIS, Madrid (Spain); CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBERESP), Madrid (Spain)

2014-01-15

The objective of this study was to assess the association between severe disc degeneration (DD) and low back pain (LBP). A case-control study was conducted with 304 subjects, aged 35-50, recruited in routine clinical practice across six hospitals; 240 cases (chronic LBP patients with a median pain duration of 46 months) and 64 controls (asymptomatic subjects without any lifetime history of significant LBP). The following variables were assessed once, using previously validated methods: gender, age, body mass index (BMI), lifetime smoking exposure, degree of physical activity, severity of LBP, disability, and findings on magnetic resonance (MRI) (disc degeneration, Modic changes (MC), disc protrusion/hernia, annular tears, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis). Radiologists who interpreted MRI were blinded to the subjects' characteristics. A multivariate logistic regression model assessed the association between severe DD and chronic LBP, adjusting for gender, age, BMI, physical activity, MC, disc protrusion/hernia, and spinal stenosis. Severe DD at ≥1 level was found in 46.9 % of the controls and 65.8 % of the cases. Crude odds ratio (95 % CI), for suffering chronic LBP when having severe DD, was 2.06 (1.05; 4.06). After adjusting for ''MC'' and ''disc protrusion/hernia,'' it was 1.81 (0.81; 4.05). The association between severe DD and LBP ceases to be significant when adjusted for MC and disc protrusion/hernia. These results do not support that DD as a major cause of chronic LBP. (orig.)

Measuring the Prevalence and Incidence of Low Back Pain Disorders Among American Workers in the Aerospace and Defense Industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Goetzel, Ron Z; D'Arco, Malinda; Thomas, Jordana; Wang, Degang; Tabrizi, Maryam J; Roemer, Enid Chung; Prasad, Aishwarya; Yarborough, Charles M

2015-09-01

To determine the prevalence and incidence of low back pain (LBP) among workers in the aerospace and defense industry and in a specific company. Claims and demographic data from the Truven Health MarketScan normative database representing more than 1 million workers were drawn from a group of 18 US benchmark companies and compared with one particular company, Lockheed Martin Corporation. The prevalence of LBP in the MarketScan normative group was 15.6% in the final study year (2012), whereas the incidence of new cases was 7.2% and 7.3% in years 2011 and 2012, respectively. Compared with the normative group, the company's prevalence and incidence rates were lower. Women and older workers were more likely to experience LBP compared with men and younger workers. The analysis was used to inform the company's leadership about the health burden of the condition and evaluate alternative treatment options to prevent the incidences and reduce the prevalence of clinical back pain among workers.

Lycium barbarum L. Polysaccharide (LBP Reduces Glucose Uptake via Down-Regulation of SGLT-1 in Caco2 Cell

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Huizhen Cai

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Lycium barbarum L. polysaccharide (LBP is prepared from Lycium barbarum L. (L. barbarum, which is a traditional Chinese medicine. LPB has been shown to have hypoglycemic effects. In order to gain some mechanistic insights on the hypoglycemic effects of LBP, we investigated the uptake of LBP and its effect on glucose absorption in the human intestinal epithelial cell line Caco2 cell. The uptake of LBP through Caco2 cell monolayer was time-dependent and was inhibited by phloridzin, a competitive inhibitor of SGLT-1. LPB decreased the absorption of glucose in Caco2 cell, and down-regulated the expression of SGLT-1. These results suggest that LBP might be transported across the human intestinal epithelium through SGLT-1 and it inhibits glucose uptake via down-regulating SGLT-1.

Modic changes and associated features in Southern European chronic low back pain patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Arana, Estanislao; Kovacs, Francisco M; Royuela, Ana; Estremera, Ana; Asenjo, Beatriz; Sarasíbar, Helena; Amengual, Guillermo; Galarraga, Isabel; Alonso, Ana; Casillas, Carlos; Muriel, Alfonso; Montoya, Julia; Ordóñez, Cristina; Martínez, Carmen; Zamora, Javier; Campillo, Carlos; Abraira, Víctor

2011-05-01

Conflicting reports exist regarding the prevalence of Modic changes among low back pain (LBP) patients and factors associated with their existence. To assess the prevalence of Modic changes and other findings on lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) among Spanish adult chronic LBP patients and the patient characteristics and radiological findings associated with Modic changes. A cross-sectional imaging study among chronic LBP patients. Four hundred eighty-seven patients (263 women and 224 men) undergoing lumbar spine MRI examination for chronic LBP. Gender, age, body mass index (BMI), lifetime smoking exposure, degree of physical activity, and image features (disc degeneration, type and extension of Modic changes, disc contour, annular tears, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis). Ten radiologists from six hospitals across six cities in Spain consecutively recruited adult patients in whom lumbar MRI had been prescribed for LBP lasting ≥3 months. Patients' characteristics and imaging findings were assessed through previously validated instruments. A multivariate logistic regression model was developed to assess the features associated with Modic changes. Modic changes were found in 81% of the patients. The most common was Type II (51.3%), affecting only the end plate. Variables associated with Type I changes were disc contour abnormalities, spondylolisthesis, and disc degeneration. The same variables were associated with a higher risk of Type II or any type of Modic changes, as well as being male, and having a higher BMI. Modic changes are found in 81% (95% confidence interval, 77-85) of adult Spanish patients in whom an MRI is prescribed for chronic LBP. Modic changes are more likely to be found in males with a high BMI, who also show disc contour abnormalities, spondylolisthesis, or disc degeneration. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

LBP - A Leading Cause of Workplace Absenteeism : Are We Doing Enough?

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Anuj Singhal

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Low back pain (LBP is a condition which affects most of the individuals at some point of time in their lives. The reportedprevalence of LBP in Indian population is highly variable, and ranges from 6.2% to 92%. The etiology of LBPcovers a vast number of factors including mechanical, psychogenic, degenerative, post traumatic and inflammatory causes. Meticulous history taking andphysical examination are of utmost importance while dealing with a case of LBR Various classes of medicines are available with promising results for control of LBR Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs, selective COX2 inhibitors, muscle relaxants, opioid analgesics, tricyclic antidepressants, gabapentin, pregabalin etc. Non pharmacological intervention like spinal manipulation and acupuncture are of controversial effectiveness. Yoga and physiotherapy have evidence supporting their role in improving the pain. Strong need is there to improvise the conventional method of managing LBR Approximately 95% cases of LBP are of non speciJic mechanical wherein diagnostic imaging tests (including X-rays, CT and MRT are not routinely indicated for acute non-specifi LBR Investigations should be limited for the small minority (<2-5% where the cause of back pain is suspected to be either inflammatory (ie. systemic autoimmune diseases viz. ankylosing spondylitis or spondyloarthritis or sinister. Active rehabilitation should be encouraged and the patients should not be prescribed bed rest as a treatntenf Management of LBPrequires an umbrella approach which, apart from pharmacological intervention, screening for psychosocial prognostic indicators in LBP may ultimately guide treatment protocols in physical therapy for more comprehensive patient care along with patient empowerment in terms of health education, participation in decision muking and responsibility of taking good self-care.

Effects of Pilates Exercise Programs in People With Chronic Low Back Pain

OpenAIRE

Patti, Antonino; Bianco, Antonino; Paoli, Antonio; Messina, Giuseppe; Montalto, Maria Alessandra; Bellafiore, Marianna; Battaglia, Giuseppe; Iovane, Angelo; Palma, Antonio

2015-01-01

Abstract The Pilates method has recently become a fast-growing popular way of exercise recommended for healthy individuals and those engaged in rehabilitation. Several published studies have examined the effects of Pilates method in people with chronic low back pain (LBP). The objective of this study is to describe and provide an extensive overview of the scientific literature comparing the effectiveness of the Pilates method on pain and disability in patients with chronic nonspecific LBP. Th...

Rational and design of an individual participant data meta-analysis of spinal manipulative therapy for chronic low back pain-a protocol

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Zoete, A; de Boer, M R; van Tulder, M W; Rubinstein, S M; Underwood, M.; Hayden, J.A.; Kalter, J.; Ostelo, R

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Chronic low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of pain and disability, resulting in a major socioeconomic impact. The Cochrane Review which examined the effect of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) for chronic LBP concluded that SMT is moderately effective, but was based on conventional

The effect of continuous ultrasound on chronic low back pain: protocol of a randomized controlled trial

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Naghdi Soofia

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic non-specific low-back pain (LBP is one of the most common and expensive musculoskeletal disorders in industrialized countries. Similar to other countries in the world, LBP is a common health and socioeconomic problem in Iran. One of the most widely used modalities in the field of physiotherapy for treating LBP is therapeutic ultrasound. Despite its common use, there is still inconclusive evidence to support its effectiveness in this group of patients. This randomised trial will evaluate the effectiveness of continuous ultrasound in addition to exercise therapy in patients with chronic LBP. Methods and design A total of 46 patients, between the ages 18 and 65 years old who have had LBP for more than three months will be recruited from university hospitals. Participants will be randomized to receive continuous ultrasound plus exercise therapy or placebo ultrasound plus exercise therapy. These groups will be treated for 10 sessions during a period of 4 weeks. Primary outcome measures will be functional disability and pain intensity. Lumbar flexion and extension range of motion, as well as changes in electromyography muscle fatigue indices, will be measured as secondary outcomes. All outcome measures will be measured at baseline, after completion of the treatment sessions, and after one month. Discussion The results of this trial will help to provide some evidence regarding the use of continuous ultrasound in chronic LBP patients. This should lead to a more evidence-based approach to clinical decision making regarding the use of ultrasound for LBP. Trial registration Netherlands Trial Register (NTR: NTR2251

MTHFR and HFE, but not preproghrelin and LBP, polymorphisms as risk factors for all-cause end-stage renal disease development.

Science.gov (United States)

Bloudíčková, S; Kuthanová, L; Hubáček, J A

2014-01-01

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a serious health problem worldwide. The high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and chronic inflammation remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in haemodialysed patients. Beside some external factors, genetic predisposition both to renal failure and poor prognosis has been assumed. We have collected a total of 1,014 haemodialysed patients and 2,559 unrelated healthy Caucasians. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes for preproghrelin (GHRL), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), HFE and MTHFR were genotyped. In the group of patients, significantly more carriers presented the MTHFR T667T (P = 0.002) and HFE Asp63Asp (P = 0.001) and Cys282Cys (P = 0.01) genotypes. The frequencies of individual SNPs within GHRL and LBP genes did not differ between the patients and controls. The trends in genotype frequencies did not differ between the subgroups of patients with different time on haemodialysis. Common variants in MTHFR and HFE could be a risk factor for all-cause ESRD development, but are not predictors for the survival on haemodialysis.

Are religious beliefs and practices of Buddhism associated with disability and salivary cortisol in office workers with chronic low back pain?

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Sooksawat, Annop; Janwantanakul, Prawit; Tencomnao, Tewin; Pensri, Praneet

2013-01-17

Low back pain (LBP) is common among office workers. A number of studies have established a relationship between Christianity and physical and mental health outcomes among chronic pain patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the religious beliefs and practices of Buddhism and disability and psychological stress in office workers with chronic LBP. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a self-administered questionnaire delivered by hand to 463 office workers with chronic LBP. Saliva samples were collected from a randomly selected sub-sample of respondents (n=96). Disability due to LBP was assessed using the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire and psychological stress was assessed based on salivary cortisol. Two hierarchical regression models were built to determine how much variance in disability and psychological stress could be explained by religious beliefs and practices of Buddhism variables after controlling for potential confounder variables. Only 6% of variance in psychological stress was accounted for by the religious beliefs and practices of Buddhism. Those with high religiousness experienced lower psychological stress. No association between the religious beliefs and practices of Buddhism and disability level was found. Depressive symptoms were attributed to both psychological stress and disability status in our study population. The findings suggest that, although being religious may improve the psychological condition in workers with chronic LBP, its effect is insufficient to reduce disability due to illness. Further research should examine the role of depression as a mediator of the effect of psychological stress on disability in patients with chronic LBP.

Effects of noxious stimulation and pain expectations on neuromuscular control of the spine in patients with chronic low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Henchoz, Yves; Tétreau, Charles; Abboud, Jacques; Piché, Mathieu; Descarreaux, Martin

2013-10-01

Alterations of the neuromuscular control of the lumbar spine have been reported in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP). During trunk flexion and extension tasks, the reduced myoelectric activity of the low back extensor musculature observed during full trunk flexion is typically absent in patients with chronic LBP. To determine whether pain expectations could modulate neuromuscular responses to experimental LBP to a higher extent in patients with chronic LBP compared with controls. A cross-sectional, case-control study. Twenty-two patients with nonspecific chronic LBP and 22 age- and sex-matched control participants. Trunk flexion-extension tasks were performed under three experimental conditions: innocuous heat, noxious stimulation with low pain expectation, and noxious stimulation with high pain expectation. Noxious stimulations were delivered using a contact heat thermode applied on the skin of the lumbar region (L4-L5), whereas low or high pain expectations were induced by verbal and visual instructions. Surface electromyography of erector spinae at L2-L3 and L4-L5, as well as lumbopelvic kinematic variables were collected during the tasks. Pain was evaluated using a numerical rating scale. Pain catastrophizing, disability, anxiety, and fear-avoidance beliefs were measured using validated questionnaires. Two-way mixed analysis of variance revealed that pain was significantly different among the three experimental conditions (F2,84=317.5; plow back extensor musculature during full trunk flexion was observed in the high compared with low pain expectations condition at the L2-L3 level (F2,84=9.5; ppain catastrophizing in patients with chronic LBP (r=0.54; p=.012). Repeated exposure to pain appears to generate rigid and less variable patterns of muscle activation in patients with chronic LBP, which attenuate their response to pain expectations. Patients with high levels of pain catastrophizing show higher myoelectric activity of lumbar muscles in full flexion

Reduced thoracolumbar fascia shear strain in human chronic low back pain

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Konofagou Elisa E

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The role played by the thoracolumbar fascia in chronic low back pain (LBP is poorly understood. The thoracolumbar fascia is composed of dense connective tissue layers separated by layers of loose connective tissue that normally allow the dense layers to glide past one another during trunk motion. The goal of this study was to quantify shear plane motion within the thoracolumbar fascia using ultrasound elasticity imaging in human subjects with and without chronic low back pain (LBP. Methods We tested 121 human subjects, 50 without LBP and 71 with LBP of greater than 12 months duration. In each subject, an ultrasound cine-recording was acquired on the right and left sides of the back during passive trunk flexion using a motorized articulated table with the hinge point of the table at L4-5 and the ultrasound probe located longitudinally 2 cm lateral to the midline at the level of the L2-3 interspace. Tissue displacement within the thoracolumbar fascia was calculated using cross correlation techniques and shear strain was derived from this displacement data. Additional measures included standard range of motion and physical performance evaluations as well as ultrasound measurement of perimuscular connective tissue thickness and echogenicity. Results Thoracolumbar fascia shear strain was reduced in the LBP group compared with the No-LBP group (56.4% ± 3.1% vs. 70.2% ± 3.6% respectively, p Conclusion Thoracolumbar fascia shear strain was ~20% lower in human subjects with chronic low back pain. This reduction of shear plane motion may be due to abnormal trunk movement patterns and/or intrinsic connective tissue pathology. There appears to be some sex-related differences in thoracolumbar fascia shear strain that may also play a role in altered connective tissue function.

Multidisciplinary outpatient care program for patients with chronic low back pain: Design of a randomized controlled trial and cost-effectiveness study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lambeek, L.C.; Anema, J.R.; Royen, B.J van; Buijs, P.C.; Wuisman, P.I.; Tulder, M.W. van; Mechelen, W. van

2007-01-01

Background Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a major public and occupational health problem, which is associated with very high costs. Although medical costs for chronic LBP are high, most costs are related to productivity losses due to sick leave. In general, the prognosis for return to work (RTW) is

Report of the NIH Task Force on Research Standards for Chronic Low Back Pain†

Science.gov (United States)

Deyo, Richard A.; Dworkin, Samuel F.; Amtmann, Dagmar; Andersson, Gunnar; Borenstein, David; Carragee, Eugene; Carrino, John; Chou, Roger; Cook, Karon; DeLitto, Anthony; Goertz, Christine; Khalsa, Partap; Loeser, John; Mackey, Sean; Panagis, James; Rainville, James; Tosteson, Tor; Turk, Dennis; Von Korff, Michael; Weiner, Debra K.

2015-01-01

Despite rapidly increasing intervention, functional disability due to chronic low back pain (cLBP) has increased in recent decades. We often cannot identify mechanisms to explain the major negative impact cLBP has on patients’ lives. Such cLBP is often termed non-specific, and may be due to multiple biologic and behavioral etiologies. Researchers use varied inclusion criteria, definitions, baseline assessments, and outcome measures, which impede comparisons and consensus. The NIH Pain Consortium therefore charged a Research Task Force (RTF) to draft standards for research on cLBP. The resulting multidisciplinary panel recommended using 2 questions to define cLBP; classifying cLBP by its impact (defined by pain intensity, pain interference, and physical function); use of a minimal data set to describe research participants (drawing heavily on the PROMIS methodology); reporting “responder analyses” in addition to mean outcome scores; and suggestions for future research and dissemination. The Pain Consortium has approved the recommendations, which investigators should incorporate into NIH grant proposals. The RTF believes these recommendations will advance the field, help to resolve controversies, and facilitate future research addressing the genomic, neurologic, and other mechanistic substrates of chronic low back pain. We expect the RTF recommendations will become a dynamic document, and undergo continual improvement. Perspective A Task Force was convened by the NIH Pain Consortium, with the goal of developing research standards for chronic low back pain. The results included recommendations for definitions, a minimal dataset, reporting outcomes, and future research. Greater consistency in reporting should facilitate comparisons among studies and the development of phenotypes. PMID:26388962

REPORT OF THE NIH TASK FORCE ON RESEARCH STANDARDS FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN

Science.gov (United States)

Deyo, Richard A.; Dworkin, Samuel F.; Amtmann, Dagmar; Andersson, Gunnar; Borenstein, David; Carragee, Eugene; Carrino, John; Chou, Roger; Cook, Karon; DeLitto, Anthony; Goertz, Christine; Khalsa, Partap; Loeser, John; Mackey, Sean; Panagis, James; Rainville, James; Tosteson, Tor; Turk, Dennis; Von Korff, Michael; Weiner, Debra K.

2014-01-01

Despite rapidly increasing intervention, functional disability due to chronic low back pain (cLBP) has increased in recent decades. We often cannot identify mechanisms to explain the major negative impact cLBP has on patients’ lives. Such cLBP is often termed non-specific, and may be due to multiple biologic and behavioral etiologies. Researchers use varied inclusion criteria, definitions, baseline assessments, and outcome measures, which impede comparisons and consensus. The NIH Pain Consortium therefore charged a Research Task Force (RTF) to draft standards for research on cLBP. The resulting multidisciplinary panel recommended using 2 questions to define cLBP; classifying cLBP by its impact (defined by pain intensity, pain interference, and physical function); use of a minimal data set to describe research participants (drawing heavily on the PROMIS methodology); reporting “responder analyses” in addition to mean outcome scores; and suggestions for future research and dissemination. The Pain Consortium has approved the recommendations, which investigators should incorporate into NIH grant proposals. The RTF believes these recommendations will advance the field, help to resolve controversies, and facilitate future research addressing the genomic, neurologic, and other mechanistic substrates of chronic low back pain. We expect the RTF recommendations will become a dynamic document, and undergo continual improvement. Perspective A Task Force was convened by the NIH Pain Consortium, with the goal of developing research standards for chronic low back pain. The results included recommendations for definitions, a minimal dataset, reporting outcomes, and future research. Greater consistency in reporting should facilitate comparisons among studies and the development of phenotypes. PMID:24787228

Development of a screening tool predicting the transition from acute to chronic low back pain for patients in a GP setting: Protocol of a multinational prospective cohort study

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Bajracharya Suraj

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Low back pain (LBP is by far the most prevalent and costly musculoskeletal problem in our society today. Following the recommendations of the Multinational Musculoskeletal Inception Cohort Study (MMICS Statement, our study aims to define outcome assessment tools for patients with acute LBP and the time point at which chronic LBP becomes manifest and to identify patient characteristics which increase the risk of chronicity. Methods Patients with acute LBP will be recruited from clinics of general practitioners (GPs in New Zealand (NZ and Switzerland (CH. They will be assessed by postal survey at baseline and at 3, 6, 12 weeks and 6 months follow-up. Primary outcome will be disability as measured by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI; key secondary endpoints will be general health as measured by the acute SF-12 and pain as measured on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS. A subgroup analysis of different assessment instruments and baseline characteristics will be performed using multiple linear regression models. This study aims to examine 1. Which biomedical, psychological, social, and occupational outcome assessment tools are identifiers for the transition from acute to chronic LBP and at which time point this transition becomes manifest 2. Which psychosocial and occupational baseline characteristics like work status and period of work absenteeism influence the course from acute to chronic LBP 3. Differences in outcome assessment tools and baseline characteristics of patients in NZ compared with CH. Discussion This study will develop a screening tool for patients with acute LBP to be used in GP clinics to access the risk of developing chronic LBP. In addition, biomedical, psychological, social, and occupational patient characteristics which influence the course from acute to chronic LBP will be identified. Furthermore, an appropriate time point for follow-ups will be given to detect this transition. The generalizability of our

Incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a cohort of young adults according to the presence of chronic cough and phlegm

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Marco, Roberto; Accordini, Simone; Cerveri, Isa; Corsico, Angelo; Anto, Josep M.; Kunzli, Nino; Janson, Christer; Sunyer, Jordi; Jarvis, Deborah; Chinn, Susan; Vermeire, Paul; Svanes, Cecilie; Ackermann-Liebrich, Ursula; Gislason, Thorarinn; Heinrich, Joachim; Leynaert, Benedicte; Neukirch, Francoise; Schouten, Jan P.; Wjst, Matthias; Burney, Peter

2007-01-01

Rationale: The few prospective studies aimed at assessing the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in relation to the presence of chronic cough/phlegm have produced contrasting results. Objectives: To assess the incidence of COPD in a cohort of young adults and to test whether

Management of moderate to severe chronic low back pain with buprenorphine buccal film using novel bioerodible mucoadhesive technology

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Pergolizzi Jr JV

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Joseph V Pergolizzi Jr,1 Robert B Raffa,2,3 Charles Fleischer,1 Gianpietro Zampogna,1 Robert Taylor Jr1 1NEMA Research, Naples, FL, 2University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, Tucson, AZ, 3Temple University School of Pharmacy, Philadelphia, PA, USA Abstract: With a global prevalence of ~9%–12%, low back pain (LBP is a serious public health issue, associated with high costs for treatment and lost productivity. Chronic LBP (cLBP involves central sensitization, a neuropathic pain component, and may induce maladaptive coping strategies and depression. Treating cLBP is challenging, and current treatment options are not fully satisfactory. A new BioErodible MucoAdhesive (BEMA® delivery system for buprenorphine has been developed to treat cLBP. The buccal buprenorphine (BBUP film developed for this product (Belbuca™ allows for rapid delivery and titration over a greater range of doses than was previously available with transdermal buprenorphine systems. In clinical studies, BBUP was shown to effectively reduce pain associated with cLBP at 12 weeks with good tolerability. The most frequently reported side effects with the use of BBUP were nausea, constipation, and vomiting. There was no significant effect on the QT interval vs placebo. Chronic pain patients using other opioids can be successfully rotated to BBUP without risk of withdrawal symptoms or inadequate analgesia. The role of BBUP in managing cLBP remains to be determined, but it appears to be a promising new product in the analgesic arsenal in general. Keywords: buccal, transmucosal, buprenorphine, chronic low back pain, BEMA, drug delivery Belbuca

Development and validation of a questionnaire assessing volitional competencies to enhance the performance of physical activities in chronic low back pain patients

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Duplan Bernard

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Motivation has long been emphasized as the most important determinant of action. However, there is a substantial gap between people's goals and their attainment. Patients may be motivated and yet unable to take action if their volitional competencies are insufficient. One of the important tasks of volition is goal-maintenance. Research has stressed the importance of a volitional tool, the implementation intentions. Implementation intentions indicate where, when, and how the action leading to the goal will be performed. Forming implementation intentions favours the execution of goal-directed efforts, and reinforces the relationship between intentions and behaviours. Results from various studies clearly suggest that volitional competencies and implementation intentions could play a role in low back pain (LBP patients. However, there is at present no questionnaire allowing assessing the capacity of implementation intentions of physical activities in LBP patients. Methods/Design This study will develop such a questionnaire, using a 3-step approach. A first qualitative step to build categories and generate items; 30 patients suffering chronic LBP will be invited to participate in semi-structured interviews; verbatim and derived items will then be submitted to a panel of experts, using a Delphi method; a second quantitative step to examine the properties of items, and determine the factorial structure of the questionnaire; 100 patients suffering chronic LBP will be recruited to respond to this phase; and third, preliminary psychometric analyses (item-scale correlations, construct validity, reliability; 180 chronic LBP patients will be recruited for this phase of the study. The relationships between implementation intentions and variables affecting physical activity on chronic LBP patients, i.e. pain, physical capacities, fear-avoidance beliefs, kinesiophobia, work status, and level of physical activity will be considered

The Performance of LBP and NSVC Combination Applied to Face Classification

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Mohammed Ngadi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The growing demand in the field of security led to the development of interesting approaches in face classification. These works are interested since their beginning in extracting the invariant features of the face to build a single model easily identifiable by classification algorithms. Our goal in this article is to develop more efficient practical methods for face detection. We present a new fast and accurate approach based on local binary patterns (LBP for the extraction of the features that is combined with the new classifier Neighboring Support Vector Classifier (NSVC for classification. The experimental results on different natural images show that the proposed method can get very good results at a very short detection time. The best precision obtained by LBP-NSVC exceeds 99%.

Multidisciplinary outpatient care program for patients with chronic low back pain: design of a randomized controlled trial and cost-effectiveness study [ISRCTN28478651].

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lambeek, L.C.; Anema, J.R.; van Royen, B.J.; Buijs, P.C.; Wuisman, P.I.J.M.; van Tulder, M.W.; van Mechelen, W.

2007-01-01

Background. Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a major public and occupational health problem, which is associated with very high costs. Although medical costs for chronic LBP are high, most costs are related to productivity losses due to sick leave. In general, the prognosis for return to work (RTW) is

INCIDENCE OF ALLERGIC FUNGAL SINUSITIS AMONG PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC RHINOSINUSITIS

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Vivek Gupta

2017-09-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND This study aims to evaluate the incidence of allergic fungal sinusitis among patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS is a widely prevalent condition globally as well as in India. Fungal rhinosinusitis is classified into two subgroups: three invasive forms (acute necrotizing, chronic invasive, granulomatous invasive, and two noninvasive forms (fungal ball and allergic fungal. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients attending the Department of ENT at Adesh institute of medical science & research, Bathinda (Punjab between Jan 2016 and Dec 2016 one year duration 82 cases were included in this retrospective analysis with features suggestive of chronic rhinosinusitis. Based on clinical, endoscopic and radiological parameters, 82 cases were diagnosed to have rhinosinusitis. In these cases, postoperatively after HPE examination, 16 cases were confirmed to have mycotic infection. RESULTS Out of 16 cases, In Allergic fungal rhino sinusitis(AFRS, Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus was the most common fungus isolated ten cases (71.42%.. In fungal ball, A. flavus was isolated in two cases (14.25% and Aspergillus niger (A. niger was isolated in two cases (14.25%. In invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (IFRS mucormycosis was isolated in two cases (12.5%. CONCLUSION The incidence of ARFS is about 12.2% of chronic rhinosinusitis. The commonest age group is second & third decade

Comparison of percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for long-term pain relief in patients with chronic low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Yokoyama, Masataka; Sun, Xiaohui; Oku, Satoru; Taga, Naoyuki; Sato, Kenji; Mizobuchi, Satoshi; Takahashi, Toru; Morita, Kiyoshi

2004-06-01

The long-term effect of percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS) on chronic low back pain (LBP) is unclear. We evaluated the number of sessions for which PENS should be performed to alleviate chronic LBP and how long analgesia is sustained. Patients underwent treatment on a twice-weekly schedule for 8 wk. Group A (n = 18) received PENS for 8 wk, group B (n = 17) received PENS for the first 4 wk and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for the second 4 wk, and group C (n = 18) received TENS for 8 wk. Pain level, degree of physical impairment, and the daily intake of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were assessed before the first treatment, 3 days after Week 2, Week 4, and Week 8 treatments, and at 1 and 2 mo after the sessions. During PENS therapy, the pain level decreased significantly from Week 2 in Groups A and B (P pain level decreased significantly only at Week 8 (P TENS for chronic LBP but must be continued to sustain the analgesic effect. A cumulative analgesic effect was observed in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) after repeated percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS), but this effect gradually faded after the treatment was terminated. Results indicate that although PENS is effective for chronic LBP, treatments need to be continued to sustain analgesia.

Time-varying surface electromyography topography as a prognostic tool for chronic low back pain rehabilitation.

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Hu, Yong; Kwok, Jerry Weilun; Tse, Jessica Yuk-Hang; Luk, Keith Dip-Kei

2014-06-01

Nonsurgical rehabilitation therapy is a commonly used strategy to treat chronic low back pain (LBP). The selection of the most appropriate therapeutic options is still a big challenge in clinical practices. Surface electromyography (sEMG) topography has been proposed to be an objective assessment of LBP rehabilitation. The quantitative analysis of dynamic sEMG would provide an objective tool of prognosis for LBP rehabilitation. To evaluate the prognostic value of quantitative sEMG topographic analysis and to verify the accuracy of the performance of proposed time-varying topographic parameters for identifying the patients who have better response toward the rehabilitation program. A retrospective study of consecutive patients. Thirty-eight patients with chronic nonspecific LBP and 43 healthy subjects. The accuracy of the time-varying quantitative sEMG topographic analysis for monitoring LBP rehabilitation progress was determined by calculating the corresponding receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Physiologic measure was the sEMG during lumbar flexion and extension. Patients who suffered from chronic nonspecific LBP without the history of back surgery and any medical conditions causing acute exacerbation of LBP during the clinical test were enlisted to perform the clinical test during the 12-week physiotherapy (PT) treatment. Low back pain patients were classified into two groups: "responding" and "nonresponding" based on the clinical assessment. The responding group referred to the LBP patients who began to recover after the PT treatment, whereas the nonresponding group referred to some LBP patients who did not recover or got worse after the treatment. The results of the time-varying analysis in the responding group were compared with those in the nonresponding group. In addition, the accuracy of the analysis was analyzed through ROC curves. The time-varying analysis showed discrepancies in the root-mean-square difference (RMSD) parameters between the

Differences in pain processing between patients with chronic low back pain, recurrent low back pain and fibromyalgia

OpenAIRE

Goubert, Dorien; Danneels, Lieven; Graven-Nielsen, Thomas; Descheemaeker, Filip; Coppieters, Iris; Meeus, Mira

2017-01-01

Background: The impairment in musculoskeletal structures in patients with low back pain (LBP) is often disproportionate to their complaint. Therefore, the need arises for exploration of alternative mechanisms contributing to the origin and maintenance of non-specific LBP. The recent focus has been on central nervous system phenomena in LBP and the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the various symptoms and characteristics of chronic pain. Knowledge concerning changes in pain processing ...

Ir-LBP, an ixodes ricinus tick salivary LTB4-binding lipocalin, interferes with host neutrophil function.

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Jérôme Beaufays

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: During their blood meal, ticks secrete a wide variety of proteins that can interfere with their host's defense mechanisms. Among these proteins, lipocalins play a major role in the modulation of the inflammatory response. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We previously identified 14 new lipocalin genes in the tick Ixodes ricinus. One of them codes for a protein that specifically binds leukotriene B4 with a very high affinity (Kd: +/-1 nM, similar to that of the neutrophil transmembrane receptor BLT1. By in silico approaches, we modeled the 3D structure of the protein and the binding of LTB4 into the ligand pocket. This protein, called Ir-LBP, inhibits neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro and delays LTB4-induced apoptosis. Ir-LBP also inhibits the host inflammatory response in vivo by decreasing the number and activation of neutrophils located at the tick bite site. Thus, Ir-LBP participates in the tick's ability to interfere with proper neutrophil function in inflammation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These elements suggest that Ir-LBP is a "scavenger" of LTB4, which, in combination with other factors, such as histamine-binding proteins or proteins inhibiting the classical or alternative complement pathways, permits the tick to properly manage its blood meal. Moreover, with regard to its properties, Ir-LBP could possibly be used as a therapeutic tool for illnesses associated with an increased LTB4 production.

Recovery From Chronic Low Back Pain After Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

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Licciardone, John C; Gatchel, Robert J; Aryal, Subhash

2016-03-01

Little is known about recovery after spinal manipulation in patients with low back pain (LBP). To assess recovery from chronic LBP after a short regimen of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in a responder analysis of the OSTEOPAThic Health outcomes In Chronic low back pain (OSTEOPATHIC) Trial. A randomized double-blind, sham-controlled trial was conducted to determine the efficacy of 6 OMT sessions over 8 weeks. Recovery was assessed at week 12 using a composite measure of pain recovery (10 mm or less on a 100-mm visual analog scale) and functional recovery (2 or less on the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire for back-specific functioning). The RRs and numbers-needed-to-treat (NNTs) for recovery with OMT were measured, and corresponding cumulative distribution functions were plotted according to baseline LBP intensity and back-specific functioning. Multiple logistic regression was used to compute the OR for recovery with OMT while simultaneously controlling for potential confounders. Sensitivity analyses were performed to corroborate the primary results. There were 345 patients who met neither of the recovery criteria at baseline in the primary analyses and 433 patients who met neither or only 1 of these criteria in the sensitivity analyses. There was a large treatment effect for recovery with OMT (RR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.31-4.24; P=.003), which was associated with a clinically relevant NNT (8.9; 95% CI, 5.4-25.5). This significant finding persisted after adjustment for potential confounders (OR, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.43-5.97; P=.003). There was also a significant interaction effect between OMT and comorbid depression (P=.02), indicating that patients without depression were more likely to recover from chronic LBP with OMT (RR, 3.21; 95% CI, 1.59-6.50; Pback-specific dysfunction at baseline. Similar results were observed in the sensitivity analyses. The OMT regimen was associated with significant and clinically relevant measures for recovery from chronic LBP. A

LBP-based penalized weighted least-squares approach to low-dose cone-beam computed tomography reconstruction

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Ming; Wang, Huafeng; Liu, Yan; Zhang, Hao; Gu, Xianfeng; Liang, Zhengrong

2014-03-01

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has attracted growing interest of researchers in image reconstruction. The mAs level of the X-ray tube current, in practical application of CBCT, is mitigated in order to reduce the CBCT dose. The lowering of the X-ray tube current, however, results in the degradation of image quality. Thus, low-dose CBCT image reconstruction is in effect a noise problem. To acquire clinically acceptable quality of image, and keep the X-ray tube current as low as achievable in the meanwhile, some penalized weighted least-squares (PWLS)-based image reconstruction algorithms have been developed. One representative strategy in previous work is to model the prior information for solution regularization using an anisotropic penalty term. To enhance the edge preserving and noise suppressing in a finer scale, a novel algorithm combining the local binary pattern (LBP) with penalized weighted leastsquares (PWLS), called LBP-PWLS-based image reconstruction algorithm, is proposed in this work. The proposed LBP-PWLS-based algorithm adaptively encourages strong diffusion on the local spot/flat region around a voxel and less diffusion on edge/corner ones by adjusting the penalty for cost function, after the LBP is utilized to detect the region around the voxel as spot, flat and edge ones. The LBP-PWLS-based reconstruction algorithm was evaluated using the sinogram data acquired by a clinical CT scanner from the CatPhan® 600 phantom. Experimental results on the noiseresolution tradeoff measurement and other quantitative measurements demonstrated its feasibility and effectiveness in edge preserving and noise suppressing in comparison with a previous PWLS reconstruction algorithm.

Near infrared and visible face recognition based on decision fusion of LBP and DCT features

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Zhihua; Zhang, Shuai; Liu, Guodong; Xiong, Jinquan

2018-03-01

Visible face recognition systems, being vulnerable to illumination, expression, and pose, can not achieve robust performance in unconstrained situations. Meanwhile, near infrared face images, being light- independent, can avoid or limit the drawbacks of face recognition in visible light, but its main challenges are low resolution and signal noise ratio (SNR). Therefore, near infrared and visible fusion face recognition has become an important direction in the field of unconstrained face recognition research. In order to extract the discriminative complementary features between near infrared and visible images, in this paper, we proposed a novel near infrared and visible face fusion recognition algorithm based on DCT and LBP features. Firstly, the effective features in near-infrared face image are extracted by the low frequency part of DCT coefficients and the partition histograms of LBP operator. Secondly, the LBP features of visible-light face image are extracted to compensate for the lacking detail features of the near-infrared face image. Then, the LBP features of visible-light face image, the DCT and LBP features of near-infrared face image are sent to each classifier for labeling. Finally, decision level fusion strategy is used to obtain the final recognition result. The visible and near infrared face recognition is tested on HITSZ Lab2 visible and near infrared face database. The experiment results show that the proposed method extracts the complementary features of near-infrared and visible face images and improves the robustness of unconstrained face recognition. Especially for the circumstance of small training samples, the recognition rate of proposed method can reach 96.13%, which has improved significantly than 92.75 % of the method based on statistical feature fusion.

Hormonal and reproductive factors are associated with chronic low back pain and chronic upper extremity pain in women - The MORGEN study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijnhoven, H. A H; de Vet, Henrica C W; Smit, Henriëtte A.; Picavet, H. Susan J

STUDY DESIGN. Cross-sectional study of 11,428 women aged 20-59 years who were included in a postal questionnaire survey in the Dutch general population. OBJECTIVE. To examine how hormonal and reproductive factors are associated with chronic low back pain (LBP) and chronic upper extremity pain (UEP)

Hormonal and reproductive factors are associated with chronic low back pain and chronic upper extremity pain in women--the MORGEN study.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijnhoven, Hanneke A H; Vet, Henrica C W de; Smit, Henriëtte A; Picavet, H Susan J

2006-01-01

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of 11,428 women aged 20-59 years who were included in a postal questionnaire survey in the Dutch general population. OBJECTIVE: To examine how hormonal and reproductive factors are associated with chronic low back pain (LBP) and chronic upper extremity pain (UEP)

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for chronic low-back pain.

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Khadilkar, A; Milne, S; Brosseau, L; Robinson, V; Saginur, M; Shea, B; Tugwell, P; Wells, G

2005-07-20

Chronic low-back pain (LBP) affects a significant proportion of the population. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) was introduced more than 30 years ago as an adjunct to the pharmacological management of pain. However, despite its widespread use, the usefulness of TENS in chronic LBP is still controversial. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of TENS in the management of chronic LBP. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Issue 2, 2005), MEDLINE, EMBASE and PEDro up to April 1, 2005. Only randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of TENS on chronic LBP were included. Abstracts were excluded unless further data could be obtained from the authors. Two reviewers independently selected trials and extracted data using predetermined forms. Heterogeneity was tested with Cochrane's Q test. A fixed effect model was used throughout for calculating continuous variables, except where heterogeneity existed, in which case, a random effects model was used. Results are presented as weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), where the difference between the treated and control groups was weighted by the inverse of the variance. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were calculated by dividing the difference between the treated and control by the baseline variance. SMD were used when different scales were used to measure the same concept. Dichotomous outcomes were analyzed with odds ratios. The only two RCTs (175 patients) meeting eligibility criteria differed in study design, methodological quality, inclusion and exclusion criteria, type and method of TENS application, treatment schedule, co-interventions and final outcomes. In one RCT, TENS produced significantly greater pain relief than the placebo control. However, in the other RCT, no statistically significant differences between treatment and control groups were shown for multiple outcome measures. Pre

The Effects of the Nintendo Wii Exercise Program on Chronic Work-related Low Back Pain in Industrial Workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Ji-Hyuk; Lee, Sang-Heon; Ko, Dae-Sik

2013-08-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a Nintendo Wii exercise program on chronic work-related LBP compared with stability exercise. [Methods] Twenty-four workers participated in this study. All of the participants were diagnosed with chronic LBP by a physician. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: a control group (CG), lumbar stabilization exercise group (LSE), and Nintendo Wii exercise group (NWE). Participants were treated 3 times a week for 8 weeks. Each session lasted 30 minutes. [Results] The results demonstrated that exercise programs improved significantly physical functions related to LBP. In health-related QOL, the Nintendo Wii exercise program significantly improved both the mental and physical health composites, but other groups had significant improvement only in the physical health composite. [Conclusion] The Nintendo Wii exercise program could be a biopsychosocial intervention for work-related LBP in factory workers.

Cebranopadol, a novel first-in-class analgesic drug candidate: first experience in patients with chronic low back pain in a randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Christoph, Annette; Eerdekens, Marie-Henriette; Kok, Maurits; Volkers, Gisela; Freynhagen, Rainer

2017-09-01

Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a common condition, usually with the involvement of nociceptive and neuropathic pain components, high economic burden and impact on quality of life. Cebranopadol is a potent, first-in-class drug candidate with a novel mechanistic approach, combining nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide and opioid peptide receptor agonism. We conducted the first phase II, randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled trial, evaluating the analgesic efficacy, safety, and tolerability of cebranopadol in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic LBP with and without neuropathic pain component. Patients were treated for 14 weeks with cebranopadol 200, 400, or 600 μg once daily, tapentadol 200 mg twice daily, or placebo. The primary efficacy endpoints were the change from baseline pain to the weekly average 24-hour pain during the entire 12 weeks and during week 12 of the maintenance phase. Cebranopadol demonstrated analgesic efficacy, with statistically significant and clinically relevant improvements over placebo for all doses as did tapentadol. The responder analysis (≥30% or ≥50% pain reduction) confirmed these results. Cebranopadol and tapentadol displayed beneficial effects on sleep and functionality. Cebranopadol treatment was safe, with higher doses leading to higher treatment discontinuations because of treatment-emergent adverse events occurring mostly during titration. Those patients reaching the target doses had an acceptable tolerability profile. The incidence rate of most frequently reported treatment-emergent adverse events during maintenance phase was ≤10%. Although further optimizing the titration scheme to the optimal dose for individual patients is essential, cebranopadol is a new drug candidate with a novel mechanistic approach for potential chronic LBP treatment.

Video-game based exercises for older people with chronic low back pain: a protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial (the GAMEBACK trial).

Science.gov (United States)

Zadro, Joshua Robert; Shirley, Debra; Simic, Milena; Mousavi, Seyed Javad; Ceprnja, Dragana; Maka, Katherine; Ferreira, Paulo

2017-06-01

To investigate the feasibility of implementing a video-game exercise programme for older people with chronic low back pain (LBP). Single-centred single-blinded randomised controlled trial (RCT). Physiotherapy outpatient department in a public hospital in Western Sydney, Australia. We will recruit 60 participants over 55 years old with chronic LBP from the waiting list. Participants will be randomised to receive video-game exercise (n=30) or to remain on the waiting list (n=30) for 8 weeks, with follow up at 3 and 6 months. Participants engaging in video-game exercises will be unsupervised and will complete video-game exercise for 60minutes, 3 times per week. Participants allocated to remain on the waiting list will be encouraged to maintain their usual levels of physical activity. The primary outcomes for this feasibility study will be study processes (recruitment and response rates, adherence to and experience with the intervention, and incidence of adverse events) relevant to the future design of a large RCT. Estimates of treatment efficacy (point estimates and 95% confidence intervals) on pain self-efficacy, care seeking, physical activity, fear of movement/re-injury, pain, physical function, disability, falls-efficacy, strength, and walking speed, will be our secondary outcome measures. Recruitment for this trial began in November 2015. This study describes the rationale and processes of a feasibility study investigating a video-game exercise programme for older people with chronic LBP. Results from the feasibility study will inform on the design and sample required for a large multicentre RCT. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12615000703505. Copyright © 2016 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The efficacy of a HUBER exercise system mediated sensorimotor training protocol on proprioceptive system, lumbar movement control and quality of life in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Letafatkar, Amir; Nazarzadeh, Maryam; Hadadnezhad, Malihe; Farivar, Niloufar

2017-08-03

There is a relation between deficits of the proprioceptive system and movement control dysfunction in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) but, the exact mechanism of this relation is unknown. Exercise therapy has been recognized as an effective method for low back pain treatment. In spite of this, it is not clear which of the various exercise therapy programs lead to better results. Therefore, the present analyze the efficacy of a HUBER study aims to exercise system mediated sensorimotor training protocol on proprioceptive system, lumbar movement control (LMC) and quality of life (QOL) in patients with chronic non-specific LBP. Quasi-experimental study. 53 patients with chronic non-specific LBP (mean age 37.55 ± 6.67 years,and Body Mass Index (BMI) 22.4 ± 3.33) were selected by using Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMQ) and were assigned into two experimental (N= 27) and control groups (N= 26) The experimental group underwent a five-week (10 sessions) Sensorimotor training by using the Human Body Equalizer (HUBER) spine force under the supervision of an investigator. The movement control battery tests, the HUBER machine testing option, goniometer and visual analogue scale used for movement control, neuromuscular coordination, proprioception and LBP assessment respectively. The assessments were completed in pre-test and after five weeks. The paired and sample T tests were used for data analysis in SPSS program version 18 (Significance level were set at a P value pain scores of subjects with chronic non-specific LBP in the sensorimotor group (P= 0.001). In this study, only the short term effects of the sensorimotor training were examined. The results suggest that a sensorimotor training program causes significant improvement in patients with chronic non-specific LBP. Future research should be carried out with a larger sample size to examine the long term effects of the sensorimotor training program on treatment of patients with chronic non

Clinical Effects of Laser Acupuncture plus Chinese Cupping on the Pain and Plasma Cortisol Levels in Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Lower Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Mu-Lien; Wu, Jih-Huah; Lin, Chi-Wan; Su, Chuan-Tsung; Wu, Hung-Chien; Shih, Yong-Sheng; Chiu, I-Ting; Chen, Chao-Yi; Chang, Wen-Dien

2017-01-01

Chronic nonspecific lower back pain (LBP) is a common disease. Insufficient data is currently available to conclusively confirm the analgesic effects of laser acupuncture on LBP. This study evaluated the effectiveness of laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping in LBP treatment. Patients with chronic nonspecific LBP were enrolled for a randomized controlled trial and assigned to the laser acupuncture group (laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping) and control group (sham laser plus Chinese cupping). Laser acupuncture (808 nm; 40 mW; 20 Hz; 15 J/cm 2 ) and Chinese cupping were applied on the Weizhong (BL40) and Ashi acupoints for 5 consecutive days. Plasma cortisol levels were assessed before and after the 5-day treatment session. The visual analog scale (VAS) scores were recorded at baseline and throughout the 5-day treatment session. After the treatment session, the plasma cortisol levels and VAS scores decreased significantly in both groups. In the laser acupuncture group, the VAS scores decreased significantly on days 4 and 5, and an enhanced reduction in VAS scores was observed. Laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping at the Weizhong (BL40) and Ashi acupoints effectively reduced pain and inflammation in chronic nonspecific LBP. This therapy could be a suitable option for LBP treatment in clinical settings.

Steadiness of Spinal Regions during Single-Leg Standing in Older Adults with and without Chronic Low Back Pain

OpenAIRE

Kuo, Yi-Liang; Huang, Kuo-Yuan; Chiang, Pei-Tzu; Lee, Pei-Yun; Tsai, Yi-Ju

2015-01-01

The aims of this study were to compare the steadiness index of spinal regions during single-leg standing in older adults with and without chronic low back pain (LBP) and to correlate measurements of steadiness index with the performance of clinical balance tests. Thirteen community-dwelling older adults (aged 55 years or above) with chronic LBP and 13 age- and gender-matched asymptomatic volunteers participated in this study. Data collection was conducted in a university research laboratory. ...

Incidence of cancer in patients with chronic heart failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Banke, Ann; Schou, Morten; Videbaek, Lars

2016-01-01

AIMS: With improvement in survival of chronic heart failure (HF), the clinical importance of co-morbidity is increasing. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and risk of cancer and all-cause mortality in a large Danish HF cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 9307 outpatients...

Low back pain among industrial workers : Occupational health studies on prevalence, incidence, and associations with work and lifestyle in I.R. Iran

OpenAIRE

Ghaffari, Mostafa

2007-01-01

This thesis presents the results from a prospective industrial population cohort study on epidemiology and risk factors for low back pain (LBP) in Iran. The four papers in the thesis were based on a cross-sectional survey and one-year follow-up of 18,000 employees in the car industry. The main goals of this thesis were: 1) to identify prevalence and incidence of LBP, and 2) to identify work-related exposures and lifestyle factors related to LBP. In paper I, the study gro...

Unravelling the incidence and etiology of chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Visser, N.A.

2016-01-01

Chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy (CIAP) is a sensory or sensorimotor polyneuropathy that has a slowly progressive course without severe disability. CIAP is diagnosed in a significant proportion of patients with polyneuropathy, but precise figures on the incidence of polyneuropathy and CIAP

Do older adults with chronic low back pain differ from younger adults in regards to baseline characteristics and prognosis?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Manogharan, S; Kongsted, A; Ferreira, M L

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) in older adults is poorly understood because the vast majority of the LBP research has focused on the working aged population. The aim of this study was to compare older adults consulting with chronic LBP to middle aged and young adults consulting with chronic LBP....... Patients older than 65 were classified as older adults and compared to middle aged (45-65 years old) and younger adults (17-44 years old) for 10 baseline characteristics. Pain intensity and disability were collected at 6 and 12 month follow-ups and compared between age groups. RESULTS: A total of 14......,479 participants were included in the study. Of these 3087 (21%) patients were older adults, 6071 (42%) were middle aged and 5321 (37%) were young adults. At presentation older adults were statistically different to the middle aged and younger adults for most characteristics measured (e.g. less intense back pain...

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for the treatment of chronic low back pain: a systematic review.

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Khadilkar, Amole; Milne, Sarah; Brosseau, Lucie; Wells, George; Tugwell, Peter; Robinson, Vivian; Shea, Beverley; Saginur, Michael

2005-12-01

Systematic review. To determine the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in the management of chronic LBP. Chronic low back pain (LBP) affects a significant proportion of the population. TENS was introduced more than 30 years ago as an adjunct to pharmacologic pain management. However, despite its widespread use, the usefulness of TENS in chronic LBP is still controversial. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PEDro, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Issue 2, 2005), up to April 1, 2005. Only randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of TENS on chronic LBP were included. Two reviewers independently selected trials and extracted data using predetermined forms. Heterogeneity was tested with Cochrane's Q test. A fixed effect model was used throughout for calculating continuous variables, except where heterogeneity existed, in which case a random effects model was used. Results are presented as weighted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), where the difference between the treated and control groups was weighted by the inverse of the variance. Standardized mean differences were calculated by dividing the difference between the treated and control by the baseline variance. Standardized mean differences were used when different scales were used to measure the same concept. Dichotomous outcomes were analyzed with odds ratios. Two RCTs (175 patients) were included. They differed with respect to study design, methodologic quality, inclusion and exclusion criteria, characteristics of TENS application, treatment schedule, cointerventions, and measured outcomes. In one RCT, TENS produced significantly greater pain relief than the placebo control. However, in the other RCT, no statistically significant differences between treatment and control groups were shown for multiple outcome measures. Preplanned subgroup analyses, intended to examine the impact of different stimulation parameters

The Effectiveness and Safety of Manual Therapy on Pain and Disability in Older Persons With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review.

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de Luca, Katie E; Fang, Sheng Hung; Ong, Justin; Shin, Ki-Soo; Woods, Samuel; Tuchin, Peter J

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature of the effectiveness and safety of manual therapy interventions on pain and disability in older persons with chronic low back pain (LBP). A literature search of 4 electronic databases was performed (PubMed, EMBASE, OVID, and CINAHL). Inclusion criteria included randomized controlled trials of manual therapy interventions on older persons who had chronic LBP. Effectiveness was determined by extracting and examining outcomes for pain and disability, with safety determined by the report of adverse events. The PEDro scale was used for quality assessment of eligible studies. The search identified 405 articles, and 38 full-text articles were assessed. Four studies met the inclusion criteria. All trials were of good methodologic quality and had a low risk of bias. The included studies provided moderate evidence supporting the use of manual therapy to reduce pain levels and alleviate disability. A limited number of studies have investigated the effectiveness and safety of manual therapy in the management of older people with chronic LBP. The current evidence to make firm clinical recommendations is limited. Research with appropriately designed trials to investigate the effectiveness and safety of manual therapy interventions in older persons with chronic LBP is required. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Clinical Effects of Laser Acupuncture plus Chinese Cupping on the Pain and Plasma Cortisol Levels in Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Lower Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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Mu-Lien Lin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. Chronic nonspecific lower back pain (LBP is a common disease. Insufficient data is currently available to conclusively confirm the analgesic effects of laser acupuncture on LBP. This study evaluated the effectiveness of laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping in LBP treatment. Methods. Patients with chronic nonspecific LBP were enrolled for a randomized controlled trial and assigned to the laser acupuncture group (laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping and control group (sham laser plus Chinese cupping. Laser acupuncture (808 nm; 40 mW; 20 Hz; 15 J/cm2 and Chinese cupping were applied on the Weizhong (BL40 and Ashi acupoints for 5 consecutive days. Plasma cortisol levels were assessed before and after the 5-day treatment session. The visual analog scale (VAS scores were recorded at baseline and throughout the 5-day treatment session. Results. After the treatment session, the plasma cortisol levels and VAS scores decreased significantly in both groups. In the laser acupuncture group, the VAS scores decreased significantly on days 4 and 5, and an enhanced reduction in VAS scores was observed. Conclusion. Laser acupuncture plus Chinese cupping at the Weizhong (BL40 and Ashi acupoints effectively reduced pain and inflammation in chronic nonspecific LBP. This therapy could be a suitable option for LBP treatment in clinical settings.

Characterization of the cDNA encoding a BPI/LBP homologue in venom gland of the hundred-pace snake Deinagkistrodon acutus

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Jianrao HU, Mingfu CAO, Jiong Chen

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI and LPS-binding protein (LBP play an important role in host defence. Current evidence shows that BPI/LBP may be widely existed in different cells and tissue types of animals. A full-length cDNA clone encoding a BPI/LBP homologue (dBPI, 1757bp in size, was characterized in venom gland of the hundred-pace snake Deinagkistrodon acutus. Its deduced amino acid sequence of 417 residues had 13.8%–21.5% identity to BPI like 1(BPIL1 and BPI like 3(BPIL3 of other animals. Conserved cysteine residues which are involved in disulfide bond formation between the final strand of the N-terminal beta sheet and the long alpha helix of BPI are identified as Cys146-Cys183 of dBPI. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the BPI/LBP homologues formed five large clusters and dBPI was in a large cluster including BPIL1 and BPIL3. dBPI mRNA shows a tissue specific expression in venom gland. This is the first study to identify the cDNA encoding BPI/LBP homologues from reptiles [Current Zoology 55 (5: –2009].

Chronic dry eye in PRK and LASIK: manifestations, incidence and predictive factors

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Bower, Kraig S.; Sia, Rose K.; Ryan, Denise S.; Mines, Michael J.; Dartt, Darlene A.

2017-01-01

Purpose To evaluate dry eye manifestations following photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and determine the incidence and predictive factors of chronic dry eye using a set of dry eye criteria. Setting Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA Methods This is a prospective non-randomized clinical study of 143 active duty U.S. Army personnel aged 29.9±5.2 years with myopia or myopic astigmatism (manifest spherical equivalent −3.83±1.96 diopters) undergoing either PRK or LASIK. Dry eye evaluation was performed pre- and postoperatively. Main outcome measures included dry eye manifestations, incidence, and predictive factors of chronic dry eye. Results Schirmer scores, corneal sensitivity, ocular surface staining, surface regularity index (SRI), and responses to dry eye questionnaire significantly changed over time after PRK. After LASIK, significant changes were observed in tear breakup time, corneal sensitivity, ocular surface staining, and responses to questionnaire. At twelve months postoperatively, 5.0% of PRK and 0.8% of LASIK participants developed chronic dry eye. Regression analysis showed preoperatively lower Schirmer score will significantly influence development of chronic dry eye after PRK whereas preoperatively lower Schirmer score or higher ocular surface staining score will significantly influence the occurrence of chronic dry eye after LASIK. Conclusions Chronic dry eye is uncommon after PRK and LASIK. Ocular surface and tear film characteristics during preoperative examination may help predict chronic dry eye development in PRK and LASIK. PMID:26796443

Soluble CD163 predicts incident chronic lung, kidney and liver disease in HIV infection

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Kirkegaard-Klitbo, Ditte M; Mejer, Niels; Knudsen, Troels B

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To examine if monocyte and macrophage activity may be on the mechanistic pathway to non-AIDS comorbidity by investigating the associations between plasma-soluble CD163 (sCD163) and incident non-AIDS comorbidities in well treated HIV-infected individuals. DESIGN: Prospective single...... was examined using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for pertinent covariates. RESULTS: In HIV-1-infected individuals (n = 799), the highest quartile of plasma sCD163 was associated with incident chronic lung disease [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 3.2; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.34; 7.......46] and incident chronic kidney disease (aHR, 10.94; 95% CI: 2.32; 51.35), when compared with lowest quartiles. Further, (every 1 mg) increase in plasma sCD163 was positively correlated with incident liver disease (aHR, 1.12; 95% CI: 1.05; 1.19). The sCD163 level was not associated with incident cancer...

The Eligibility of Surface Electromyography in the Assessment of Paraspinal Muscles Fatigue Following Interventions in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review

OpenAIRE

Nahid Rahmani; Mohammad Ali Mohseni-Bandpei; Iraj Abdollahi

2013-01-01

Objective: Evaluation of paraspinal muscles endurance in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) seems to be of great importance. Many studies demonstrated that surface electromyography has merit to assess muscle fatigue using frequency spectrum. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the eligibility of the surface electromyography in the assessment of paraspinal muscles fatigue changes following different interventions in patients with chronic LBP. Materials & Methods: ...

What is an acceptable outcome of treatment before it begins? Methodological considerations and implications for patients with chronic low back pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauridsen, Henrik; Manniche, Claus; Korsholm, Lars

2009-01-01

(LBP) patients' view of an acceptable change (MCID(pre)) before treatment begins. One-hundred and forty-seven patients with chronic LBP were recruited from an out-patient hospital back pain unit and followed over an 8-week period. Original and modified versions of the Oswestry disability index (ODI...

Responsiveness of the Chinese version of the Oswestry disability index in patients with chronic low back pain.

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Ma, Chao; Wu, Shaoling; Xiao, Lingjun; Xue, Yunlian

2011-03-01

The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is one of the most widely used questionnaires that assess disability in patients with low back pain (LBP). Responsiveness is both an important psychometric property of an instrument and a key issue for clinicians when choosing suitable outcome measures. The objective of this study was to examine the responsiveness of the Chinese version of the ODI (ODI-Chinese) for subjects with chronic LBP following a physical therapy program. In total, 76 patients with chronic LBP completed the ODI-Chinese, a visual analog scale (VAS) of pain, and the Chinese version of Short Form-36 (SF-36) before and after treatment. All patients also completed a global perception of change Likert scale in condition after the program. The scale was collapsed to produce a dichotomous variable outcome, improved or non-improved. The responsiveness of the instruments was determined using the standardized response means (SRM) and receiver operating characteristics (ROC). After treatment, 56 patients considered themselves to be improved. The SRM of the ODI-Chinese was -1.2 in the improved group and -0.4 in the non-improved group. The area of the ROC curve for the ODI-Chinese was 0.77 (95% CI 0.66-0.89). Therefore, the Chinese version of the ODI is both responsive and appropriate for use in chronic LBP patients after conservative therapy.

Incidence of second primary malignancies and related mortality in patients with imatinib-treated chronic myeloid leukemia.

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Gugliotta, Gabriele; Castagnetti, Fausto; Breccia, Massimo; Albano, Francesco; Iurlo, Alessandra; Intermesoli, Tamara; Abruzzese, Elisabetta; Levato, Luciano; D'Adda, Mariella; Pregno, Patrizia; Cavazzini, Francesco; Stagno, Fabio; Martino, Bruno; La Barba, Gaetano; Sorà, Federica; Tiribelli, Mario; Bigazzi, Catia; Binotto, Gianni; Bonifacio, Massimiliano; Caracciolo, Clementina; Soverini, Simona; Foà, Robin; Cavo, Michele; Martinelli, Giovanni; Pane, Fabrizio; Saglio, Giuseppe; Baccarani, Michele; Rosti, Gianantonio

2017-09-01

The majority of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia are successfully managed with life-long treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In patients in chronic phase, other malignancies are among the most common causes of death, raising concerns on the relationship between these deaths and the off-target effects of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. We analyzed the incidence of second primary malignancies, and related mortality, in 514 chronic myeloid leukemia patients enrolled in clinical trials in which imatinib was given as first-line treatment. We then compared the observed incidence and mortality with those expected in the age- and sex-matched Italian general population, calculating standardized incidence and standardized mortality ratios. After a median follow-up of 74 months, 5.8% patients developed second primary malignancies. The median time from chronic myeloid leukemia to diagnosis of the second primary malignancies was 34 months. We did not find a higher incidence of second primary malignancies compared to that in the age- and sex-matched Italian general population, with standardized incidence ratios of 1.06 (95% CI: 0.57-1.54) and 1.61 (95% CI: 0.92-2.31) in males and females, respectively. Overall, 3.1% patients died of second primary malignancies. The death rate in patients with second primary malignancies was 53% (median overall survival: 18 months). Among females, the observed cancer-related mortality was superior to that expected in the age- and sex-matched Italian population, with a standardized mortality ratio of 2.41 (95% CI: 1.26 - 3.56). In conclusion, our analysis of patients with imatinib-treated chronic myeloid leukemia did not reveal a higher incidence of second primary malignancies; however, the outcome of second primary malignancies in such patients was worse than expected. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00514488, NCT00510926. Copyright© 2017 Ferrata Storti Foundation.

The medium-term effects of diadynamic currents in chronic low back pain; TENS versus diadynamic currents: A randomised, follow-up study.

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Sayilir, Selcuk; Yildizgoren, Mustafa Turgut

2017-11-01

The aims of the study were to evaluate the medium-term effects of diadynamic (DD) currents on relieving symptoms/improving physical functionality in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) and to compare the efficacy of DD versus TENS. The patients were divided into two groups as the TENS group (n = 26) and the DD group (n = 29). Additional treatment of hot pack + therapeutic ultrasound was applied to all patients. The therapy programs were administered as a total of 10 sessions over a period of 2 weeks. Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ), Oswestry Disability Index and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) values were recorded. Both groups showed significant improvements in VAS and RDQ scores after one month of the therapies (all p TENS and DD currents in chronic LBP can lead to reduced pain, and improved physical functions. Hence, DD currents can be used as an adjuvant therapy for rehabilitation of chronic LBP. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The LBP Gene and Its Association with Resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila in Tilapia

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Gui Hong Fu

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Resistance to pathogens is important for the sustainability and profitability of food fish production. In immune-related genes, the lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP gene is an important mediator of the inflammatory reaction. We analyzed the cDNA and genomic structure of the LBP gene in tilapia. The full-length cDNA (1901 bp of the gene contained a 1416 bp open reading frame, encoding 471 amino acid residues. Its genomic sequence was 5577 bp, comprising 15 exons and 14 introns. Under normal conditions, the gene was constitutively expressed in all examined tissues. The highest expression was detected in intestine and kidney. We examined the responses of the gene to challenges with two bacterial pathogens Streptcoccus agalactiae and Aeromonas hydrophila. The gene was significantly upregulated in kidney and spleen post-infection with S. agalactiae and A. hydrophila, respectively. However, the expression profiles of the gene after the challenge with the two pathogens were different. Furthermore, we identified three SNPs in the gene. There were significant associations (p < 0.05 of two of the three SNPs with the resistance to A. hydrophila, but not with the resistance to S. agalactiae or growth performance. These results suggest that the LBP gene is involved in the acute-phase immunologic response to the bacterial infections, and the responses to the two bacterial pathogens are different. The two SNPs associated with the resistance to A. hydrophila may be useful in the selection of tilapia resistant to A. hydrophila.

Increased Incidence of T-Cell Malignancies in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

OpenAIRE

Choi, Goda; van den Broek, Esther C; Stam, Olga CG; van Noesel, C.J.M.; Tonino, Sanne H.; Kater, Armon P.

2015-01-01

We present a patient with chemotherapy-refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) in whom postmortem examination showed hepatosplenomegaly, with both multiple small-cellular CLL lesions and large-cellular, monoclonal T-cell infiltrates. Following this case, the co-incidence of T-cell malignancies and CLL was studied using Dutch and American cancer registry databases. Analysis showed an excess risk for T-cell malignancies in CLL patients, with increased standardized incidence ratios compare...

The Dynamics of Incidence of Chronic Hepatitis B and C in the Population of Almaty city for 2001-2014

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Maria N. Omarova

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The results of a retrospective epidemiological analysis revealed a sharp decline in the incidence of acute hepatitis B among the entire population of Almaty and the absence of acute hepatitis B, acute hepatitis C and chronic hepatitis C among children under 14 years of age. We found an increased incidence of chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C among the population of Almaty. Assessment of the hepatitis C incidence by the cumulative indices more objectively reflects the epidemiological situation for this disease.

Do older adults with chronic low back pain differ from younger adults in regards to baseline characteristics and prognosis?

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Manogharan, S; Kongsted, A; Ferreira, M L; Hancock, M J

2017-05-01

Low back pain (LBP) in older adults is poorly understood because the vast majority of the LBP research has focused on the working aged population. The aim of this study was to compare older adults consulting with chronic LBP to middle aged and young adults consulting with chronic LBP, in terms of their baseline characteristics, and pain and disability outcomes over 1 year. Data were systematically collected as part of routine care in a secondary care spine clinic. At initial presentation patients answered a self-report questionnaire and underwent a physical examination. Patients older than 65 were classified as older adults and compared to middle aged (45-65 years old) and younger adults (17-44 years old) for 10 baseline characteristics. Pain intensity and disability were collected at 6 and 12 month follow-ups and compared between age groups. A total of 14,479 participants were included in the study. Of these 3087 (21%) patients were older adults, 6071 (42%) were middle aged and 5321 (37%) were young adults. At presentation older adults were statistically different to the middle aged and younger adults for most characteristics measured (e.g. less intense back pain, more leg pain and more depression); however, the differences were small. The change in pain and disability over 12 months did not differ between age groups. This study found small baseline differences in older people with chronic LBP compared to middle aged and younger adults. There were no associations between age groups and the clinical course. Small baseline differences exist in older people with chronic low back pain compared to middle aged and younger adults referred to secondary care for chronic low back pain. Older adults present with slightly less intense low back pain but slightly more intense leg pain. Changes in pain intensity and disability over a 12 month period were similar across all age groups. © 2017 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

Biomarkers of cardiovascular stress and incident chronic kidney disease.

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Ho, Jennifer E; Hwang, Shih-Jen; Wollert, Kai C; Larson, Martin G; Cheng, Susan; Kempf, Tibor; Vasan, Ramachandran S; Januzzi, James L; Wang, Thomas J; Fox, Caroline S

2013-11-01

Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), soluble ST2 (sST2), and high-sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI) are emerging predictors of adverse clinical outcomes. We examined whether circulating concentrations are related to the development of kidney disease in the community. Plasma GDF-15, sST2, and hsTnI concentrations were measured in 2614 Framingham Offspring cohort participants (mean age 57 years, 54% women) at the sixth examination cycle (1995-1998). Associations of biomarkers with incident chronic kidney disease [CKD, eGFR statistically significant in primary analyses. Participants were followed over a mean of 9.5 years. Higher plasma GDF-15 was associated with incident CKD [multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.9 per 1-U increase in log-GDF-15, 95% CI 1.6-2.3, P statistic increased from 0.826 to 0.845 (P = 0.0007), and categorical net reclassification was 6.3% (95% CI, 2.7-9.9%). Higher circulating GDF-15 is associated with incident renal outcomes and improves risk prediction of incident CKD. These findings may provide insights into the mechanisms of renal injury.

Classification of cardiovascular tissues using LBP based descriptors and a cascade SVM.

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Mazo, Claudia; Alegre, Enrique; Trujillo, Maria

2017-08-01

Histological images have characteristics, such as texture, shape, colour and spatial structure, that permit the differentiation of each fundamental tissue and organ. Texture is one of the most discriminative features. The automatic classification of tissues and organs based on histology images is an open problem, due to the lack of automatic solutions when treating tissues without pathologies. In this paper, we demonstrate that it is possible to automatically classify cardiovascular tissues using texture information and Support Vector Machines (SVM). Additionally, we realised that it is feasible to recognise several cardiovascular organs following the same process. The texture of histological images was described using Local Binary Patterns (LBP), LBP Rotation Invariant (LBPri), Haralick features and different concatenations between them, representing in this way its content. Using a SVM with linear kernel, we selected the more appropriate descriptor that, for this problem, was a concatenation of LBP and LBPri. Due to the small number of the images available, we could not follow an approach based on deep learning, but we selected the classifier who yielded the higher performance by comparing SVM with Random Forest and Linear Discriminant Analysis. Once SVM was selected as the classifier with a higher area under the curve that represents both higher recall and precision, we tuned it evaluating different kernels, finding that a linear SVM allowed us to accurately separate four classes of tissues: (i) cardiac muscle of the heart, (ii) smooth muscle of the muscular artery, (iii) loose connective tissue, and (iv) smooth muscle of the large vein and the elastic artery. The experimental validation was conducted using 3000 blocks of 100 × 100 sized pixels, with 600 blocks per class and the classification was assessed using a 10-fold cross-validation. using LBP as the descriptor, concatenated with LBPri and a SVM with linear kernel, the main four classes of tissues were

Does anterior trunk pain predict a different course of recovery in chronic low back pain?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Panagopoulos, John; Hancock, Mark J; Kongsted, Alice

2014-01-01

Patient characteristics associated with the course and severity of low back pain (LBP) and disability have been the focus of extensive research, however, known characteristics do not explain much of the variance in outcomes. The relationship between anterior trunk pain (ATP) and LBP has not been...... explored, though mechanisms for visceral referred pain have been described. Study objectives were: (1) determine prevalence of ATP in chronic LBP patients, (2) determine whether ATP is associated with increased pain and disability in these patients, and (3) evaluate whether ATP predicts the course of pain...... and disability in these patients. In this study, spinal outpatient department patients mapped the distribution of their pain and patients describing pain in their chest, abdomen or groin were classified with ATP. Generalized estimating equations were performed to investigate the relationship between ATP and LBP...

A pilot study on using acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to treat chronic non-specific low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Itoh, Kazunori; Itoh, Satoko; Katsumi, Yasukazu; Kitakoji, Hiroshi

2009-02-01

The present study tests whether a combined treatment of acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is more effective than acupuncture or TENS alone for treating chronic low back pain (LBP). Thirty-two patients with chronic LBP were randomly allocated to four groups. The acupuncture group (ACP) received only acupuncture treatment at selected acupoints for low back pain; the TENS group (TENS) received only TENS treatment at pain areas; the acupuncture and TENS group (A&T) received both acupuncture and TENS treatments; the control group (CT) received topical poultice (only when necessary). Each group received specific weekly treatment five times during the study. Outcome measures were pain intensity in terms of visual analogue scale (VAS) and QOL of low back in terms of Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ). The ACP, TENS and A&T groups all reported lower VAS and RDQ scores. Significant reduction in pain intensity (PTENS treatment is effective in pain relief and QOL of low back improvement for the sampled patients suffering from chronic LBP.

Intradiscal and intra-articular facet infiltrations with plasma rich in growth factors reduce pain in patients with chronic low back pain

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Kirchner, Fernando; Anitua, Eduardo

2016-01-01

Context: Low back pain (LBP) is a complex and disabling condition, and its treatment becomes a challenge. Aims: The aim of our study was to assess the clinical outcome of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF-Endoret) infiltrations (one intradiscal, one intra-articular facet, and one transforaminal epidural injection) under fluoroscopic guidance-control in patients with chronic LBP. PRGF-Endoret which has been shown to be an efficient treatment to reduce joint pain. Settings and Design: The study was designed as an observational retrospective pilot study. Eighty-six patients with a history of chronic LBP and degenerative disease of the lumbar spine who met inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited between December 2010 and January 2012. Subjects and Methods: One intradiscal, one intra-articular facet, and one transforaminal epidural injection of PRGF-Endoret under fluoroscopic guidance-control were carried out in 86 patients with chronic LBP in the operating theater setting. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics were performed using absolute and relative frequency distributions for qualitative variables and mean values and standard deviations for quantitative variables. The nonparametric Friedman statistical test was used to determine the possible differences between baseline and different follow-up time points on pain reduction after treatment. Results: Pain assessment was determined using a visual analog scale (VAS) at the first visit before (baseline) and after the procedure at 1, 3, and 6 months. The pain reduction after the PRGF-Endoret injections showed a statistically significant drop from 8.4 ± 1.1 before the treatment to 4 ± 2.6, 1.7 ± 2.3, and 0.8 ± 1.7 at 1, 3, and 6 months after the treatment, respectively, with respect to all the time evaluations (P PRGF in patients with chronic LBP resulted in significant pain reduction assessed by VAS. PMID:27891035

Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Low Back Pain Among Health Care Providers in a District Hospital

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TS Wong

2010-07-01

Full Text Available STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study among health care providers working at one hospital. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence, the consequences and the risk factors associated with low back pain (LBP among hospital staff. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study sample consisted of 931 health care providers who answered a pre-established questionnaire including 30 items in two languages. RESULTS: The cumulative life-prevalence of LBP was 72.5% and the yearly prevalence was 56.9%. Chronic LBP prevalence was noted 5.1% of the cases. Treatment was sought in 34.1% of LBP sufferers and 7.3% required sick leave or absence from work due to LBP. Risk factors associated with LBP were professional categories, bad body posture, lifting objects or patients and the increased levels of lifting, levels of job satisfaction and stressful job demands. CONCLUSION: There was a high prevalence of LBP among hospital staff, resulting in significant medical and socio-professional consequences. Many risk factors were identified that would necessitate multidisciplinary involvement to reduce the LBP incidence and related costs.

A change detection method for remote sensing image based on LBP and SURF feature

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Hu, Lei; Yang, Hao; Li, Jin; Zhang, Yun

2018-04-01

Finding the change in multi-temporal remote sensing image is important in many the image application. Because of the infection of climate and illumination, the texture of the ground object is more stable relative to the gray in high-resolution remote sensing image. And the texture features of Local Binary Patterns (LBP) and Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF) are outstanding in extracting speed and illumination invariance. A method of change detection for matched remote sensing image pair is present, which compares the similarity by LBP and SURF to detect the change and unchanged of the block after blocking the image. And region growing is adopted to process the block edge zone. The experiment results show that the method can endure some illumination change and slight texture change of the ground object.

Chronic low back pain: patients' experiences, opinions and expectations for clinical management.

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Liddle, Sarah Dianne; Baxter, G David; Gracey, Jacqueline H

2007-12-30

To explore the experiences, opinions and treatment expectations of chronic low back pain (LBP) patients in order to identify what components of treatment they consider as being of most value. Three stand-alone focus groups were convened. All participants were experiencing chronic non-specific LBP (>3 months). Each group was facilitated by an independent moderator, and guided by a series of pre-determined questions. Participants were encouraged to freely air their personal opinions during the discussion. Transcribed data were organized into a series of 'categories' using the Qualitative Solutions for Researchers Nudist 6 package from which five common themes emerged. Each participant had typically experienced a variety of failed treatment approaches. Whilst the value of advice and exercise was recognized, participants typically questioned the appropriateness of such treatment given the fact that a precise diagnosis was rarely given, and symptoms often recurred. As a result, poor adherence with advice and exercise appeared to be a key factor limiting the potential effectiveness of long-term self-management strategies. Participants considered appropriate exercise (despite pain) and activity modification as important components for effective long-term self-management of symptoms. To enhance treatment effectiveness, participants welcomed the introduction of individually tailored advice and exercise programmes, with supervision and follow-up support, along with a better understanding of the physical and emotional impact of chronic LBP by practitioners.

Chronic low back pain patients' use of, level of knowledge of and perceived benefits of complementary medicine: a cross-sectional study at an academic pain center.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubois, Julie; Scala, Emmanuelle; Faouzi, Mohamed; Decosterd, Isabelle; Burnand, Bernard; Rodondi, Pierre-Yves

2017-04-04

Chronic pain patients often use complementary medicine (CM) to alleviate their pain; however, little is known about the use of CM by chronic low back pain (cLBP) patients. We investigated the frequency of use of CM by cLBP patients, the perceived effects of these therapies, patients' knowledge regarding CM, and patient-physician communication regarding CM. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from November 2014 to February 2015. A questionnaire was distributed by physicians to 238 consecutive patients consulting for cLBP at the Pain Center of Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland. Poisson regression model was used to analyze patients' level of knowledge regarding various CMs, and the logistic regression model was used to assess CM use for cLBP. The questionnaire was returned by 168 cLBP patients (response rate: 70.6%). Lifetime prevalence of CM use for cLBP was 77.3%. The most commonly used therapies were osteopathy (48.8%), massage (45.2%) and acupuncture (31.6%), rated for their usefulness on a 0-10 scale as a mean ± SD of 5.4 ± 2.7, 5.9 ± 2.5 and 3.8 ± 3.2, respectively. The CM treatment best known by patients was osteopathy, followed by massage and acupuncture. If their doctors proposed CM as a treatment for cLBP, 78% of participants reported being very or somewhat likely to try CM. Respondents with CM health insurance were more likely to use CM (OR = 2.26; 95%CI: 1.07-4.78; p = 0.031) for cLBP. Respondents having experienced cLBP for more than five years were more likely to use CM to treat their cLBP than respondents having experienced cLBP for one year or less (OR = 2.84; 95%CI: 1.02-7.88; p = 0.044). More than three-quarters of cLBP patients in our sample did use CM to treat their cLBP. The results showed that the most commonly used therapies were not necessarily the highest rated in terms of perceived usefulness. These results highlight the importance of developing integrative pain centers in which patients may obtain advice

The Correlation between Duration of Employment, Body Posture and Smoking Habit on Low Back Pain Incidence An Analytic Observational Study Among Taxi Driver in Semarang Municipality

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Syifa Dian Firmanita

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Low back pain ((LBP ranks as number two of neurological disease’s highest prevalence after cephalgia and migraine in Indonesia. Objective: This study aim to determine the relationship between duration of employment, body posture and smoking habit on the incidence of low back pain on taxi driver. Method: This research is an observational analytic cross sectional design. Seventyfour taxi drivers in Semarang municipality was screened with Beck’s Depression Inventory Scale to meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Respondents were then given Risk Factor of LBP questionnaire. Data were analyzed with a bivariate correlation test contingency coefficient to see the relationship between duration of employment, body posture, smoking habit and low back pain.Result: the taxi driver with duration of employment >10 years were moderate smokers and having astenis body posture. The analysis of correlation coefficients contingency test showed a significance relationship between duration of employment (p = 0,000, body posture (p = 0,000, and moderate smokers (p=0.010 with the incidence of LBP. Conclusion: the taxi driver with duration of employment >10 years with astenis body posture, and moderate smokers were posstively correlated with LBP.

Frequency and interrelations of risk factors for chronic low back pain in a primary care setting.

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Marie-Martine Lefevre-Colau

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Many risk factors have been identified for chronic low back pain (cLBP, but only one study evaluated their interrelations. We aimed to investigate the frequency of cLBP risk factors and their interrelations in patients consulting their general practitioners (GPs for cLBP. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive, national survey was performed. 3000 GPs randomly selected were asked to include at least one patient consulting for cLBP. Demographic, clinical characteristics and the presence of cLBP risk factors were recorded. The frequency of each cLBP risk factor was calculated and multiple correspondence analysis (MCA was performed to study their interrelations. RESULTS: A total of 2068 GPs (68.9% included at least 1 patient, for 4522 questionnaires analyzed. In the whole sample of patients, the 2 risk factors most commonly observed were history of recurrent LBP (72.1% and initial limitation of activities of daily living (66.4%. For working patients, common professional risk factors were beliefs, that LBP was due to maintaining a specific posture at work (79.0% and frequent heavy lifting at work (65.5%. On MCA, we identified 3 risk-factor dimensions (axes for working and nonworking patients. The main dimension for working patients involved professional risk factors and among these factors, patients' job satisfaction and job recognition largely contribute to this dimension. DISCUSSION: Our results shed in light for the first time the interrelation and the respective contribution of several previously identified cLBP risk factors. They suggest that risk factors representing a "work-related" dimension are the most important cLBP risk factors in the working population.

Dead Sea mud packs for chronic low back pain.

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Abu-Shakra, Mahmoud; Mayer, Amit; Friger, Michael; Harari, Marco

2014-09-01

Low back pain (LBP) is chronic disease without a curative therapy. Alternative and complementary therapies are widely used in the management of this condition. To evaluate the efficacy of home application of Dead Sea mud compresses to the back of patients with chronic LBP. Forty-six consecutive patients suffering from chronic LBP were recruited. All patients were followed at the Soroka University Rheumatic Diseases Unit. The patients were randomized into two groups: one group was treated with mineral-rich mud compresses, and the other with mineral-depleted compresses. Mud compresses were applied five times a week for 3 consecutive weeks. The primary outcome was the patient's assessment of the overall back pain severity. The score of the Ronald & Morris questionnaire served as a secondary outcome. Forty-four patients completed the therapy and the follow-up assessments: 32 were treated with real mud packs and 12 used the mineral-depleted packs. A significant decrease in intensity of pain, as described by the patients, was observed only in the treatment group. In this group, clinical improvement was clearly seen at completion of therapy and was sustained a month later. Significant improvement in the scores of the Roland & Morris questionnaire was observed in both groups. The data suggest that pain severity was reduced in patients treated with mineral-rich mud compresses compared with those treated with mineral-depleted compresses. Whether this modest effect is the result of a "true" mud effect or other causes can not be determined in this study.

Chronic low back pain and the risk of depression or anxiety symptoms

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Fernandez, Matt; Colodro-Conde, Lucia; Hartvigsen, Jan

2017-01-01

.63-5.51). CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between chronic LBP and the future development of depression or anxiety symptoms is not causal. The relationship is likely to be explained by confounding from shared familial factors, given the non-statistically significant associations in the co-twin case-control analyses.......BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Pain is commonly associated with symptoms of depression or anxiety, although this relationship is considered bidirectional. There is limited knowledge regarding causal relationships. PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate whether chronic low back pain (LBP) increases the risk...... of depression or anxiety symptoms, after adjusting for shared familial factors. STUDY DESIGN: This is a longitudinal, genetically informative study design from the Murcia Twin Registry in Spain. PATIENT SAMPLE: The patient sample included 1,269 adult twins with a mean age of 53 years. OUTCOME MEASURES...

How is trunk muscle activity during forward bending in standing in chronic non-specific low back pain patients presenting with psychosocial characteristics such as fear avoidance beliefs, pain catastrophizing or kinesiophobia? A systematic review of the literature

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Sørensen, Brian Østergaard

2016-01-01

Low back pain (LBP) is the most common single reason for addressing the health care system due to musculoskeletal pain. More than 80% will experience LBP at some point in life; 6 - 10% of those experiencing LBP will develop persistent and chronic pain with great variance in level of disability an...... the importance of not treating all patients with LBP in the same way but trying to provide stratified care has been highlighted resulting in better outcomes....

Minimally invasive arthrodesis for chronic sacroiliac joint dysfunction using the SImmetry SI Joint Fusion system

OpenAIRE

Block, Jon; Miller,Larry

2014-01-01

Larry E Miller,1,2 Jon E Block21Miller Scientific Consulting, Inc., Asheville, NC, USA; 2The Jon Block Group, San Francisco, CA, USA Abstract: Chronic sacroiliac (SI) joint-related low back pain (LBP) is a common, yet under-diagnosed and undertreated condition due to difficulties in accurate diagnosis and highly variable treatment practices. In patients with debilitating SI-related LBP for at least 6 months duration who have failed conservative management, arthrodesis is a viable option. The...

Effects of obesity and chronic low back pain on gait

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Galli Manuela

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Obesity is often associated with low back pain (LBP. Despite empirical evidence that LBP induces gait abnormalities, there is a lack of quantitative analysis of the combined effect of obesity and LBP on gait. The aim of our study was to quantify the gait pattern of obese subjects with and without LBP and normal-mass controls by using Gait Analysis (GA, in order to investigate the cumulative effects of obesity and LBP on gait. Methods Eight obese females with chronic LBP (OLG; age: 40.5 ± 10.1 years; BMI: 42.39 ± 5.47 Kg/m2, 10 obese females (OG; age: 33.6 ± 5.2 years; BMI: 39.26 ± 2.39 Kg/m2 and 10 healthy female subjects (CG; age: 33.4 ± 9.6 years; BMI: 22.8 ± 3.2 Kg/m2, were enrolled in this study and assessed with video recording and GA. Results and Discussion OLG showed longer stance duration and shorter step length when compared to OG and CG. They also had a low pelvis and hip ROM on the frontal plane, a low knee flexion in the swing phase and knee range of motion, a low dorsiflexion in stance and swing as compared to OG. No statistically significant differences were found in ankle power generation at push-off between OLG and OG, which appeared lower if compared to CG. At hip level, both OLG and OG exhibited high power generation levels during stance, with OLG showing the highest values. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that the association of obesity and LBP affects more the gait pattern than obesity alone. OLG were in fact characterised by an altered knee and ankle strategy during gait as compared to OG and CG. These elements may help optimizing rehabilitation planning and treatment in these patients.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation: nonparallel antinociceptive effects on chronic clinical pain and acute experimental pain.

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Cheing, G L; Hui-Chan, C W

1999-03-01

To investigate to what extent a single 60-minute session of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) would modify chronic clinical pain, acute experimental pain, and the flexion reflex evoked in chronic low back pain patients. Thirty young subjects with chronic low back pain were randomly allocated to two groups, receiving either TENS or placebo stimulation to the lumbosacral region for 60 minutes. The flexion reflex was elicited by an electrical stimulation applied to the subject's right sole and recorded electromyographically from the biceps femoris and the tibialis anterior muscles. Subjective sensation of low back pain and the electrically induced pain were measured by two separate visual analog scales, termed VAS(LBP) and VAS(FR), respectively. Data obtained before, during, and 60 minutes after TENS and placebo stimulations were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. The VAS(LBP) score was significantly reduced to 63.1% of the prestimulation value after TENS (pTENS protocol had different degrees of antinociceptive influence on chronic and acute pain in chronic low back pain patients.

Massage and modality effects on treatment of sub-acute and chronic non specific low back pain

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Fatemeh Panahi

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Low back pain (LBP is the second most common medical complaint. It’s estimated that about 70-85% of the population will suffer at least one episode of LBP during their life. The aim of present study was to compare the effects of massage and modality in patient with sub-acute and chronic non-specific LBPMethods: In this clinical trial study 30 women (MeanAge: 33.96±10.93 with sub-acute and chronic non-specific LBP (Mean pain-duration:9.68±3.38 were included in the study and randomized into two equal groups; massage and modality. Patients in both group underwent 10 sessions treatment period. Pain (numerical-pain-scale,NRS, functional disability index (oswestry-disability-index,ODI and lumbar-flexion(modified-schober-testwere recorded before and immediately after treatment period. Data was analyzed using paired t-test and independent sample t-test.Results: Significant improvement showed in both groups separately in pain-intensity, disability level, and flexion after treatment (P<0.001. Statically significant improvement was seen in massage group in comparison to modality group for NRS & ODI after treatment (PNRS=0.015, PODI=0.013. There was a not significant change in point of lumber flexion between two groupsConclusion: The results showed that both massage and modality had beneficial effects on the improvement of pain, functional disability and lumbar flexion in patients with non-specific LBP. It seems that massage is better than modality for non-specific LBP in a short period of time.

Does core stability exercise improve lumbopelvic stability (through endurance tests) more than general exercise in chronic low back pain? A quasi-randomized controlled trial.

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Shamsi, Mohammad Bagher; Rezaei, Mandana; Zamanlou, Mehdi; Sadeghi, Mehdi; Pourahmadi, Mohammad Reza

2016-01-01

The aim was to compare core stability and general exercises (GEs) in chronic low back pain (LBP) patients based on lumbopelvic stability (LPS) assessment through three endurance core stability tests. There is a controversy about preference of core stability exercise (CSE) over other types of exercise for chronic LBP. Studies which have compared these exercises used other outcomes than those related to LPS. As it is claimed that CSE enhances back stability, endurance tests for LPS were used. A 16-session CSE program and a GE program with the same duration were conducted for two groups of participants. Frequency of interventions for both groups was three times a week. Forty-three people (aged 18-60 years) with chronic non-specific LBP were alternately allocated to core stability (n = 22) or GE group (n = 21) when admitted. The primary outcomes were three endurance core stability tests including: (1) trunk flexor; (2) trunk extensor; and (3) side bridge tests. Secondary outcomes were disability and pain. Measurements were taken at baseline and the end of the intervention. After the intervention, test times increased and disability and pain decreased within groups. There was no significant difference between two groups in increasing test times (p = 0.23 to p = 0.36) or decreasing disability (p = 0.16) and pain (p = 0.73). CSE is not more effective than GE for improving endurance core stability tests and reducing disability and pain in chronic non-specific LBP patients.

The predictive ability of the STarT Back Tool was limited in people with chronic low back pain: a prospective cohort study

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Michelle Kendell

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Questions: In people with chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP, what is the predictive and discriminative validity of the STarT Back Tool (SBT for pain intensity, self-reported LBP-related disability, and global self-perceived change at 1-year follow-up? What is the profile of the SBT risk subgroups with respect to demographic variables, pain intensity, self-reported LBP-related disability, and psychological measures? Design: Prospective cohort study. Participants: A total of 290 adults with dominant axial LBP of ≥ 3 months’ duration recruited from the general community, and private physiotherapy, psychology, and pain-management clinics in Western Australia. Outcome measures: The 1-year follow-up measures were pain intensity, LBP-related disability, and global self-perceived change. Results: Outcomes were collected on 264 participants. The SBT categorised 82 participants (28% as low risk, 116 (40% as medium risk, and 92 (32% as high risk. The risk subgroups differed significantly (p < 0.05 on baseline pain, disability, and psychological scores. The SBT’s predictive ability was strongest for disability: RR was 2.30 (95% CI 1.28 to 4.10 in the medium-risk group and 2.86 (95% CI 1.60 to 5.11 in the high-risk group. The SBT’s predictive ability was weaker for pain: RR was 1.25 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.51 in the medium-risk group and 1.26 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.52 in the high-risk group. For the SBT total score, the AUC was 0.71 (95% CI 0.64 to 0.77 for disability and 0.63 (95% CI 0.55 to 0.71 for pain. Conclusion: This was the first large study to investigate the SBT in a population exclusively with chronic LBP. The SBT provided an acceptable indication of 1-year disability, had poor predictive and discriminative ability for future pain, and was unable to predict or discriminate global perceived change. In this cohort with chronic non-specific LBP, the SBT’s predictive and discriminative abilities were restricted to disability at 1�

The predictive ability of the STarT Back Tool was limited in people with chronic low back pain: a prospective cohort study.

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Kendell, Michelle; Beales, Darren; O'Sullivan, Peter; Rabey, Martin; Hill, Jonathan; Smith, Anne

2018-04-01

In people with chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP), what is the predictive and discriminative validity of the STarT Back Tool (SBT) for pain intensity, self-reported LBP-related disability, and global self-perceived change at 1-year follow-up? What is the profile of the SBT risk subgroups with respect to demographic variables, pain intensity, self-reported LBP-related disability, and psychological measures? Prospective cohort study. A total of 290 adults with dominant axial LBP of≥3months' duration recruited from the general community, and private physiotherapy, psychology, and pain-management clinics in Western Australia. The 1-year follow-up measures were pain intensity, LBP-related disability, and global self-perceived change. Outcomes were collected on 264 participants. The SBT categorised 82 participants (28%) as low risk, 116 (40%) as medium risk, and 92 (32%) as high risk. The risk subgroups differed significantly (ppredictive ability was strongest for disability: RR was 2.30 (95% CI 1.28 to 4.10) in the medium-risk group and 2.86 (95% CI 1.60 to 5.11) in the high-risk group. The SBT's predictive ability was weaker for pain: RR was 1.25 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.51) in the medium-risk group and 1.26 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.52) in the high-risk group. For the SBT total score, the AUC was 0.71 (95% CI 0.64 to 0.77) for disability and 0.63 (95% CI 0.55 to 0.71) for pain. This was the first large study to investigate the SBT in a population exclusively with chronic LBP. The SBT provided an acceptable indication of 1-year disability, had poor predictive and discriminative ability for future pain, and was unable to predict or discriminate global perceived change. In this cohort with chronic non-specific LBP, the SBT's predictive and discriminative abilities were restricted to disability at 1year. [Kendell M, Beales D, O'Sullivan P, Rabey M, Hill J, Smith A (2018) The predictive ability of the STarT Back Tool was limited in people with chronic low back pain: a prospective

Reliability and Validity of the Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale in Persian Speaking Chronic Low Back Pain Patients.

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Shanbehzadeh, Sanaz; Salavati, Mahyar; Tavahomi, Mahnaz; Khatibi, Ali; Talebian, Saeed; Khademi-Kalantari, Khosro

2017-11-01

Psychometric testing of the Persian version of Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale 20. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and construct validity of the PASS-20 in nonspecific chronic low back pain (LBP) patients. The PASS-20 is a self-report questionnaire that assesses pain-related anxiety. The Psychometric properties of this instrument have not been assessed in Persian-speaking chronic LBP patients. One hundred and sixty participants with chronic LBP completed the Persian version of PASS-20, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), trait form of the State-Trait Anxiety (STAI-T), Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Index (ODI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). To evaluate test-retest reliability, 60 patients filled out the PASS-20, 6 to 8 days after the first visit. Test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], standard error of measurement [SEM], and minimal detectable change [MDC]), internal consistency, dimensionality, and construct validity were examined. The ICCs of the PASS-20 subscales and total score ranged from 0.71 to 0.8. The SEMs for PASS-20 total score was 7.29 and for the subscales ranged from 2.43 to 2.98. The MDC for the total score was 20.14 and for the subscales ranged from 6.71 to 8.23. The Cronbach alpha values for the subscales and total score ranged from 0.70 to 0.91. Significant positive correlations were found between the PASS-20 total score and PCS, TSK, FABQ, ODI, BDI, STAI-T, and pain intensity. The Persian version of the PASS-20 showed acceptable psychometric properties for the assessment of pain-related anxiety in Persian-speaking patients with chronic LBP. 3.

Low-resolution expression recognition based on central oblique average CS-LBP with adaptive threshold

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Han, Sheng; Xi, Shi-qiong; Geng, Wei-dong

2017-11-01

In order to solve the problem of low recognition rate of traditional feature extraction operators under low-resolution images, a novel algorithm of expression recognition is proposed, named central oblique average center-symmetric local binary pattern (CS-LBP) with adaptive threshold (ATCS-LBP). Firstly, the features of face images can be extracted by the proposed operator after pretreatment. Secondly, the obtained feature image is divided into blocks. Thirdly, the histogram of each block is computed independently and all histograms can be connected serially to create a final feature vector. Finally, expression classification is achieved by using support vector machine (SVM) classifier. Experimental results on Japanese female facial expression (JAFFE) database show that the proposed algorithm can achieve a recognition rate of 81.9% when the resolution is as low as 16×16, which is much better than that of the traditional feature extraction operators.

Differences in Pain Processing Between Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain, Recurrent Low Back Pain, and Fibromyalgia.

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Goubert, Dorien; Danneels, Lieven; Graven-Nielsen, Thomas; Descheemaeker, Filip; Meeus, Mira

2017-05-01

The impairment in musculoskeletal structures in patients with low back pain (LBP) is often disproportionate to their complaint. Therefore, the need arises for exploration of alternative mechanisms contributing to the origin and maintenance of non-specific LBP. The recent focus has been on central nervous system phenomena in LBP and the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the various symptoms and characteristics of chronic pain. Knowledge concerning changes in pain processing in LBP remains ambiguous, partly due to the diversity in the LBP population. The purpose of this study is to compare quantitative sensory assessment in different groups of LBP patients with regard to chronicity. Recurrent low back pain (RLBP), mild chronic low back pain (CLBP), and severe CLBP are compared on the one hand with healthy controls (HC), and on the other hand with fibromyalgia (FM) patients, in which abnormal pain processing has previously been reported. Cross-sectional study. Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium. Twenty-three RLBP, 15 mild CLBP, 16 severe CLBP, 26 FM, and 21 HC participated in this study. Quantitative sensory testing was conducted by manual pressure algometry and computer-controlled cuff algometry. A manual algometer was used to evaluate hyperalgesia as well as temporal summation of pain and a cuff algometer was used to evaluate deep tissue hyperalgesia, the efficacy of the conditioned pain modulation and spatial summation of pain. Pressure pain thresholds by manual algometry were significantly lower in FM compared to HC, RLBP, and severe CLBP. Temporal summation of pain was significantly higher in FM compared to HC and RLBP. Pain tolerance thresholds assessed by cuff algometry were significantly lower in FM compared to HC and RLBP and also in severe CLBP compared to RLBP. No significant differences between groups were found for spatial summation or conditioned pain modulation. No psychosocial issues were taken into account for this

Effectiveness of app-based relaxation for patients with chronic low back pain (Relaxback) and chronic neck pain (Relaxneck): study protocol for two randomized pragmatic trials.

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Blödt, Susanne; Pach, Daniel; Roll, Stephanie; Witt, Claudia M

2014-12-15

Chronic low back pain (LBP) and neck pain (NP) are highly prevalent conditions resulting in high economic costs. Treatment guidelines recommend relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation, as adjuvant therapies. Self-care interventions could have the potential to reduce costs in the health care system, but their effectiveness, especially in a usual care setting, is unclear. The aim of these two pragmatic randomized studies is to evaluate whether an additional app-delivered relaxation is more effective in the reduction of chronic LBP or NP than usual care alone. Each pragmatic randomized two-armed study aims to include a total of 220 patients aged 18 to 65 years with chronic (>12 weeks) LBP or NP and an average pain intensity of ≥ 4 on a numeric rating scale (NRS) in the 7 days before recruitment. The participants will be randomized into an intervention and a usual care group. The intervention group will be instructed to practice one of these 3 relaxation techniques on at least 5 days/week for 15 minutes/day over a period of 6 months starting on the day of randomization: autogenic training, mindfulness meditation, or guided imagery. Instructions and exercises will be provided using a smartphone app, baseline information will be collected using paper and pencil. Follow-up information (daily, weekly, and after 3 and 6 months) will be collected using electronic diaries and questionnaires included in the app. The primary outcome measure will be the mean LBP or NP intensity during the first 3 months of intervention based on daily pain intensity measurements on a NRS (0 = no pain, 10 = worst possible pain). The secondary outcome parameters will include the mean pain intensity during the first 6 months after randomization based on daily measurements, the mean pain intensity measured weekly as the average pain intensity of the previous 7 days over 3 and 6 months, pain acceptance, 'LBP- and NP-related' stress, sick leave days, pain medication

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Eszopiclone for the Treatment of Insomnia in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

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Goforth, Harold W.; Preud'homme, Xavier A.; Krystal, Andrew D.

2014-01-01

Study Objectives: Insomnia, which is very common in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP), has long been viewed as a pain symptom that did not merit specific treatment. Recent data suggest that adding insomnia therapy to pain-targeted treatment should improve outcome; however, this has not been empirically tested in LBP or in any pain condition treated with a standardized pain medication regimen. We sought to test the hypothesis that adding insomnia therapy to pain-targeted treatment might improve sleep and pain in LBP. Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, 1-mo trial. Setting: Duke University Medical Center Outpatient Sleep Clinic. Patients: Fifty-two adult volunteers with LBP of at least 3 mo duration who met diagnostic criteria for insomnia (mean age: 42.5 y; 63% females). Interventions: Subjects were randomized to eszopiclone (ESZ) 3 mg plus naproxen 500 mg BID or matching placebo plus naproxen 500 mg twice a day. Measurements and Results: ESZ significantly improved total sleep time (mean increase: ESZ, 95 min; placebo, 9 min) (primary outcome) and nearly all sleep measures as well as visual analog scale pain (mean decrease: ESZ, 17 mm; placebo, 2 mm) (primary pain outcome), and depression (mean Hamilton Depression Rating Scale improvement ESZ, 3.8; placebo, 0.4) compared with placebo. Changes in pain ratings were significantly correlated with changes in sleep. Conclusions: The addition of insomnia-specific therapy to a standardized naproxen pain regimen significantly improves sleep, pain, and depression in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP). The findings indicate the importance of administering both sleep and pain-directed therapies to patients with LBP in clinical practice and provide strong evidence that improving sleep disturbance may improve pain. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00365976 Citation: Goforth HW, Preud'homme XA, Krystal AD. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of eszopiclone

Spinal mobilization vs conventional physiotherapy in the management of chronic low back pain due to spinal disk degeneration: a randomized controlled trial.

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Krekoukias, Georgios; Gelalis, Ioannis D; Xenakis, Theodoros; Gioftsos, Georgios; Dimitriadis, Zacharias; Sakellari, Vasiliki

2017-05-01

The aim of the study was to examine the efficacy of spinal mobilization in subjects with low back pain (LBP) and associated spinal disk degeneration. Seventy-five subjects suffering from chronic LBP (>3 months) were randomly allocated into 3 groups of 25 subjects each. Each group received five treatment sessions with the first group receiving manual therapy (MT) (spinal mobilization), the second a sham treatment, and the third conventional physiotherapy (CP) (stretching exercises, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and massage). Subjects were assessed for their pain intensity using the numerical pain rating scale and for their self-reported disability using the Oswestry and Roland-Morris Questionnaire at baseline and after the completion of the five treatment sessions. Paired t -tests showed a significant improvement for all outcome measures in the MT and CP group ( p   0.05). MT is preferable to CP in order to reduce the pain intensity and disability in subjects with chronic LBP and associated disk degeneration. The findings of this study may lead to the establishment of spinal mobilization as one of the most preferable approaches for the management of LBP due to disk degeneration. 1b.

The LBP Gene and Its Association with Resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila in Tilapia

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Fu, Gui Hong; Liu, Feng; Xia, Jun Hong; Yue, Gen Hua

2014-01-01

Resistance to pathogens is important for the sustainability and profitability of food fish production. In immune-related genes, the lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) gene is an important mediator of the inflammatory reaction. We analyzed the cDNA and genomic structure of the LBP gene in tilapia. The full-length cDNA (1901 bp) of the gene contained a 1416 bp open reading frame, encoding 471 amino acid residues. Its genomic sequence was 5577 bp, comprising 15 exons and 14 introns. Under normal conditions, the gene was constitutively expressed in all examined tissues. The highest expression was detected in intestine and kidney. We examined the responses of the gene to challenges with two bacterial pathogens Streptcoccus agalactiae and Aeromonas hydrophila. The gene was significantly upregulated in kidney and spleen post-infection with S. agalactiae and A. hydrophila, respectively. However, the expression profiles of the gene after the challenge with the two pathogens were different. Furthermore, we identified three SNPs in the gene. There were significant associations (p tilapia resistant to A. hydrophila. PMID:25470022

Fusion of LBP and SWLD using spatio-spectral information for hyperspectral face recognition

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Xie, Zhihua; Jiang, Peng; Zhang, Shuai; Xiong, Jinquan

2018-01-01

Hyperspectral imaging, recording intrinsic spectral information of the skin cross different spectral bands, become an important issue for robust face recognition. However, the main challenges for hyperspectral face recognition are high data dimensionality, low signal to noise ratio and inter band misalignment. In this paper, hyperspectral face recognition based on LBP (Local binary pattern) and SWLD (Simplified Weber local descriptor) is proposed to extract discriminative local features from spatio-spectral fusion information. Firstly, the spatio-spectral fusion strategy based on statistical information is used to attain discriminative features of hyperspectral face images. Secondly, LBP is applied to extract the orientation of the fusion face edges. Thirdly, SWLD is proposed to encode the intensity information in hyperspectral images. Finally, we adopt a symmetric Kullback-Leibler distance to compute the encoded face images. The hyperspectral face recognition is tested on Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hyperspectral Face database (PolyUHSFD). Experimental results show that the proposed method has higher recognition rate (92.8%) than the state of the art hyperspectral face recognition algorithms.

Diagnostic uncertainty and recall bias in chronic low back pain.

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Serbic, Danijela; Pincus, Tamar

2014-08-01

Patients' beliefs about the origin of their pain and their cognitive processing of pain-related information have both been shown to be associated with poorer prognosis in low back pain (LBP), but the relationship between specific beliefs and specific cognitive processes is not known. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between diagnostic uncertainty and recall bias in 2 groups of chronic LBP patients, those who were certain about their diagnosis and those who believed that their pain was due to an undiagnosed problem. Patients (N=68) endorsed and subsequently recalled pain, illness, depression, and neutral stimuli. They also provided measures of pain, diagnostic status, mood, and disability. Both groups exhibited a recall bias for pain stimuli, but only the group with diagnostic uncertainty also displayed a recall bias for illness-related stimuli. This bias remained after controlling for depression and disability. Sensitivity analyses using grouping by diagnosis/explanation received supported these findings. Higher levels of depression and disability were found in the group with diagnostic uncertainty, but levels of pain intensity did not differ between the groups. Although the methodology does not provide information on causality, the results provide evidence for a relationship between diagnostic uncertainty and recall bias for negative health-related stimuli in chronic LBP patients. Copyright © 2014 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of eszopiclone for the treatment of insomnia in patients with chronic low back pain.

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Goforth, Harold W; Preud'homme, Xavier A; Krystal, Andrew D

2014-06-01

Insomnia, which is very common in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP), has long been viewed as a pain symptom that did not merit specific treatment. Recent data suggest that adding insomnia therapy to pain-targeted treatment should improve outcome; however, this has not been empirically tested in LBP or in any pain condition treated with a standardized pain medication regimen. We sought to test the hypothesis that adding insomnia therapy to pain-targeted treatment might improve sleep and pain in LBP. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, 1-mo trial. Duke University Medical Center Outpatient Sleep Clinic. Fifty-two adult volunteers with LBP of at least 3 mo duration who met diagnostic criteria for insomnia (mean age: 42.5 y; 63% females). Subjects were randomized to eszopiclone (ESZ) 3 mg plus naproxen 500 mg BID or matching placebo plus naproxen 500 mg twice a day. ESZ SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED TOTAL SLEEP TIME (MEAN INCREASE: ESZ, 95 min; placebo, 9 min) (primary outcome) and nearly all sleep measures as well as visual analog scale pain (mean decrease: ESZ, 17 mm; placebo, 2 mm) (primary pain outcome), and depression (mean Hamilton Depression Rating Scale improvement ESZ, 3.8; placebo, 0.4) compared with placebo. Changes in pain ratings were significantly correlated with changes in sleep. The addition of insomnia-specific therapy to a standardized naproxen pain regimen significantly improves sleep, pain, and depression in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP). The findings indicate the importance of administering both sleep and pain-directed therapies to patients with LBP in clinical practice and provide strong evidence that improving sleep disturbance may improve pain. clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00365976.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) versus placebo for chronic low-back pain.

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Khadilkar, Amole; Odebiyi, Daniel Oluwafemi; Brosseau, Lucie; Wells, George A

2008-10-08

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) was introduced more than 30 years ago as a therapeutic adjunct to the pharmacological management of pain. However, despite widespread use, its effectiveness in chronic low-back pain (LBP) is still controversial. To determine whether TENS is more effective than placebo for the management of chronic LBP. The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PEDro and CINAHL were searched up to July 19, 2007. Only randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) comparing TENS to placebo in patients with chronic LBP were included. Two review authors independently selected the trials, assessed their methodological quality and extracted relevant data. If quantitative meta-analysis was not possible, a qualitative synthesis was performed, taking into consideration 5 levels of evidence as recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration Back Review Group. Four high-quality RCTs (585 patients) met the selection criteria. Clinical heterogeneity prevented the use of meta-analysis. Therefore, a qualitative synthesis was completed. There was conflicting evidence about whether TENS was beneficial in reducing back pain intensity and consistent evidence in two trials (410 patients) that it did not improve back-specific functional status. There was moderate evidence that work status and the use of medical services did not change with treatment. Conflicting results were obtained from two studies regarding generic health status, with one study showing no improvement on the modified Sickness Impact Profile and another study showing significant improvements on several, but not all subsections of the SF-36 questionnaire. Multiple physical outcome measures lacked statistically significant improvement relative to placebo. In general, patients treated with acupuncture-like TENS responded similarly to those treated with conventional TENS. However, in two of the trials, an inadequate stimulation intensity was used for acupuncture

Is there a U-shaped relationship between physical activity in leisure time and risk of chronic low back pain? A follow-up in the HUNT Study

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Ingrid Heuch

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Physical activity in leisure time is often considered to have favourable effects on the risk of low back pain (LBP, but demonstrating a definite association in epidemiological studies has proven difficult. The purpose of the present study was to explore associations between physical activity and risk of chronic LBP in an adult population and to investigate whether relationships are limited to certain age groups or to females or males. A particular objective was to determine whether support could be found for a U-shaped relationship, with both low and high activity levels carrying greater risk. Methods The relationship between physical activity and risk of chronic LBP was examined in a Norwegian prospective study using data from the community-based HUNT2 and HUNT3 surveys. Participants were 9616 women and 8452 men without LBP at baseline, who reported after 11 years whether they suffered from LBP. Associations between baseline physical activity in leisure time and risk of chronic LBP at end of follow-up were evaluated by generalized linear modelling with adjustment for potential confounders. Results Significant associations between leisure time physical activity and risk were observed in both sexes after age adjustment, mainly suggesting inverse relationships. Women participating in hard physical activity 1–2 h per week had a relative risk (RR of chronic LBP of 0.81 (95 % CI 0.71–0.93 compared to those with only light physical activity less than 1 h per week. The corresponding RR in men was 0.71 (95 % CI 0.60–0.85. After adjustment for education, employment, occupational activity, body mass index (BMI and smoking, significant relationships could only be demonstrated in those aged 50 years or more at baseline. The associations differed between female educational groups, with more U-shaped relationships being observed among women with basic education only. Conclusion No strong support was found overall for U

Factors influencing patient compliance with therapeutic regimens in chronic heart failure: A critical incident technique analysis.

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Strömberg, A; Broström, A; Dahlström, U; Fridlund, B

1999-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify factors influencing compliance with prescribed treatment in patients with chronic heart failure. A qualitative design with a critical incident technique was used. Incidents were collected through interviews with 25 patients with heart failure strategically selected from a primary health care clinic, a medical ward, and a specialist clinic. Two hundred sixty critical incidents were identified in the interviews and 2 main areas emerged in the analysis: inward factors and outward factors. The inward factors described how compliance was influenced by the personality of the patient, the disease, and the treatment. The outward factors described how compliance was influenced by social activities, social relationships, and health care professionals. By identifying the inward and outward factors influencing patients with chronic heart failure, health care professionals can assess whether intervention is needed to increase compliance.

Revisiting the concept of ‘chronic disease’ from the perspective of the episode of care model. Does the ratio of incidence to prevalence rate help us to define a problem as chronic?

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Jean K Soler

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Background This is a study of the epidemiology of acute and chronic episodes of care (EoCs in the Transition Project in three countries. We studied the duration of EoCs for acute and chronic health problems and the relationship of incidence to prevalence rates for these EoCs.Method The Transition Project databases collect data on all elements of the doctor–patient encounter in family medicine. Family doctors code these elements using the International Classification of Primary Care.We used the data from three practice populations to study the duration of EoCs and the ratio of incidence to prevalence for common health problems.Results We found that chronic health problems tended to have proportionately longer duration EoCs, as expected, but also a lower incidence to prevalence rate ratio than acute health problems. Thus, the incidence to prevalence index could be used to define a chronic condition as one with a low ratio, below a defined threshold.Conclusions Chronic health problems tend to have longer duration EoCs, proportionately, across populations. This result is expected, but we found important similarities and differences which make defining a problem as chronic on the basis of time rather difficult. The ratio of incidence to prevalence rates has potential to categorise health problems into acute or chronic categories, at different ratio thresholds (such as 20, 30 or 50%. It seems to perform well in this study of three family practice populations, and is proposed to the scientific community for further evaluation.

The association of coffee intake with liver cancer incidence and chronic liver disease mortality in male smokers.

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Lai, G Y; Weinstein, S J; Albanes, D; Taylor, P R; McGlynn, K A; Virtamo, J; Sinha, R; Freedman, N D

2013-09-03

Coffee intake is associated with reduced risk of liver cancer and chronic liver disease as reported in previous studies, including prospective ones conducted in Asian populations where hepatitis B viruses (HBVs) and hepatitis C viruses (HCVs) are the dominant risk factors. Yet, prospective studies in Western populations with lower HBV and HCV prevalence are sparse. Also, although preparation methods affect coffee constituents, it is unknown whether different methods affect disease associations. We evaluated the association of coffee intake with incident liver cancer and chronic liver disease mortality in 27,037 Finnish male smokers, aged 50-69, in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study, who recorded their coffee consumption and were followed up to 24 years for incident liver cancer or chronic liver disease mortality. Multivariate relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by Cox proportional hazard models. Coffee intake was inversely associated with incident liver cancer (RR per cup per day=0.82, 95% CI: 0.73-0.93; P-trend across categories=0.0007) and mortality from chronic liver disease (RR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.48-0.63; P-trendcoffee. These findings suggest that drinking coffee may have benefits for the liver, irrespective of whether coffee was boiled or filtered.

Short-term outcomes of a back school program for chronic low back pain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hodselmans, AP; Jaegers, SM; Goeken, LN; Göeken, L.N.

Objective: To assess the short-term outcome of a back school program for patients suffering from chronic, nonspecific low back pain (LBP). Design: Quasi-experimental cohort study with a waiting list control group. Setting: Dutch rehabilitation department. Participants: Experimental group (n = 14)

A Comparison of Anthropometric Measures for Assessing the Association between Body Size and Risk of Chronic Low Back Pain: The HUNT Study.

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Ingrid Heuch

Full Text Available Previous work indicates that overweight and obese individuals carry an increased risk of experiencing chronic low back pain (LBP. It is not known, however, how the association with body size depends on the choice of anthropometric measure used.This work compares relationships with LBP for several measures of body size. Different results may indicate underlying mechanisms for the association between body size and risk of LBP.In a cohort study, baseline information was collected in the community-based HUNT2 (1995-1997 and HUNT3 (2006-2008 surveys in Norway. Participants were 10,059 women and 8725 men aged 30-69 years without LBP, and 3883 women and 2662 men with LBP at baseline. Associations with LBP at end of follow-up were assessed by generalized linear modeling, with adjustment for potential confounders.Relationships between waist-hip-ratio and occurrence of LBP at end of follow-up were weak and non-significant after adjustment for age, education, work status, physical activity, smoking, lipid levels and blood pressure. Positive associations with LBP at end of follow-up were all significant for body weight, BMI, waist circumference and hip circumference after similar adjustment, both in women without and with LBP at baseline, and in men without LBP at baseline. After additional mutual adjustment for anthropometric measures, the magnitude of the association with body weight increased in women without LBP at baseline (RR: 1.130 per standard deviation, 95% CI: 0.995-1.284 and in men (RR: 1.124, 95% CI 0.976-1.294, with other measures showing weak associations only.Central adiposity is unlikely to play a major role in the etiology of LBP. Total fat mass may be one common factor underlying the associations observed. The association with body weight remaining after mutual adjustment may reflect mechanical or structural components behind the relationship between overweight or obesity and LBP.

Value of TENS for relief of chronic low back pain with or without radicular pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchmuller, A; Navez, M; Milletre-Bernardin, M; Pouplin, S; Presles, E; Lantéri-Minet, M; Tardy, B; Laurent, B; Camdessanché, J P

2012-05-01

To evaluate the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation (TENS) in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP). Prospective, randomized, multicentre, single-blind study. Twenty-one French pain centres. Two hundred thirty-six consecutive adult patients consulting for chronic LBP, with or without radicular pain (mean age ± standard deviation: 53 ± 13 years; range: 28-86 years). Patients were randomly assigned to receive either active (n = 117) or sham (n = 119) TENS in four 1-h daily treatment sessions for 3 months. The primary outcome measured was improvement of functional status at 6 weeks (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire). Secondary outcome measures were improvement of functional status at 3 months, pain relief (weekly visual analogue scale assessments), positive functional repercussions of pain levels on quality of life, a diminution of the use of analgesic and anti-inflammatory medication, satisfaction with the overall treatment strategy and compliance. Functional status did not differ between the groups, whether at 6 weeks or 3 months (p = 0.351 at 6 weeks). A significant improvement between the first and last visual analogue scale assessments was observed in patients with either lumbar pain alone or lumbar and radicular pain treated with active TENS. Other outcome measures did not differ significantly between the two groups. There was no functional benefit of TENS in the treatment of patients with chronic LBP. © 2011 European Federation of International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters.

Correlations of hip mobility with degree of back pain and lumbar spinal mobility in chronic low-back pain patients.

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Mellin, G

1988-06-01

Mobility of hips and lumbar spine were measured in 301 men and 175 women who were in employment but suffered from chronic or recurrent low-back pain. The degree of low-back pain (LBP) was assessed with a questionnaire. Hip flexion, extension, internal rotation, and hamstring flexibility in the men, and hip flexion and extension in the women had statistically significant negative correlations with LBP. Among the correlations between hip and lumbar spinal mobility, hip flexion and extension with lumbar rotation were strongest.

Self-reported moderate-to-vigorous leisure time physical activity predicts less pain and disability over 12 months in chronic and persistent low back pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pinto, R Z; Ferreira, P H; Kongsted, Alice

2014-01-01

Physical deconditioning in combination with societal and emotional factors has been hypothesized to compromise complete recovery from low back pain (LBP). However, there is a lack of longitudinal studies designed to specifically investigate physical activity as an independent prognostic factor. We...... conducted a prognostic study to investigate whether levels of leisure time physical activity are independently associated with clinical outcomes in people seeking care for chronic and persistent LBP....

Multidisciplinary outpatient care program for patients with chronic low back pain: design of a randomized controlled trial and cost-effectiveness study [ISRCTN28478651

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Anema Johannes R

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic low back pain (LBP is a major public and occupational health problem, which is associated with very high costs. Although medical costs for chronic LBP are high, most costs are related to productivity losses due to sick leave. In general, the prognosis for return to work (RTW is good but a minority of patients will be absent long-term from work. Research shows that work related problems are associated with an increase in seeking medical care and sick leave. Usual medical care of patients is however, not specifically aimed at RTW. The objective is to present the design of a randomized controlled trial, i.e. the BRIDGE-study, evaluating the effectiveness in improving RTW and cost-effectiveness of a multidisciplinary outpatient care program situated in both primary and outpatient care setting compared with usual clinical medical care for patients with chronic LBP. Methods/Design The design is a randomized controlled trial with an economic evaluation alongside. The study population consists of patients with chronic LBP who are completely or partially sick listed and visit an outpatient clinic of one of the participating hospitals in Amsterdam (the Netherlands. Two interventions will be compared. 1. a multidisciplinary outpatient care program consisting of a workplace intervention based on participatory ergonomics, and a graded activity program using cognitive behavioural principles. 2. usual care provided by the medical specialist, the occupational physician, the patient's general practitioner and allied health professionals. The primary outcome measure is sick leave duration until full RTW. Sick leave duration is measured monthly by self-report during one year. Data on sick leave during one-year follow-up are also requested form the employers. Secondary outcome measures are pain intensity, functional status, pain coping, patient satisfaction and quality of life. Outcome measures are assessed before randomization and 3, 6

Relative abdominal adiposity is associated with chronic low back pain: a preliminary explorative study

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Cristy Brooks

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although previous research suggests a relationship between chronic low back pain (cLBP and adiposity, this relationship is poorly understood. No research has explored the relationship between abdominal-specific subcutaneous and visceral adiposity with pain and disability in cLBP individuals. The aim of this study therefore was to examine the relationship of regional and total body adiposity to pain and disability in cLBP individuals. Methods A preliminary explorative study design of seventy (n = 70 adult men and women with cLBP was employed. Anthropometric and adiposity measures were collected, including body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, total body adiposity and specific ultrasound-based abdominal adiposity measurements. Self-reported pain and disability were measured using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI questionnaires respectively. Relationships between anthropometric and adiposity measures with pain and disability were assessed using correlation and regression analyses. Results Significant correlations between abdominal to lumbar adiposity ratio (A-L variables and the waist-to-hip ratio with self-reported pain were observed. A-L variables were found to predict pain, with 9.1–30.5 % of the variance in pain across the three analysis models explained by these variables. No relationships between anthropometric or adiposity variables to self-reported disability were identified. Conclusions The findings of this study indicated that regional distribution of adiposity via the A-L is associated with cLBP, providing a rationale for future research on adiposity and cLBP.

Epidemiology and incidence of acute and chronic Post-Surgical pain.

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Sansone, Pasquale; Pace, Maria Caterina; Passavanti, Maria Beatrice; Pota, Vincenzo; Colella, Umberto; Aurilio, Caterina

2015-01-01

Post Surgical Pain (PSP) treatment represents a significant aspect of management of surgical patients. Incidence of severe PSP, with significant functional deficit is estimated at 5-10%. Most studies include a limited number of patients and this is a factor which affects power of results. Aims of our prospective observational study was to evaluate the incidence and characteristics of acute and chronic PSP in patients undergoing surgery at the university hospital of second university of naples. After Ethics Committee approval and written informed consent, the PSP acute on first day (at least 6 hours after surgery) through the International Pain Outcomes questionnaire was rated. Subsequently, patients were followed-up at 6 and 12 months; data collection took place by e-mail or phone and the Brief Pain Inventory and the DN4 were administered. We enrolled 235 patients, 219 performed the follow-up to 6months, 195 even that to 12 The incidence of CPSP at 6 months was of 45.2% for mild pain, 15.9% for moderate pain and of 2.7% for severe pain while the incidence of CPSP at 12 months was 35.9%, 11.8% and 2.5% respectively for the pain mild, moderate and severe. Neuropathic pain occurred in 40.3% of patients who CPSP moderate at 12 months compared with 31.9% of the patients interviewed at 6 months. Incidence and characteristics of PSP varied, often considerably, depending on the type of surgery, gender, age of the patient and the presence of PSP severe in the 24 hours following surgery. The incidence of CPSP 12 months after surgery must be improved in the next future. Preoperative pain and the percentage of time with severe pain during the first 24 hours after surgery seem to be CPSP predictors.

Acupuncture and bee venom therapy in the chronic low back pain: A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper summarizes the latest evidence on the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions (with special focus on chronic LBP) by using acupuncture and bee venom therapy (BVT). Methodology: The overview is based on English-language studies and articles found by searches of Medline over more than last 10 years.

Incidence of and risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer in patients with chronic pancreatitis.

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Kudo, Yujin; Kamisawa, Terumi; Anjiki, Hajime; Takuma, Kensuke; Egawa, Naoto

2011-01-01

Pancreatic cancer sometimes occurs during the course of chronic pancreatitis. This study aimed to identify risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer associated with chronic pancreatitis. The incidence of pancreatic cancer developing in 218 patients with chronic pancreatitis and clinical features of the chronic pancreatitis patients who developed pancreatic cancer were studied. Nine patients developed pancreatic cancer. Average period from the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis to the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer was 9.6 years. All pancreatic cancers were diagnosed at an advanced stage. Only 2 patients had been followed-up periodically. There were no significant differences between chronic pancreatitis patients who developed pancreatic cancer and those who did not in male/female ratio (3.5 vs. 8), average age on diagnosis (65.0 vs. 56.5), alcoholic/non-alcoholic chronic pancreatitis (1.6 vs. 2.6), smoking habits (62.5% vs. 70.7%), diabetes mellitus (77.8% vs. 54.4%), and continued alcohol drinking (37.5% vs. 53.1%). Over the period examined, 4% of chronic pancreatitis patients developed pancreatic cancer. Sex ratio, onset age, etiology, smoking habits, diabetes mellitus, and continued alcohol drinking were not significant risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer in chronic pancreatitis patients. Periodic follow-up due to the possibility of pancreatic cancer is necessary in chronic pancreatitis patients.

Relationship between mechanical factors and incidence of low back pain.

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Nourbakhsh, Mohammad Reza; Arab, Amir Massoud

2002-09-01

A multifactorial cross-sectional nonexperimental design. To collectively investigate the association among 17 mechanical factors and occurrence of low back pain (LBP). Several physical characteristics, based on assumptions, clinical findings, and scientific experiments, have been associated with the development of LBP Controversy exists regarding the degree of association between some of these physical characteristics and LBP. Information regarding the degree of association of each factor to LBP is needed for effective prevention and appropriate treatment strategies. A total of 600 subjects participated in this study. Subjects were categorized into 4 groups: asymptomatic men (n = 150, age [mean +/- SD] = 43 +/- 15 years), asymptomatic women (n = 150, age [mean +/- SD] = 43 +/- 13 years), men with LBP (n = 150, age [mean +/- SD] = 43 +/- 14 years), and women with LBP (n = 150, age [mean +/- SD] = 43 +/- 13 years). Seventeen physical characteristics were measured in each group and the relative association of each characteristic with LBP was assessed. Among all the factors tested, endurance of the back extensor muscles had the highest association with LBP Other factors such as the length of the back extensor muscles, and the strength of the hip flexor, hip adductor, and abdominal muscles also had a significant association with LBP. It appears that muscle endurance and weakness are associated with LBP and that structural factors such as the size of the lumbar lordosis, pelvic tilt, leg length discrepancy, and the length of abdominal, hamstring, and iliopsoas muscles are not associated with the occurrence of LBP.

The efficacy of a multimodal physical activity intervention with supervised exercises, health coaching and an activity monitor on physical activity levels of patients with chronic, nonspecific low back pain (Physical Activity for Back Pain (PAyBACK) trial): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

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Oliveira, Crystian B; Franco, Márcia R; Maher, Chris G; Tiedemann, Anne; Silva, Fernanda G; Damato, Tatiana M; Nicholas, Michael K; Christofaro, Diego G D; Pinto, Rafael Z

2018-01-15

Physical activity plays an important role in the management of chronic low back pain (LBP). Engaging in an active lifestyle is associated with a better prognosis. Nevertheless, there is evidence to suggest that patients with chronic LBP are less likely to meet recommended physical activity levels. Furthermore, while exercise therapy has been endorsed by recent clinical practice guidelines, evidence from systematic reviews suggests that its effect on pain and disability are at best moderate and not sustained over time. A limitation of current exercises programmes for chronic LBP is that these programmes are not designed to change patients' behaviour toward an active lifestyle. Therefore, we will investigate the short- and long-term efficacy of a multimodal intervention, consisting of supervised exercises, health coaching and use of an activity monitor (i.e. Fitbit Flex) compared to supervised exercises plus sham coaching and a sham activity monitor on physical activity levels, pain intensity and disability, in patients with chronic, nonspecific LBP. This study will be a two-group, single-blind, randomised controlled trial. One hundred and sixty adults with chronic, nonspecific LBP will be recruited. Participants allocated to both groups will receive a group exercise programme. In addition, the intervention group will receive health coaching sessions (i.e. assisting the participants to achieve their physical activity goals) and an activity monitor (i.e. Fitbit Flex). The participants allocated to the control group will receive sham health coaching (i.e. encouraged to talk about their LBP or other problems, but without any therapeutic advice from the physiotherapist) and a sham activity monitor. Outcome measures will be assessed at baseline and at 3, 6 and 12 months post randomisation. The primary outcomes will be physical activity, measured objectively with an accelerometer, as well as pain intensity and disability at 3 months post randomisation. Secondary outcomes

Attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine in chronic pain syndromes: a questionnaire-based comparison between primary headache and low back pain.

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Gaul, Charly; Schmidt, Thomas; Czaja, Eva; Eismann, Regina; Zierz, Stephan

2011-10-07

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is widely used and popular among patients with primary headache or low back pain (LBP). Aim of the study was to analyze attitudes of headache and LBP patients towards the use of CAM. Two questionnaire-based surveys were applied comparing 432 primary headache and 194 LBP patients. In total, 84.75% of all patients reported use of CAM; with significantly more LBP patients. The most frequently-used CAM therapies in headache were acupuncture (71.4%), massages (56.4%), and thermotherapy (29.2%), in LBP thermotherapy (77.4%), massages (62.7%), and acupuncture (51.4%). The most frequent attitudes towards CAM use in headache vs. LBP: "leave nothing undone" (62.5% vs. 52.1%; p = 0.006), "take action against the disease" (56.8% vs. 43.2%; p = 0.006). Nearly all patients with previous experience with CAM currently use CAM in both conditions (93.6% in headache; 100% in LBP). However, the majority of the patients had no previous experience. Understanding motivations for CAM treatment is important, because attitudes derive from wishes for non-pharmacological treatment, to be more involved in treatment and avoid side effects. Despite higher age and more permanent pain in LBP, both groups show high use of CAM with only little specific difference in preferred methods and attitudes towards CAM use. This may reflect deficits and unfulfilled goals in conventional treatment. Maybe CAM can decrease the gap between patients' expectations about pain therapy and treatment reality, considering that both conditions are often chronic diseases, causing high burdens for daily life.

Longer sitting time and low physical activity are closely associated with chronic low back pain in population over 50 years of age: a cross-sectional study using the sixth korea national health and nutrition examination survey.

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Park, Sang-Min; Kim, Ho-Joong; Jeong, Hyunseok; Kim, Hyoungmin; Chang, Bong-Soon; Lee, Choon-Ki; Yeom, Jin S

2018-04-17

There is increasing evidence supporting an association between sitting time and low back pain (LBP). However, the degree of the association between the total daily sitting time and LBP in the general population is poorly understood. (1) To analyze the association between the duration of sitting time and LBP, and (2) to examine this association according to the degree of physical activity in population over 50 years of age with a nationally representative sample of Korean adults. A cross-sectional study PATIENT SAMPLE: Data from version VI-2, 3 of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) performed in 2014 and 2015. Multiple logistic regression was performed to find the rates of association between chronic LBP, level of sitting time, and physical activity. Nationwide Health surveys and examinations were conducted in general Korean representative populations (n = 7,550 in 2014, n = 7,380 in 2015). Chronic LBP was defined as self-reported LBP lasting for more than 30 days during the past 3 months in a health survey. Sitting time and daily physical activity were evaluated using the long version of the international physical activity questionnaires (IPAQ). The duration of sitting time was divided into 2 categories according to the median value (7 hours), and further divided into 4 categories using quartiles. Physical activity was also divided into low and high physical activity according to duration of mid- to high-intensity activities. There were no sources of funding and no conflicts of interest associated with this study. On multiple logistic regression analysis, sitting time more than 7 hours/day was significantly associated with LBP (adjusted odds ratio, aOR: 1.33, pphysical activity, the duration of sitting time showed more positive association with LBP than that in all the participants and participants with high levels of physical activity. Longer duration of sitting time is a risk factor for LBP. Furthermore, long duration of sitting

Chronic dry eye in photorefractive keratectomy and laser in situ keratomileusis: Manifestations, incidence, and predictive factors.

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Bower, Kraig S; Sia, Rose K; Ryan, Denise S; Mines, Michael J; Dartt, Darlene A

2015-12-01

To evaluate dry-eye manifestations after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and determine the incidence and predictive factors of chronic dry eye using a set of dry-eye criteria. Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA. Prospective, non-randomized clinical study. Dry-eye evaluation was performed before and after surgery. Main outcome measures included dry-eye manifestations, incidence, and predictive factors of chronic dry eye. This study comprised 143 active-duty U.S. Army personnel, ages 29.9 ± 5.2 years, with myopia or myopic astigmatism (manifest spherical equivalent -3.83 ± 1.96 diopters) having PRK or LASIK. Schirmer scores, corneal sensitivity, ocular surface staining, surface regularity index, and responses to dry-eye questionnaire significantly changed over time after PRK. After LASIK, significant changes were observed in tear breakup time, corneal sensitivity, ocular surface staining, and responses to questionnaire. Twelve months postoperatively, 5.0% of PRK and 0.8% of LASIK participants developed chronic dry eye. Regression analysis showed that pre-operatively lower Schirmer score will significantly influence development of chronic dry eye after PRK, whereas preoperatively, lower Schirmer score or higher ocular surface staining score will significantly influence the occurrence of chronic dry eye after LASIK. Chronic dry eye was uncommon after PRK and LASIK. Ocular surface and tear-film characteristics during pre-operative examination might help to predict chronic dry-eye development in PRK and LASIK. The authors have no financial interest in any product, drug, instrument, or equipment discussed in this manuscript. Copyright © 2015 ASCRS and ESCRS. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (tens) for chronic low-back pain in a multiple sclerosis population: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

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Warke, Kim; Al-Smadi, Jamal; Baxter, David; Walsh, Deirdre M; Lowe-Strong, Andrea S

2006-01-01

This study was designed to investigate the hypoalgesic effects of self-applied transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on chronic low-back pain (LBP) in a multiple sclerosis (MS) population. Ninety participants with probable or definite MS (aged 21 to 78 y) presenting with chronic LBP were recruited and randomized into 3 groups (n=30 per group): (1) low-frequency TENS group (4 Hz, 200 micros); (2) high-frequency TENS group (110 Hz, 200 micros); and (3) placebo TENS. Participants self-applied TENS for 45 minutes, a minimum of twice daily, for 6 weeks. Outcome measures were recorded at weeks 1, 6, 10, and 32. Primary outcome measures included: Visual Analog Scale for average LBP and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Secondary outcome measures included: Visual Analog Scale for worst and weekly LBP, back and leg spasm; Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire; Barthel Index; Rivermead Mobility Index; Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 Instrument, and a daily logbook. Data were analyzed blind using parametric and nonparametric tests, as appropriate. Results indicated a statistically significant interactive effect between groups for average LBP (P=0.008); 1-way analysis of covariance did not show any significant effects at any time point once a Bonferonni correction was applied (P>0.05). However, clinically important differences were observed in some of the outcome measures in both active treatment groups during the treatment and follow-up periods. Although not statistically significant, the observed effects may have implications for the clinical prescription and the use of TENS within this population.

Classification of molecular structure images by using ANN, RF, LBP, HOG, and size reduction methods for early stomach cancer detection

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Aytaç Korkmaz, Sevcan; Binol, Hamidullah

2018-03-01

Patients who die from stomach cancer are still present. Early diagnosis is crucial in reducing the mortality rate of cancer patients. Therefore, computer aided methods have been developed for early detection in this article. Stomach cancer images were obtained from Fırat University Medical Faculty Pathology Department. The Local Binary Patterns (LBP) and Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) features of these images are calculated. At the same time, Sammon mapping, Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (SNE), Isomap, Classical multidimensional scaling (MDS), Local Linear Embedding (LLE), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE), and Laplacian Eigenmaps methods are used for dimensional the reduction of the features. The high dimension of these features has been reduced to lower dimensions using dimensional reduction methods. Artificial neural networks (ANN) and Random Forest (RF) classifiers were used to classify stomach cancer images with these new lower feature sizes. New medical systems have developed to measure the effects of these dimensions by obtaining features in different dimensional with dimensional reduction methods. When all the methods developed are compared, it has been found that the best accuracy results are obtained with LBP_MDS_ANN and LBP_LLE_ANN methods.

Incidence of chronic atrophic gastritis: systematic review and meta-analysis of follow-up studies.

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Adamu, Mariam Abdullahi; Weck, Melanie Nicole; Gao, Lei; Brenner, Hermann

2010-07-01

Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is an important precursor lesion of intestinal gastric cancer. As it is typically asymptomatic, epidemiological data on the incidence of CAG are sparse. We aimed to provide an overview of published data on CAG incidence (overall and according to risk factors) from follow-up studies. Articles with information on incidence of CAG published in English until 26th of July 2009 were identified through a systematic MEDLINE and EMBASE search. Data extracted include study characteristics and key findings regarding the incidence of CAG. A meta-analysis was performed on the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and CAG incidence. Overall, data on CAG incidence were available from 14 studies, in 7 studies incidence could be estimated according to H. pylori infection. Most studies were conducted in symptomatic or high risk populations and the maximum number of incident cases was 284. Incidence estimates ranged from 0 to 11% per year and were consistently below 1% in patients not infected with H. pylori. The highest incidence was observed in a special study conducted on ulcer patients treated by proximal gastric vagotomy. Rate ratios for the association between H. pylori infection and CAG incidence ranged from 2.4 to 7.6 with a summary estimate of 5.0 (95% confidence interval: 3.1-8.3). Incidence of CAG is very low in the absence of H. pylori infection. There is a need for more population-based studies to provide comparable estimates of incidence and the impact of risk factors in the development of CAG.

Attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine in chronic pain syndromes: a questionnaire-based comparison between primary headache and low back pain

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Czaja Eva

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM is widely used and popular among patients with primary headache or low back pain (LBP. Aim of the study was to analyze attitudes of headache and LBP patients towards the use of CAM. Methods Two questionnaire-based surveys were applied comparing 432 primary headache and 194 LBP patients. Results In total, 84.75% of all patients reported use of CAM; with significantly more LBP patients. The most frequently-used CAM therapies in headache were acupuncture (71.4%, massages (56.4%, and thermotherapy (29.2%, in LBP thermotherapy (77.4%, massages (62.7%, and acupuncture (51.4%. The most frequent attitudes towards CAM use in headache vs. LBP: "leave nothing undone" (62.5% vs. 52.1%; p = 0.006, "take action against the disease" (56.8% vs. 43.2%; p = 0.006. Nearly all patients with previous experience with CAM currently use CAM in both conditions (93.6% in headache; 100% in LBP. However, the majority of the patients had no previous experience. Conclusion Understanding motivations for CAM treatment is important, because attitudes derive from wishes for non-pharmacological treatment, to be more involved in treatment and avoid side effects. Despite higher age and more permanent pain in LBP, both groups show high use of CAM with only little specific difference in preferred methods and attitudes towards CAM use. This may reflect deficits and unfulfilled goals in conventional treatment. Maybe CAM can decrease the gap between patients' expectations about pain therapy and treatment reality, considering that both conditions are often chronic diseases, causing high burdens for daily life.

Serum uric acid to creatinine ratio: A predictor of incident chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with preserved kidney function.

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Gu, Liubao; Huang, Liji; Wu, Haidi; Lou, Qinglin; Bian, Rongwen

2017-05-01

Serum uric acid has shown to be a predictor of renal disease progression in most but not all studies. This study aims to test whether renal function-normalized serum uric acid is superior to serum uric acid as the predictor of incident chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. In this study, 1339 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate ⩾60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 and normouricemia were included. Renal function-normalized serum uric acid was calculated using serum uric acid/creatinine. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the association between serum uric acid, renal function-normalized serum uric acid and incident chronic kidney disease. In total, 74 (5.53%) patients developed to chronic kidney disease 3 or greater during a median follow-up of 4 years, with older ages, longer diabetes duration and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate at baseline. The decline rate of estimated glomerular filtration rate was positively correlated with serum uric acid/creatinine ( r = 0.219, p uric acid ( r = 0.005, p = 0.858). Moreover, multivariate analysis revealed that serum uric acid was not an independent risk factor for incident chronic kidney disease ( p = 0.055), whereas serum uric acid to creatinine ratio was significantly associated with incident chronic kidney disease independently of potential confounders including baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate. serum uric acid to creatinine ratio might be a better predictor of incident chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Effects of Pilates and Classical Kinesiotherapy on chronic low back pain: a case study

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Ribeiro,Ivanna Avila; Oliveira,Tiago Damé de; Blois,Cleci Redin

2015-01-01

Abstract Introduction : Chronic low back pain (LBP) is characterized by daily lower back pain lasting more than three consecutive months. It may lead to functional disability and can be treated by several physical therapy techniques, including therapeutic exercise. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pilates and classical kinesiotherapy on the treatment of pain and functional disability in patients with chronic low back pain. Materials and methods : The study sample cons...

Effects of Pilates Exercise Programs in People With Chronic Low Back Pain

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Patti, Antonino; Bianco, Antonino; Paoli, Antonio; Messina, Giuseppe; Montalto, Maria Alessandra; Bellafiore, Marianna; Battaglia, Giuseppe; Iovane, Angelo; Palma, Antonio

2015-01-01

Abstract The Pilates method has recently become a fast-growing popular way of exercise recommended for healthy individuals and those engaged in rehabilitation. Several published studies have examined the effects of Pilates method in people with chronic low back pain (LBP). The objective of this study is to describe and provide an extensive overview of the scientific literature comparing the effectiveness of the Pilates method on pain and disability in patients with chronic nonspecific LBP. The study is based on the data from the following sources: MEDLINE-NLM, MEDLINE-EBSCO, Scopus Elsevier, Cochrane, DOAJ, SciELO, and PLOSONE. Original articles and systematic reviews of adults with chronic nonspecific LBP that evaluated pain and/or disability were included in this study; studies in which the primary treatment was based on Pilates method exercises compared with no treatment, minimal intervention, other types of intervention, or other types of exercises. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) were adopted. The literature search included 7 electronic databases and the reference list of relevant systematic reviews and original articles to July 2014. Two independent investigators conducted the literature search and performed the synthesis as follows: Study Design; Sample (n); Disability measure; Intervention; and Main results. The searches identified a total of 128 articles. From these, 29 were considered eligible and were included in the analysis. The items were stratified as follows: Pilates method versus other kind of exercises (n = 6 trials) and Pilates method versus no treatment group or minimal intervention for short-term pain (n = 9 trials); the therapeutic effect of the Pilates method in randomized cohorts (n = 5); and analysis of reviews (n = 9). We found that there is a dearth of studies that clearly demonstrates the efficacy of a specific Pilates exercise program over another in the treatment of chronic pain. However

Safety and feasibility of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with sensorimotor retraining in chronic low back pain: a protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial.

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Ouellette, Adam Louis; Liston, Matthew B; Chang, Wei-Ju; Walton, David M; Wand, Benedict Martin; Schabrun, Siobhan M

2017-08-21

Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a common and costly health problem yet current treatments demonstrate at best, small effects. The concurrent application of treatments with synergistic clinical and mechanistic effects may improve outcomes in chronic LBP. This pilot trial aims to (1) determine the feasibility, safety and perceived patient response to a combined transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and sensorimotor retraining intervention in chronic LBP and (2) provide data to support a sample size calculation for a fully powered trial should trends of effectiveness be present. A pilot randomised, assessor and participant-blind, sham-controlled trial will be conducted. Eighty participants with chronic LBP will be randomly allocated to receive either (1) active tDCS + sensorimotor retraining or (2) sham tDCS + sensorimotor retraining. tDCS (active or sham) will be applied to the primary motor cortex for 20 min immediately prior to 60 min of supervised sensorimotor retraining twice per week for 10 weeks. Participants in both groups will complete home exercises three times per week. Feasibility, safety, pain, disability and pain system function will be assessed immediately before and after the 10-week intervention. Analysis of feasibility and safety will be performed using descriptive statistics. Statistical analyses will be conducted based on intention-to-treat and per protocol and will be used to determine trends for effectiveness. Ethical approval has been gained from the institutional human research ethics committee (H10184). Written informed consent will be provided by all participants. Results from this pilot study will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. ACTRN12616000624482. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The eccentric, concentric strength relationship of the hamstring muscles in chronic low back pain.

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Marshall, Paul W M; Mannion, Jamie; Murphy, Bernadette A

2010-02-01

The objective of this study was to measure hamstring muscle eccentric and concentric strength in individuals with and without low back pain (LBP). Two composite scores for the relative balance of eccentric to concentric strength at the different movement velocities were calculated (the DEC and SEC), to determine whether or not self perceived pain, disability, or fear avoidance measures were associated with hamstring strength characteristics. Cross-sectional repeated measures design. University laboratory. Fifteen individuals with chronic LBP and 15 matched controls. Isokinetic eccentric and concentric strength at 30 degrees s(-1) and 120 degrees s(-1)(.) Composite scores (DEC and SEC) based on peak torque were calculated to evaluate the relationship between the different muscle actions across the test velocities. Self report measures included the Oswestry disability index, general health and well being, fear avoidance, and pain. Eccentric/concentric strength ratio at 30 degrees s(-1) was higher for the LBP group (F(1,58)=4.81, p=0.032). The SEC was also higher for the LBP (F(1,58)=5.97, p=0.018). Fear avoidance beliefs and mental well-being were significantly associated with the SEC only in the LBP group (adjusted r(2)=0.26, (F(2,27)=5.8, p=.008). For the control group both the DEC and SEC were associated with self report measures. Matched differences between groups' for the SEC were best explained by fear avoidance beliefs about work (adjusted r(2)=0.12, F(1,28)=5.1, p=0.03). Reduced concentric relative to eccentric strength is best identified by the SEC. The SEC was significantly associated with impaired self report measures of fear avoidance and mental well being in individuals with LBP. Differences between groups for the SEC were best explained by fear avoidance beliefs about work.

Effectiveness of balneotherapy and spa therapy for the treatment of chronic low back pain: a review on latest evidence.

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Karagülle, Mine; Karagülle, Müfit Zeki

2015-02-01

In most European countries, balneotherapy and spa therapy are widely prescribed by physicians and preferred by European citizens for the treatment of musculoskeletal problems including chronic low back pain (LBP). We aimed to review and evaluate the recent evidence on the effectiveness of balneotherapy and spa therapy for patients with LBP. We comprehensively searched data bases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English between July 2005 and December 2013. We identified all trials testing balneotherapy or spa therapy for LBP that reported that the sequence of allocation was randomized. We finally included total of eight RCTs: two on balneotherapy and six on spa therapy. All reviewed trials reported that balneotherapy was superior in long term to tap water therapy in relieving pain and improving function and that spa therapy combining balneotherapy with mud pack therapy and/or exercise therapy, physiotherapy, and/or education was effective in the management of low back pain and superior or equally effective to the control treatments in short and long terms. We used Jadad scale to grade the methodological quality. Only three out of total eight had a score of above 3 indicating the good quality. The data from the RCTs indicates that overall evidence on effectiveness of balneotherapy and spa therapy in LBP is encouraging and reflects the consistency of previous evidence. However, the overall quality of trials is generally low. Better quality RCTs (well designed, conducted, and reported) are needed testing short- and long-term effects for relieving chronic back pain and proving broader beneficial effects.

Core Stability Exercise Versus General Exercise for Chronic Low Back Pain.

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Coulombe, Brian J; Games, Kenneth E; Neil, Elizabeth R; Eberman, Lindsey E

2017-01-01

Reference: Wang XQ, Zheng JJ, Yu ZW, et al. A meta-analysis of core stability exercise versus general exercise for chronic low back pain. PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e52082. Clinical Questions: Is core stability exercise more effective than general exercise in the treatment of patients with nonspecific low back pain (LBP)?  The authors searched the following databases: China Biological Medicine disc, Cochrane Library, Embase, and PubMed from 1970 through 2011. The key medical subject headings searched were chronic pain, exercise, LBP, lumbosacral region, and sciatica.  Randomized controlled trials comparing core stability exercise with general exercise in the treatment of chronic LBP were investigated. Participants were male and female adults with LBP for at least 3 months that was not caused by a specific known condition. A control group receiving general exercise and an experimental group receiving core stability exercise were required for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Core stability was defined as the ability to ensure a stable neutral spine position, but the type of exercise was not specified. Outcome measures of pain intensity, back-specific functional status, quality of life, and work absenteeism were recorded at 3-, 6-, and 12-month intervals.  The study design, participant information, description of interventions in the control and experimental groups, outcome measures, and follow-up period were extracted. The mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to evaluate statistical significance. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Recommendations, and all articles were rated as high risk for other bias with no further explanation given.  Five studies involving 414 patients were included. Four studies assessed pain intensity using the visual analog scale or numeric rating scale. In the core stability exercise group, the reduction in pain was significant at 3 months (MD = -1.29, 95% CI = -2.47, -0.11; P

Spinal fusion for chronic low back pain: systematic review on the accuracy of tests for patient selection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Willems, P.C.P.H.; Staal, J.B.; Walenkamp, G.H.; Bie, R.A. de

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Spinal fusion is a common but controversial treatment for chronic low back pain (LBP) with outcomes similar to those of programmed conservative care. To improve the results of fusion, tests for patient selection are used in clinical practice. PURPOSE: To determine the prognostic

Primary somatosensory cortex in chronic low back pain – a 1H-MRS study

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Sharma KN

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Neena K Sharma1, Kenneth McCarson2, Linda Van Dillen5, Angela Lentz1, Talal Khan3, Carmen M Cirstea1,41Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, 2Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, 3Department of Anesthesiology, 4Hoglund Brain Imaging Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA; 5Program in Physical Therapy and Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USAAbstract: The goal of this study was to investigate whether certain metabolites, specific to neurons, glial cells, and the neuronal-glial neurotransmission system, in the primary somatosensory cortex (SSC, are altered and correlated with clinical characteristics of pain in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP. Eleven LBP patients and eleven age-matched healthy controls were included. N-acetylaspartate (NAA, choline (Cho, myo-inositol (mI, and glutamine/glutamate (Glx were measured with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS in left and right SSC. Differences in metabolite concentrations relative to those of controls were evaluated as well as analyses of metabolite correlations within and between SSCs. Relationships between metabolite concentrations and pain characteristics were also evaluated. We found decreased NAA in the left SSC (P = 0.001 and decreased Cho (P = 0.04 along with lower correlations between all metabolites in right SSC (P = 0.007 in LBP compared to controls. In addition, we found higher and significant correlations between left and right mI (P < 0.001 in LBP vs P = 0.1 in controls and between left mI and right Cho (P = 0.048 vs P = 0.6. Left and right NAA levels were negatively correlated with pain duration (P = 0.04 and P = 0.02 respectively while right Glx was positively correlated with pain severity (P = 0.04. Our preliminary results demonstrated significant altered neuronal-glial interactions in SSC, with left neural alterations related to pain duration

A Mind-Body Program for Older Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

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Morone, Natalia E; Greco, Carol M; Moore, Charity G; Rollman, Bruce L; Lane, Bridget; Morrow, Lisa A; Glynn, Nancy W; Weiner, Debra K

2016-03-01

Treatment of chronic low back pain (LBP) in older adults is limited by the adverse effects of analgesics. Effective nonpharmacologic treatment options are needed. To determine the effectiveness of a mind-body program at increasing function and reducing pain in older adults with chronic LBP. This single-blind, randomized clinical trial compared a mind-body program (n = 140) with a health education program (n = 142). Community-dwelling older adults residing within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area were recruited from February 14, 2011, to June 30, 2014, with 6-month follow-up completed by April 9, 2015. Eligible participants were 65 years or older with functional limitations owing to their chronic LBP (≥11 points on the Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire) and chronic pain (duration ≥3 months) of moderate intensity. Data were analyzed from March 1 to July 1, 2015. The intervention and control groups received an 8-week group program followed by 6 monthly sessions. The intervention was modeled on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program; the control program, on the "10 Keys" to Healthy Aging. Follow-up occurred at program completion and 6 months later. The score on the Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire was the primary outcome and measured functional limitations owing to LBP. Pain (current, mean, and most severe in the past week) was measured with the Numeric Pain Rating Scale. Secondary outcomes included quality of life, pain self-efficacy, and mindfulness. Intent-to-treat analyses were conducted. Of 1160 persons who underwent screening, 282 participants enrolled in the trial (95 men [33.7%] and 187 women [66.3%]; mean [SD] age,74.5 [6.6] years). The baseline mean (SD) Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire scores for the intervention and control groups were 15.6 (3.0) and 15.4 (3.0), respectively. Compared with the control group, intervention participants improved an additional -1.1 (mean, 12.1 vs 13.1) points at 8 weeks and -0.04 (mean

Persistence of pain in patients with chronic low back pain reported via weekly automated text messages over one year

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leboeuf-Yde, Charlotte; Krüger Jensen, Rikke; Wedderkopp, Niels

2015-01-01

(Study 1) and the other without any pathological explanation for the pain (Study 2). In both studies, participants were followed over 1 year with weekly automated text messages (SMS-Track). Each week they reported the number of days they had experienced bothersome LBP (0-7 days). The number of weeks......BACKGROUND: A previous study has suggested that it is uncommon for patients with chronic bothersome low back pain (LBP), who consult the secondary health care sector, to report at least four consecutive weeks without such bothersome pain in 1 year. It is not yet known, however, how many days...... of the week they experience pain throughout the year. METHOD: The current study analyzed data collected in two randomized clinical studies conducted in 2007-9 on patients with back pain (Study 1 and 2). Study participants were patients with LBP for more than 2 months, one group with MRI-defined Modic changes...

The cognitive impact of chronic low back pain: Positive effect of multidisciplinary pain therapy.

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Schiltenwolf, Marcus; Akbar, Michael; Neubauer, Eva; Gantz, Simone; Flor, Herta; Hug, Andreas; Wang, Haili

2017-10-01

Little is known about the affected cognitive problems in chronic low back pain patients. For this patient cohort research mostly focused on memory of pain, rather than cognitive difficulties related to pain. Chronic pain may be associated with specific (yet undefined) cognitive deficits that affect everyday behaviour. We set out to compare the cognitive function of patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) in the course of multidisciplinary pain treatments before and after therapy. Thirty-three patients with cLBP and 25 healthy controls between 20 and 70 years were recruited into the study. The inclusion criteria for patients were: (1) a history of at least 12 weeks of chronic myofascial low back pain without radicular pain sensation before enrolment; (2) grade II and higher chronicity according to von Korff; (3) no opioid medication. The patients recruited had a mean pain duration of 7.13±7.16 years and reported a mean pain intensity of 6.62±2.04 (visual analogue score, VAS). Their mean back function according to the Funktionsfragebogen Hannover (FFbH, a questionnaire comparable with the Health Assessment Questionnaire) was 52.39±20.23%. At three time points (before therapy, 3 weeks and 6 months after therapy) the study subjects were assessed prospectively with a battery of visual memory tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). These included choice reaction time (CRT), pattern recognition memory (PRM) and spatial span (SSP). In parallel, the Trail-Making Test (TMT-A, TMT-B) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III) were used to evaluate intelligence and cognitive flexibility. At the beginning of MDPT (T1), it took patients with cLBP significantly longer than HC to complete TMT-A (38.29±19.99s vs 30.25±14.19s, p=0.047) and TMT-B (72.10±26.98s vs 55.99±22.14s, p=0.034). There were no significant differences between patients and HC in CRT, PRM and SSP. Three weeks (T2) and 6 months (T3) after MDPT, TMT

LBP based detection of intestinal motility in WCE images

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Gallo, Giovanni; Granata, Eliana

2011-03-01

In this research study, a system to support medical analysis of intestinal contractions by processing WCE images is presented. Small intestine contractions are among the motility patterns which reveal many gastrointestinal disorders, such as functional dyspepsia, paralytic ileus, irritable bowel syndrome, bacterial overgrowth. The images have been obtained using the Wireless Capsule Endoscopy (WCE) technique, a patented, video colorimaging disposable capsule. Manual annotation of contractions is an elaborating task, since the recording device of the capsule stores about 50,000 images and contractions might represent only the 1% of the whole video. In this paper we propose the use of Local Binary Pattern (LBP) combined with the powerful textons statistics to find the frames of the video related to contractions. We achieve a sensitivity of about 80% and a specificity of about 99%. The achieved high detection accuracy of the proposed system has provided thus an indication that such intelligent schemes could be used as a supplementary diagnostic tool in endoscopy.

Learning elements in rehabilitation among the working population with low back pain (LBP)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oest, Lone; Sørensen, Ellen Sandahl; Jakobsen, Pernille

2016-01-01

elements in different positions to the working population with LBP undergoing rehabilitation. Methods: Mixed methods were used to answer the research question. Based on Wenger´s theory of learning an interview guide was developed. 7 participants were interviewed. The qualitative findings were quantified....... Conclusion: In this study 3 different positions of learning are identified. In the 3 learning positions the participants used different learning elements to develop meaningful negotiation in practice, create their own style and method to cope in rehabilitation. We suggest that future rehabilitation program...

Comparative effectiveness of lumbar stabilization, dynamic strengthening, and Pilates on chronic low back pain: randomized clinical trial.

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Bhadauria, Esha A; Gurudut, Peeyoosha

2017-08-01

The aim of the present study was to compare three different forms of exercises namely lumbar stabilization, dynamic strengthening, and Pilates on chronic low back pain (LBP) in terms of pain, range of motion, core strength and function. In this study, 44 subjects suffering from non-specific LBP for more than 3 months were randomly allocated into the lumbar stabilization group, the dynamic strengthening group, and the Pilates group. Ten sessions of exercises for 3 weeks were prescribed along with interferential current and hot moist pack. Pain was assessed by visual analog scale, functional affection by modified Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, range of motion by assessing lumbar flexion and extension by modified Schober test and core strength was assessed by pressure biofeedback on day 1 and day 10 of the treatment. There was reduction of pain, improvement in range of motion, functional ability and core strength in all the 3 exercise groups. The improvement was significantly greater in the lumbar stabilization group for all the outcome measures, when compared the posttreatment after 10th session. Pairwise comparison showed that there was greater reduction of disability in the Pilates group than the dynamic strengthening group. It was concluded that the lumbar stabilization is more superior compared to the dynamic strengthening and Pilates in chronic nonspecific LBP. However, long-term benefits need to be assessed and compared with prospective follow-up studies.

A systematic review on the effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine for chronic non-specific low-back pain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S.M. Rubinstein (Sidney); M. van Middelkoop (Marienke); T. Kuijpers (Ton); R.W.J.G. Ostelo (Raymond); A.P. Verhagen (Arianne); M.R. de Boer (Michiel Robert); B.W. Koes (Bart); M.W. van Tulder (Maurits)

2010-01-01

textabstractThe purpose of this systematic review was to assess the effects of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), acupuncture and herbal medicine for chronic non-specific LBP. A comprehensive search was conducted by an experienced librarian from the Cochrane Back Review Group (CBRG) in multiple

The role of illness perception and emotions on quality of life in fibromyalgia compared with other chronic pain conditions The role of illness perception and emotions on quality of life in fibromyalgia compared with other chronic pain conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Sgnaolin

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMs is a chronic widespread pain condition that can negatively impact on all aspects of patient’s life. The purpose of this study was: first, to evaluate illness perception (IP, quality of life (QoL and affective-emotive variables (EAV of patients with FM; and second, to compare these variables to different pain conditions. Methods: Consecutive 34 women (mean age 47.4±8.3 years affected by FM were enrolled for the study from December 2009 to May 2011. IP was evaluated by means of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire, QoL through Nottigham Health Profile and EAV through the Beck Depression Inventory. Scores were compared with rheumatoid arthritis (RA (n=20; mean age 53±12.8 years and low back pain (LBP (n=20; 51.3±7.8 years groups. Results: FM patients scored higher than RA and LBP groups on IP (Identity scale mean: FM=8.8±2.3, AR=5.5±3.3, LBP=4.1±2.9; Kruskal-Wallis=24.42. Moreover FM patients show higher EAV (mean FM=21±9.6, AR=8.9±5.6, LBP=14.9±6.5; Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z=2.17 and QoL (Pain scale mean: FM=74.2±24.1; AR=35.7±19.9; LBP=56.5±20.4; Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z=2.27; Energy scale mean: FM=86.2±28.5; AR=46.8±35.4; LBP=61.6 ±63.7; Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z=1.98 than RA group. Conclusions: Our study highlighted dysfunctional IP, low QoL, high EAV scores in FM patients and the significant relations between these variables. Research results provided support for relevance of a multidisciplinary approach to the management of FM, including psychological interventions, according to a biopsychosocial perspective.Objective: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMs is a chronic widespread pain condition that can negatively impact on all aspects of patient’s life. The purposes of this study were: i to evaluate illness perception (IP, quality of life (QoL and affective-emotive variables (EAV of patients with FM; and ii to compare these variables to different pain conditions. Methods: Consecutive 34 women (mean age

Thyroid hormone levels and incident chronic kidney disease in euthyroid individuals: the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yiyi; Chang, Yoosoo; Ryu, Seungho; Cho, Juhee; Lee, Won-Young; Rhee, Eun-Jung; Kwon, Min-Jung; Pastor-Barriuso, Roberto; Rampal, Sanjay; Han, Won Kon; Shin, Hocheol; Guallar, Eliseo

2014-10-01

Overt and subclinical hypothyroidism are associated with higher levels of serum creatinine and with increased risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The prospective association between thyroid hormones and kidney function in euthyroid individuals,however, is largely unexplored. We conducted a prospective cohort study in 104 633 South Korean men and women who were free of CKD and proteinuria at baseline and had normal thyroid hormone levels and no history of thyroid disease or cancer. At each annual or biennial follow-up visit, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxin (FT4) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. The study outcome was incident CKD, defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)<60 ml/min/1.73 m2 based on the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration creatinine equation. After a median follow-up of 3.5 years, 1032 participants developed incident CKD.There was a positive association between high-normal levels of TSH and increased risk of incident CKD. In fully-adjusted models including baseline eGFR, the hazard ratio comparing the highest vs the lowest quintiles of TSH was 1.26 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02 to 1.55; P for linear trend=0.03]. In spline models, FT3 levels below 3 pg/ml were also associated with increased risk of incident CKD. There was no association between FT4 levels and CKD. In a large cohort of euthyroid men and women, high levels of TSH and low levels of FT3, even within the normal range, were modestly associated with an increased risk of incident CKD.

An Algorithm of Building Extraction in Urban Area Based on Improved Top-hat Transformations and LBP Elevation Texture

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HE Manyun

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Classification of building and vegetation is difficult solely by LiDAR data and vegetation in shadows can't be eliminated only by aerial images. The improved top-hat transformations and local binary patterns (LBP elevation texture analysis for building extraction are proposed based on the fusion of aerial images and LiDAR data. Firstly, LiDAR data is reorganized into grid cell, the algorithm removes ground points through top-hat transform. Then, the vegetation points are extracted by normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI. Thirdly, according to the elevation information of LiDAR points, LBP elevation texture is calculated and achieving precise elimination of vegetation in shadows or surrounding to the buildings. At last, morphological operations are used to fill the holes of building roofs, and region growing for complete building edges. The simulation is based on the complex urban area in Vaihingen benchmark provided by ISPRS, the results show that the algorithm affording higher classification accuracy.

Effects of an intervention based on the Transtheoretical Model on back muscle endurance, physical function and pain in rice farmers with chronic low back pain.

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Thanawat, Thanakorn; Nualnetr, Nomjit

2017-01-01

Chronic low back pain (LBP) can be managed by exercises which should be tailored to an individual's readiness to behavioral change. To evaluate the effects of an intervention program based on the Transtheoretical Model of behavioral change (TTM) on back muscle endurance, physical function and pain in rice farmers with chronic LBP. In a 32-week study, 126 rice farmers were allocated to the TTM (n= 62) and non-TTM (n= 64) groups. Modified Biering-Sorensen test, Oswestry Disability Questionnaire and visual analogue scale were used for evaluating back muscle endurance, physical function and severity of pain, respectively. The evaluations were performed at baseline and at weeks 8, 20 and 32 of the study. Data were analyzed using repeated measure ANOVA. The back muscle endurance was significantly greater in the TTM group than in the non-TTM group at week 32 (p= 0.025). Physical function and severity of pain were significantly improved in the TTM group when compared with the non-TTM group at weeks 20 and 32 (pback muscle endurance and physical function, and reduce the pain in rice farmers with LBP. Further studies should be considered to explore the long-term effects of this intervention.

A systematic review on the effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine for chronic non-specific low-back pain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rubinstein, Sidney M; van Middelkoop, Marienke; Kuijpers, Ton; Ostelo, Raymond; Verhagen, Arianne P; de Boer, Michiel R; Koes, Bart W; van Tulder, Maurits W

2010-01-01

The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the effects of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), acupuncture and herbal medicine for chronic non-specific LBP. A comprehensive search was conducted by an experienced librarian from the Cochrane Back Review Group (CBRG) in multiple databases up to

Incidence of chronic kidney disease among people with diabetes: a systematic review of observational studies.

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Koye, D N; Shaw, J E; Reid, C M; Atkins, R C; Reutens, A T; Magliano, D J

2017-07-01

The aim was to systematically review published articles that reported the incidence of chronic kidney disease among people with diabetes. A systematic literature search was performed using MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL databases. The titles and abstracts of all publications identified by the search were reviewed and 10 047 studies were retrieved. A total of 71 studies from 30 different countries with sample sizes ranging from 505 to 211 132 met the inclusion criteria. The annual incidence of microalbuminuria and albuminuria ranged from 1.3% to 3.8% for Type 1 diabetes. For Type 2 diabetes and studies combining both diabetes types, the range was from 3.8% to 12.7%, with four of six studies reporting annual rates between 7.4% and 8.6%. In studies reporting the incidence of eGFR Disease (MDRD) equation, apart from one study which reported an annual incidence of 8.9%, the annual incidence ranged from 1.9% to 4.3%. The annual incidence of end-stage renal disease ranged from 0.04% to 1.8%. The annual incidence of microalbuminuria and albuminuria is ~ 2-3% in Type 1 diabetes, and ~ 8% in Type 2 diabetes or mixed diabetes type. The incidence of developing eGFR kidney disease, there was only modest variation in incidence rates. These findings may be useful in clinical settings to help understand the risk of developing kidney disease among those with diabetes. © 2017 Diabetes UK.

Effects of Pilates exercise programs in people with chronic low back pain: a systematic review.

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Patti, Antonino; Bianco, Antonino; Paoli, Antonio; Messina, Giuseppe; Montalto, Maria Alessandra; Bellafiore, Marianna; Battaglia, Giuseppe; Iovane, Angelo; Palma, Antonio

2015-01-01

The Pilates method has recently become a fast-growing popular way of exercise recommended for healthy individuals and those engaged in rehabilitation. Several published studies have examined the effects of Pilates method in people with chronic low back pain (LBP). The objective of this study is to describe and provide an extensive overview of the scientific literature comparing the effectiveness of the Pilates method on pain and disability in patients with chronic nonspecific LBP. The study is based on the data from the following sources: MEDLINE-NLM, MEDLINE-EBSCO, Scopus Elsevier, Cochrane, DOAJ, SciELO, and PLOSONE. Original articles and systematic reviews of adults with chronic nonspecific LBP that evaluated pain and/or disability were included in this study; studies in which the primary treatment was based on Pilates method exercises compared with no treatment, minimal intervention, other types of intervention, or other types of exercises. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) were adopted. The literature search included 7 electronic databases and the reference list of relevant systematic reviews and original articles to July 2014. Two independent investigators conducted the literature search and performed the synthesis as follows: Study Design; Sample (n); Disability measure; Intervention; and Main results. The searches identified a total of 128 articles. From these, 29 were considered eligible and were included in the analysis. The items were stratified as follows: Pilates method versus other kind of exercises (n = 6 trials) and Pilates method versus no treatment group or minimal intervention for short-term pain (n = 9 trials); the therapeutic effect of the Pilates method in randomized cohorts (n = 5); and analysis of reviews (n = 9). We found that there is a dearth of studies that clearly demonstrates the efficacy of a specific Pilates exercise program over another in the treatment of chronic pain. However, the

[Chronic otitis mediaChronic Otitis Media].

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Kohles, N; Schulz, T; Eßer, D

2015-11-01

There are 2 different kinds of chronic otitis media: Otitis media chronica mesotympanalis and otitis media chronica epitympanalis (cholesteatoma). The incidence of chronic otitis media as reported in literature differs in a wide range. The incidence rates vary between 0.45 and 46%. Both, otitis media chronica mesotympanalis and cholesteatoma, lead to eardrum perforation due to lengthy and recurring inflammations. Furthermore, chronic otitis media is characterized by frequently recurring otorrhea and conductive hearing loss. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Rosuvastatin Decreases Intestinal Fatty Acid Binding Protein (I-FABP), but Does Not Alter Zonulin or Lipopolysaccharide Binding Protein (LBP) Levels, in HIV-Infected Subjects on Antiretroviral Therapy.

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Funderburg, Nicholas T; Boucher, Morgan; Sattar, Abdus; Kulkarni, Manjusha; Labbato, Danielle; Kinley, Bruce I; McComsey, Grace A

2016-01-01

Altered gastrointestinal (GI) barrier integrity and subsequent microbial translocation may contribute to immune activation in HIV infection. We have reported that rosuvastatin improved several markers of immune activation in HIV+ participants, but the effect of statin treatment on markers of GI barrier dysfunction is unknown. SATURN-HIV is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial assessing the effect of rosuvastatin (10mg/daily) on markers of cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and immune activation in ART-treated patients. Gut-barrier integrity was assessed by the surrogate markers intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP), a marker of enterocyte death, and zonulin-1, a marker of gut epithelial cell function. Levels of lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) were measured as a marker of microbial translocation. Rosuvastatin significantly reduced levels of I-FABP during the treatment period compared to the placebo. There was no effect of rosuvastatin treatment on levels of zonulin or LBP. Baseline levels of LBP were directly related to several markers of immune activation in samples from all participants, including soluble CD163, IP-10, VCAM-1, TNFR-II, and the proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressing CD38 and HLA-DR. Many of these relationships, however, were not seen in the statin arm alone at baseline or over time, as inflammatory markers often decreased and LBP levels were unchanged. Forty-eight weeks of rosuvastatin treatment reduced levels of I-FABP, but did not affect levels of zonulin or LBP. The reduction in levels of inflammatory markers that we have reported with rosuvastatin treatment is likely mediated through other mechanisms not related to gut integrity or microbial translocation.

Evaluation of three machine learning models for self-referral decision support on low back pain in primary care

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oude Nijeweme-d'Hollosy, Wendeline; van Velsen, Lex; Poel, Mannes; Groothuis-Oudshoorn, Catharina G.M.; Soer, Remko; Hermens, Hermie

2018-01-01

Background Most people experience low back pain (LBP) at least once in their life and for some patients this evolves into a chronic condition. One way to prevent acute LBP from transiting into chronic LBP, is to ensure that patients receive the right interventions at the right moment. We started

Reliability and validity of two multidimensional self-reported physical activity questionnaires in people with chronic low back pain.

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Carvalho, Flávia A; Morelhão, Priscila K; Franco, Marcia R; Maher, Chris G; Smeets, Rob J E M; Oliveira, Crystian B; Freitas Júnior, Ismael F; Pinto, Rafael Z

2017-02-01

Although there is some evidence for reliability and validity of self-report physical activity (PA) questionnaires in the general adult population, it is unclear whether we can assume similar measurement properties in people with chronic low back pain (LBP). To determine the test-retest reliability of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) long-version and the Baecke Physical Activity Questionnaire (BPAQ) and their criterion-related validity against data derived from accelerometers in patients with chronic LBP. Cross-sectional study. Patients with non-specific chronic LBP were recruited. Each participant attended the clinic twice (one week interval) and completed self-report PA. Accelerometer measures >7 days included time spent in moderate-and-vigorous physical activity, steps/day, counts/minute, and vector magnitude counts/minute. Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) and Bland and Altman method were used to determine reliability and spearman rho correlation were used for criterion-related validity. A total of 73 patients were included in our analyses. The reliability analyses revealed that the BPAQ and its subscales have moderate to excellent reliability (ICC 2,1 : 0.61 to 0.81), whereas IPAQ and most IPAQ domains (except walking) showed poor reliability (ICC 2,1 : 0.20 to 0.40). The Bland and Altman method revealed larger discrepancies for the IPAQ. For the validity analysis, questionnaire and accelerometer measures showed at best fair correlation (rho reliability than the IPAQ long-version, both questionnaires did not demonstrate acceptable validity against accelerometer data. These findings suggest that questionnaire and accelerometer PA measures should not be used interchangeably in this population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chinese Herbal Medicine as an Adjunctive Therapy Ameliorated the Incidence of Chronic Hepatitis in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

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Kuo-Chin Huang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We conducted a National Health Insurance Research Database-based Taiwanese nationwide population-based cohort study to evaluate whether Chinese herbal medicine (CHM treatment decreased the incidence of chronic hepatitis in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. A total of 81171 patients were diagnosed with breast cancer within the defined study period. After randomly equal matching, data from 13856 patients were analyzed. Hazard ratios of incidence rate of chronic hepatitis were used to determine the influence and therapeutic potential of CHM in patients with breast cancer. The patients with breast cancer receiving CHM treatment exhibited a significantly decreased incidence rate of chronic hepatitis even across the stratification of age, CCI score, and treatments. The cumulative incidence of chronic hepatitis for a period of seven years after initial breast cancer diagnosis was also reduced in the patients receiving CHM treatment. The ten most commonly used single herbs and formulas were effective in protecting liver function in patients with breast cancer, where Hedyotis diffusa and Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San were the most commonly used herbal agents. In conclusion, our study provided information that western medicine therapy combined with CHM as an adjuvant modality may have a significant impact on liver protection in patients with breast cancer.

Particular application of methods of AdaBoost and LBP to the problems of computer vision

OpenAIRE

Волошин, Микола Володимирович

2012-01-01

The application of AdaBoost method and local binary pattern (LBP) method for different spheres of computer vision implementation, such as personality identification and computer iridology, is considered in the article. The goal of the research is to develop error-correcting methods and systems for implements of computer vision and computer iridology, in particular. This article considers the problem of colour spaces, which are used as a filter and as a pre-processing of images. Method of AdaB...

Assessment of Patient-Reported Outcome Instruments to Assess Chronic Low Back Pain.

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Ramasamy, Abhilasha; Martin, Mona L; Blum, Steven I; Liedgens, Hiltrud; Argoff, Charles; Freynhagen, Rainer; Wallace, Mark; McCarrier, Kelly P; Bushnell, Donald M; Hatley, Noël V; Patrick, Donald L

2017-06-01

 To identify patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments that assess chronic low back pain (cLBP) symptoms (specifically pain qualities) and/or impacts for potential use in cLBP clinical trials to demonstrate treatment benefit and support labeling claims.  Literature review of existing PRO measures.  Publications detailing existing PRO measures for cLBP were identified, reviewed, and summarized. As recommended by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) PRO development guidance, standard measurement characteristics were reviewed, including development history, psychometric properties (validity and reliability), ability to detect change, and interpretation of observed changes.  Thirteen instruments were selected and reviewed: Low Back Pain Bothersomeness Scale, Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory, PainDETECT, Pain Quality Assessment Scale Revised, Revised Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, Low Back Pain Impact Questionnaire, Oswestry Disability Index, Pain Disability Index, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, Brief Pain Inventory and Brief Pain Inventory Short Form, Musculoskeletal Outcomes Data Evaluation and Management System Spine Module, Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire, and the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory Interference Scale. The instruments varied in the aspects of pain and/or impacts that they assessed, and none of the instruments fulfilled all criteria for use in clinical trials to support labeling claims based on recommendations outlined in the FDA PRO guidance.  There is an unmet need for a validated PRO instrument to evaluate cLBP-related symptoms and impacts for use in clinical trials. © 2017 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Putting Physical Activity While Experiencing Low Back Pain in Context: Balancing the Risks and Benefits.

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Darlow, Ben; Perry, Meredith; Dean, Sarah; Mathieson, Fiona; Baxter, G David; Dowell, Anthony

2016-02-01

To analyze attitudes and beliefs about movement and physical activity in people with low back pain (LBP) and compare these beliefs between people with acute and chronic LBP. Qualitative inductive analysis of data collected via face-to-face semistructured interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Participants were purposively recruited from 1 region of New Zealand. Persons with LBP (N=23), consisting of individuals with acute LBP (3mo; n=11). Not applicable. Themes that emerged from participant interview transcripts using analysis based on Interpretative Description. Participants with acute and chronic LBP made judgments about physical activity and rest using the same conceptual model. Concerns about creating more pain, tissue damage, or impairment influenced the physical activity judgments of most participants with acute and chronic LBP. These perceived risks were balanced against the perceived benefits, the most important of which were psychological or social rather than physical. Judgments made by those with acute and chronic LBP were context dependent and influenced by the nature and duration of pain, the type of physical activity, the importance of the activity, and the participant's previous experience. Participants with acute pain who had not experienced back pain previously often expressed more uncertainty, whereas those with chronic LBP appeared to have developed cognitive rules that determined physical activity decisions. Exploring the perceived risks, benefits, and contextual factors that influence decisions about physical activity and rest may help clinicians to understand the behavior of patients with acute and chronic LBP. Clinicians may best support their patients to engage in physical activity by providing an informed assessment of risks and an explanation about the range of potential benefits. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Can workers with chronic back pain shift from pain elimination to function restore at work? Qualitative evaluation of an innovative work related multidisciplinary programme

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buijs, P.C.; Lambeek, L.C.; Koppenrade, V.; Hooftman, W.E.; Anema, J.R.

2009-01-01

Introduction: Workers with chronic low back pain (LBP) mean a heavy human and social-economic burden. Their medical histories often include different treatments without attention to work-relatedness or communication with occupational health providers, leaving them passive and medicalized in

Incidence and risk factors for post-ERCP pancreatitis in chronic pancreatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhen-Hua; Hu, Liang-Hao; Ren, Hong-Bo; Zhao, An-Jing; Qian, Yang-Yang; Sun, Xiao-Tian; Su, Song; Zhu, Shu-Guang; Yu, Jin; Zou, Wen-Bin; Guo, Xiao-Rong; Wang, Lei; Li, Zhao-Shen; Liao, Zhuan

2017-09-01

Almost all studies on post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) have mainly involved patients with biliary diseases rather than chronic pancreatitis (CP), and the concept that CP seems to be a protective factor associated with PEP has not been studied in detail. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of PEP in patients with CP at different clinical stages and to identify the predictive and protective factors of PEP in a large cohort. In this observational cohort study, medical records of patients with CP (CP group) and biliary diseases (BD group) in a tertiary hospital from January 2011 to May 2015 were examined. The difference in the incidence of PEP between CP group and BD group and the risk of PEP at different clinical stages of CP were calculated by the χ 2 test or the Fisher exact test. The predictive and protective factors for PEP were investigated by univariate and multivariate analysis. In total, 2028 ERCP procedures were performed in 1301 patients with CP and 2000 procedures in 1655 patients with BD. The overall incidence of PEP in CP group (4.5%) was similar to that in the BD group (4.8%; P = .747). However, CP patients had significantly lower rates of moderate and severe attacks (0% vs 1.3%, P pancreatitis, and prior PEP were independent risk factors of PEP, whereas extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy was a protective factor. Compared with BD patients, CP patients had similar incidence of PEP overall but lower grades of severity. The incidence of PEP in CP patients decreased significantly with disease progression. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT02781987.). Copyright © 2017 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus murinus LbP2 on clinical parameters of dogs with distemper-associated diarrhea.

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Delucchi, Luis; Fraga, Martín; Zunino, Pablo

2017-04-01

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus murinus native strain (LbP2) on general clinical parameters of dogs with distemper-associated diarrhea. Two groups of dogs over 60 d of age with distemper and diarrhea were used in the study, which was done at the Animal Hospital of the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay. The dogs were treated orally each day for 5 d with the probiotic or with a placebo (vehicle without bacteria). Clinical parameters were assessed and scored according to a system specially designed for this study. Blood parameters were also measured. Administration of the probiotic significantly improved the clinical score of the patients, whereas administration of the placebo did not. Stool output, fecal consistency, mental status, and appetite all improved in the probiotic-treated dogs. These results support previous findings of beneficial effects with the probiotic L. murinus LbP2 in dogs. Thus, combined with other therapeutic measures, probiotic treatment appears to be promising for the management of canine distemper-associated diarrhea.

The effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on postural control in patients with chronic low back pain

OpenAIRE

Rojhani-Shirazi, Z; Rezaeian, T

2015-01-01

Objective: The effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on postural control in patients with low back pain which is not well known. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of TENS on postural control in chronic low back pain. Methods: This study was an experimental research design. Twenty-eight patients with chronic LBP (25-45 Y/ O) participated and by using a random allocation, were divided to samples who participated in this study. The mean center of pressure (COP) vel...

Minimally invasive arthrodesis for chronic sacroiliac joint dysfunction using the SImmetry SI Joint Fusion system.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Larry E; Block, Jon E

2014-01-01

Chronic sacroiliac (SI) joint-related low back pain (LBP) is a common, yet under-diagnosed and undertreated condition due to difficulties in accurate diagnosis and highly variable treatment practices. In patients with debilitating SI-related LBP for at least 6 months duration who have failed conservative management, arthrodesis is a viable option. The SImmetry(®) SI Joint Fusion System is a novel therapy for SI joint fusion, not just fixation, which utilizes a minimally invasive surgical approach, instrumented fixation for immediate stability, and joint preparation with bone grafting for a secure construct in the long term. The purpose of this report is to describe the minimally invasive SI Joint Fusion System, including patient selection criteria, implant characteristics, surgical technique, postoperative recovery, and biomechanical testing results. Advantages and limitations of this system will be discussed.

A Spanish multicenter study to estimate the prevalence and incidence of chronic pancreatitis and its complications

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J. Enrique Domínguez-Muñoz

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Background and objective: No nation-wide epidemiological study on the incidence and prevalence of chronic pancreatitis (CP had been thus far carried out in Spain. Our goal is to estimate the prevalence and incidence of CP, as well as to determine the diagnostic and therapeutic criteria used in Spanish pancreas units. Methods: An observarional, descriptive study of hospital pancreas units in Spain. CP-related epidemiology, etiology, manifestations, diagnostic tests, functional complications, and treatments were all assessed using a structured questionnaire. Overall results were estimated by weighting cases in each site. Results: Information was collected from six pancreas units with a sample frame of 1,900,751 inhabitants. Overall prevalence was 49.3 cases per 10(5 population (95 % CI, 46 to 52 and incidence was 5.5 cases per 10(5 inhabitant-years (95 % CI, 5.4 to 5.6. Most common etiologies included tobacco and alcoholism, which were associated with three in every four cases. The most prevalent symptoms were recurring pain (48.8 % and chronic abdominal pain (30.6 %. The most widely used diagnostic method was echoendoscopy (79.8 %, CT (computerized tomography (58.7 %, and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging/MRCP (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (55.9 %. Most prevalent morphologic findings included calcifications (35 % and pseudocysts (27 %. Exocrine (38.8 % and endocrine (35.2 % pancreatic insufficiency had both a similar frequency. Treatments used were rather heterogeneous among sites, with enzyme replacement therapy (40.7 % and insulin (30.9 % being most commonly used. Conclusions: Pancreas units amass a significant number of both prevalent and incident CP cases. Patients seen in these units share a similar typology, and differences between units are greater regarding diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Effect of the Individual Strengthening Exercises for Posterior Pelvic Tilt Muscles on Back Pain, Pelvic Angle, and Lumbar ROM of a LBP Patient with Excessive Lordosis: A Case Study.

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Yoo, Won-Gyu

2014-02-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to document the effect of individual strengthening exercises for posterior pelvic tilt muscles on back pain, pelvic tilt angle, and lumbar ROM of a low back pain (LBP) patient with excessive lordosis. [Subjects] The subject was a 28 year-old male with excessive lordosis who complained of severe LBP at the L3 level. [Methods] He performed individual strengthening exercises for the posterior pelvic tilt muscles (rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, hamstring). [Results] Pelvic tilt angles on the right and left sides recovered to his normal ranges. Limited lumbar ROM increased, and low back pain decreased. [Conclusion] We suggest that an approach of individual resistance exercises is necessary for the effective and fast strengthening of the pelvic posterior tilt muscles in case of LBP with excessive lordosis.

Syndrome of rapid onset end stage renal disease in incident Mayo Clinic chronic hemodialysis patient

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M. A. C. Onuigbo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Despite decades of research, a full understanding of chronic kidney disease (CKD-end stage renal disease (ESRD progression remains elusive. The common consensus is a predictable, linear, progressive and time-dependent decline of CKD to ESRD. Acute kidney injury (AKI on CKD is usually assumed to be transient, with recovery as the expected outcome. AKI-ESRD association in current nephrology literature is blamed on the so-called "residual confounding." We had previously described a relationship between AKI events and rapid onset yet irreversible ESRD happening in a continuum in a high-risk CKD cohort. However, the contribution of the syndrome of rapid onset-ESRD (SORO-ESRD to incident United States ESRD population remained conjectural. In this retrospective analysis, we analyzed serum creatinine trajectories of the last 100 consecutive ESRD patients in 4 Mayo Clinic chronic hemodialysis units to determine the incidence of SORO-ESRD. Excluding 9 patients, 31 (34% patients, including two renal transplant recipients, had SORO-ESRD: 18 males and 13 females age 72 (range 50-92 years. Precipitating AKI followed pneumonia (8, acutely decompensated heart failure (7, pyelonephritis (4, post-operative (5, sepsis (3, contrast-induced nephropathy (2, and others (2. Time to dialysis was shortest following surgical procedures. Concurrent renin angiotensin aldosterone system blockade was higher with SORO-ESRD - 23% versus 5%, P = 0.0113. In conclusion, SORO-ESRD is not uncommon among the incident general US ESRD population. The implications for ESRD care planning, AV-fistula-first programs, general CKD care and any associations with renal ageing/senescence warrant further study.

The use of Chinese herbal medicine as an adjuvant therapy to reduce incidence of chronic hepatitis in colon cancer patients: A Taiwanese population-based cohort study.

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Lin, Tsai-Hui; Yen, Hung-Rong; Chiang, Jen-Huai; Sun, Mao-Feng; Chang, Hen-Hong; Huang, Sheng-Teng

2017-04-18

There is a decided lack of in-depth studies to evaluate the effectiveness of Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) as an adjuvant therapy on the incidence of chronic hepatitis in patients with colon cancer. The aim of this study is to assess whether CHM treatment decreased the incidence of chronic hepatitis in colon cancer patients who received conventional Western medical treatment. A Taiwanese nationwide population-based study of colon cancer patients receiving Western medicine treatment in conjunction with CHM treatment, using data provided by the National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database, was conducted. A total of 61676 patients were diagnosed with colon cancer in Taiwan within the defined study period, from 1997 to 2010. After randomly equal matching for age, sex, excluding patients younger than 18 years of age, chronic hepatitis before colon cancer diagnosis date, receiving acupuncture and/or moxibustion and taking CHM for less than 30 days, data from 155 patients were analyzed. Hazard ratios of incidence rate of chronic hepatitis were used to determine the influence of CHM and the therapeutic potential of herbal products in treating patients with colon cancer. CHM used for patients with colon cancer exhibited significantly decreased incidence rates of chronic hepatitis [hazard ratio (HR)=0.53; 95% confidence interval (CI):0.38-0.74], with multivariate adjustment, compared to those without CHM use. The protective effect of CHM treatment with statistical significance across the stratification of age, gender, co-morbidity and treatment modality was noted. The cumulative incidence of chronic hepatitis was also reduced in patients with colon cancer receiving CHM treatment during a five-year period. In this study, we provide the ten most used single herbs and herbal formulas that were prescribed for patients with colon cancer; moreover, we identify the eight single herbs and five formulas used in CHM treatment which significantly decreased incidence of chronic

Neurophysiologic effects of spinal manipulation in patients with chronic low back pain

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Walkowski Stevan

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background While there is growing evidence for the efficacy of SM to treat LBP, little is known on the mechanisms and physiologic effects of these treatments. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to determine whether SM alters the amplitude of the motor evoked potential (MEP or the short-latency stretch reflex of the erector spinae muscles, and whether these physiologic responses depend on whether SM causes an audible joint sound. Methods We used transcranial magnetic stimulation to elicit MEPs and electromechanical tapping to elicit short-latency stretch reflexes in 10 patients with chronic LBP and 10 asymptomatic controls. Neurophysiologic outcomes were measured before and after SM. Changes in MEP and stretch reflex amplitude were examined based on patient grouping (LBP vs. controls, and whether SM caused an audible joint sound. Results SM did not alter the erector spinae MEP amplitude in patients with LBP (0.80 ± 0.33 vs. 0.80 ± 0.30 μV or in asymptomatic controls (0.56 ± 0.09 vs. 0.57 ± 0.06 μV. Similarly, SM did not alter the erector spinae stretch reflex amplitude in patients with LBP (0.66 ± 0.12 vs. 0.66 ± 0.15 μV or in asymptomatic controls (0.60 ± 0.09 vs. 0.55 ± 0.08 μV. Interestingly, study participants exhibiting an audible response exhibited a 20% decrease in the stretch reflex (p Conclusions These findings suggest that a single SM treatment does not systematically alter corticospinal or stretch reflex excitability of the erector spinae muscles (when assessed ~ 10-minutes following SM; however, they do indicate that the stretch reflex is attenuated when SM causes an audible response. This finding provides insight into the mechanisms of SM, and suggests that SM that produces an audible response may mechanistically act to decrease the sensitivity of the muscle spindles and/or the various segmental sites of the Ia reflex pathway.

Prognostic factors and underlying mechanisms in chronic low back pain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vos-van der Hulst, Marije

2009-01-01

Low back pain (LBP) is defined as pain localised between the 12th rib and the inferior gluteal folds. At any moment, about 15% of adults have LBP. In the majority of the cases, LBP is a self-limiting disease and 90% of the attacks of LBP recover within 6-8 weeks. A minority of subjects with

Incidence of chronic knee lesions in long-distance runners based on training level: Findings at MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schueller-Weidekamm, Claudia; Schueller, Gerd; Uffmann, Martin; Bader, Till

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of chronic knee changes in long-distance runners based on the training status, including distance, running frequency, training pace, and running experience. Methods: MRI of the knee was performed in 26 non-professional runners 5 days after their last training unit. Lesions of the menisci and cartilage (5-point scale), bone marrow and ligaments (3-point scale), and joint effusion were evaluated. A total score comprising all knee lesions in each runner was evaluated. The incidence of the knee changes was correlated with the training level, gender, and age of the runners. Results: Grade 1 lesions of the menisci were found in six runners with a high training level, and in only four runners with a low training level. Grade 1 cartilage lesions were found in three high-trained runners and in one low-trained runner, and grade 2 lesions were found in one high-trained runner and in two low-trained runners, respectively. Grade 1 anterior cruciate ligament lesions were seen in three runners with a high- and in two runners with a low-training level. Runners with a higher training level showed a statistically significant higher score for all chronic knee lesions than those with a lower training level (p < 0.05). Conclusions: MRI findings indicate that a higher training level in long-distance runners is a risk factor for chronic knee lesions

Incidence of chronic knee lesions in long-distance runners based on training level: Findings at MRI

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Schueller-Weidekamm, Claudia [Department of Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna (Austria)]. E-mail: claudia.schueller-weidekamm@meduniwien.ac.at; Schueller, Gerd [Department of Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Uffmann, Martin [Department of Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Bader, Till [Department of Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna (Austria)

2006-05-15

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of chronic knee changes in long-distance runners based on the training status, including distance, running frequency, training pace, and running experience. Methods: MRI of the knee was performed in 26 non-professional runners 5 days after their last training unit. Lesions of the menisci and cartilage (5-point scale), bone marrow and ligaments (3-point scale), and joint effusion were evaluated. A total score comprising all knee lesions in each runner was evaluated. The incidence of the knee changes was correlated with the training level, gender, and age of the runners. Results: Grade 1 lesions of the menisci were found in six runners with a high training level, and in only four runners with a low training level. Grade 1 cartilage lesions were found in three high-trained runners and in one low-trained runner, and grade 2 lesions were found in one high-trained runner and in two low-trained runners, respectively. Grade 1 anterior cruciate ligament lesions were seen in three runners with a high- and in two runners with a low-training level. Runners with a higher training level showed a statistically significant higher score for all chronic knee lesions than those with a lower training level (p < 0.05). Conclusions: MRI findings indicate that a higher training level in long-distance runners is a risk factor for chronic knee lesions.

Development and application of a newly designed massage instrument for deep cross-friction massage in chronic non-specific low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Yong-Soon; Yu, Ki-Pi; Lee, Kwang Jae; Kwak, Soo-Hyun; Kim, Jong Yun

2012-02-01

To introduce a newly designed massage instrument, the Hand Grip T-bar (HT-bar) and use it to relieve chronic non-specific low back pain (nLBP) through deep cross-friction massage (roptrotherapy). 22 subjects (9 males and 13 females, aged 51.6±6.7) with chronic nLBP were allocated randomly to a Roptrotherapy group (n=12) and a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) group (n=10). The Roptrotherapy group received deep cross-friction massage with the HT-bar, which was made of metal and had a cylinder for increasing weight and grooves for an easy grip. It was applied across the middle and lower back for 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week for 2 weeks. The TENS group received TENS for 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 2 weeks. The outcome was measured on the pain numeric rating scale (PNRS), by the Oswestry disability index (ODI), and by the Roland & Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) at pre-treatment, at immediate post-treatment and 2 weeks later. The application of the HT-bar was assessed by a questionnaire to 19 therapists. At post-treatment, immediately and 2 weeks later, both groups showed significant improvement in PNRS, ODI and RMDQ. During the two weeks after post-treatment, however, the Roptrotherapy group improved in PNRS, ODI and RMDQ, but the TENS group did not. Over 80% of the therapists responded that the HT-bar was useful and comfortable. This study suggests that deep cross-friction massage can be a beneficial therapeutic technique and that the HT-bar can be a useful instrument in deep cross-friction massage for chronic nLBP patients.

The level of depression in lower back pain patient at outpatient of neurology Haji Adam Malik hospital Medan (RS HAM

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Pardosi, M. C.; Loebis’, B.; Husada, M. S.

2018-03-01

The incidence of Lower Back Pain (LBP) in Indonesia is unclear. Various data in some developing countries stated that the LBP incidence is approximately 15% - 20% of the population. Because there is the unclear incidence of psychological symptoms such as depression on LBP, the researchers were interested in doing this research. A descriptive study was conducted to know the level of depression of patients with LBP in outpatient of neurology RS HAM Medan. Patients with LBP (n=78) in outpatient were examined BDI-II. The minimum depression was 47.44% (n=37), mild depression was 21.79% (n=17), moderate depression was 21.79% (n=17), severe depression was 8.98% (n=7). In conclusion, the level of depression in lower back pain patient at outpatient of neurology Haji Adam Malik Hospital Medan is higher at minimum depression.

Annual incidence of non-specific low back pain as an occupational disease attributed to whole-body vibration according to the National Dutch Register 2005-2012.

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Kuijer, P Paul F M; van der Molen, Henk F; Schop, Astrid; Moeijes, Fred; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W; Hulshof, Carel T J

2015-01-01

Non-specific low back pain (nLBP) is the second most important reason for sick leave in the Netherlands, and more than 50% of the workers on sick leave attribute these complaints to their work. To stimulate recognition and prevention, an occupational disease (OD) registration-guideline was implemented for the assessment of the work-relatedness of nLBP in the Netherlands in 2005. The aim of this study is to present the annual incidence of nLBP as an OD and specifically for whole-body vibration (WBV) including patient characteristics such as age, sick leave and actions initiated by the occupational physician (OP). The data were retrieved from the National Dutch Register for 2005-2012. Each year about 118 OPs reported 509 cases (SD 139) of nLBP as an OD in a Dutch working population of 7.5 million workers (8% of all annual reported ODs). Less than 1% of these cases were attributed to WBV: 94% were men, 45% were between 51 and 60 years and 35% were on sick leave for more than 2 weeks. Most initiated actions were ergonomic interventions (35%). The number of notified cases of nLPB as an occupational disease attributed to whole-body vibration is low with less than 1% of all cases in the Netherlands. An explanation is that other work-related risk factors for nLBP such as lifting are more frequently occurring, more visible and have a higher attributable risk than WBV. However, continuing attention for WBV remains warranted given a higher percentage of cases with sick leave of more than 2 weeks.

Measures of chronic kidney disease and risk of incident peripheral artery disease: a collaborative meta-analysis of individual participant data.

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Matsushita, Kunihiro; Ballew, Shoshana H; Coresh, Josef; Arima, Hisatomi; Ärnlöv, Johan; Cirillo, Massimo; Ebert, Natalie; Hiramoto, Jade S; Kimm, Heejin; Shlipak, Michael G; Visseren, Frank L J; Gansevoort, Ron T; Kovesdy, Csaba P; Shalev, Varda; Woodward, Mark; Kronenberg, Florian

2017-09-01

Some evidence suggests that chronic kidney disease is a risk factor for lower-extremity peripheral artery disease. We aimed to quantify the independent and joint associations of two measures of chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] and albuminuria) with the incidence of peripheral artery disease. In this collaborative meta-analysis of international cohorts included in the Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium (baseline measurements obtained between 1972 and 2014) with baseline measurements of eGFR and albuminuria, at least 1000 participants (this criterion not applied to cohorts exclusively enrolling patients with chronic kidney disease), and at least 50 peripheral artery disease events, we analysed adult participants without peripheral artery disease at baseline at the individual patient level with Cox proportional hazards models to quantify associations of creatinine-based eGFR, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), and dipstick proteinuria with the incidence of peripheral artery disease (including hospitalisation with a diagnosis of peripheral artery disease, intermittent claudication, leg revascularisation, and leg amputation). We assessed discrimination improvement through c-statistics. We analysed 817 084 individuals without a history of peripheral artery disease at baseline from 21 cohorts. 18 261 cases of peripheral artery disease were recorded during follow-up across cohorts (median follow-up was 7·4 years [IQR 5·7-8·9], range 2·0-15·8 years across cohorts). Both chronic kidney disease measures were independently associated with the incidence of peripheral artery disease. Compared with an eGFR of 95 mL/min per 1·73 m 2 , adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for incident study-specific peripheral artery disease was 1·22 (95% CI 1·14-1·30) at an eGFR of 45 mL/min per 1·73 m 2 and 2·06 (1·70-2·48) at an eGFR of 15 mL/min per 1·73 m 2 . Compared with an ACR of 5 mg/g, the adjusted HR for incident study

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for chronic low back pain.

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Milne, S; Welch, V; Brosseau, L; Saginur, M; Shea, B; Tugwell, P; Wells, G

2001-01-01

Low back pain (LBP) affects a large proportion of the population. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) was introduced more than 30 years ago as an alternative therapy to pharmacological treatments for chronic pain. However, despite its widespread use, the effectiveness of TENS is still controversial. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the efficacy of TENS in the treatment of chronic LBP. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PEDro and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register up to June 1, 2000. Only randomized controlled clinical trials of TENS for the treatment of patients with a clinical diagnosis of chronic LBP were included. Abstracts were excluded unless further data could be obtained from the authors. Two reviewers independently selected trials and extracted data using predetermined forms. Heterogeneity was tested with Cochran's Q test. A fixed effects model was used throughout for continuous variables, except where heterogeneity existed, in which case, a random effects model was used. Results are presented as weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), where the difference between the treated and control groups was weighted by the inverse of the variance. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were calculated by dividing the difference between the treated and control by the baseline variance. SMD were used when different scales were used to measure the same concept. Dichotomous outcomes were analyzed with odds ratios. Five trials were included, with 170 subjects randomized to the placebo group receiving sham-TENS and 251 subjects receiving active TENS (153 for conventional mode, 98 for acupuncture-like TENS). The schedule of treatments varied greatly between studies ranging from one treatment/day for two consecutive days, to three treatments/day for four weeks. There were no statistically significant differences between the active TENS group when compared to the placebo TENS group for any outcome measures

Associations between Trunk Extension Endurance and Isolated Lumbar Extension Strength in Both Asymptomatic Participants and Those with Chronic Low Back Pain

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Rebecca Conway

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Strength and endurance tests are important for both clinical practice and research due to the key role they play in musculoskeletal function. In particular, deconditioning of the lumbar extensor musculature has been associated with low back pain (LBP. Due to the relationship between strength and absolute endurance, it is possible that trunk extension (TEX endurance tests could provide a proxy measure of isolated lumbar extension (ILEX strength and thus represent a simple, practical alternative to ILEX measurements. Though, the comparability of TEX endurance and ILEX strength is presently unclear and so the aim of the present study was to examine this relationship. Methods: Thirty eight healthy participants and nineteen participants with non-specific chronic LBP and no previous lumbar surgery participated in this cross-sectional study design. TEX endurance was measured using the Biering–Sorensen test. A maximal ILEX strength test was performed on the MedX lumbar-extension machine. Results: A Pearson’s correlation revealed no relationship between TEX endurance and ILEX strength in the combined group (r = 0.035, p = 0.793, the chronic LBP group (r = 0.120, p = 0.623 or the asymptomatic group (r = −0.060, p = 0.720. Conclusions: The results suggest that TEX is not a good indicator of ILEX and cannot be used to infer results regarding ILEX strength. However, a combination of TEX and ILEX interpreted together likely offers the greatest and most comprehensive information regarding lumbo-pelvic function during extension.

Ultrasound versus fluoroscopy-guided caudal epidural steroid injection for the treatment of chronic low back pain with radiculopathy: A randomised, controlled clinical trial

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Arindam Kumar Hazra

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Aims: Caudal epidural steroid administration is an effective treatment for chronic low back pain (LBP. Fluoroscopy guidance is the gold standard for pain procedures. Ultrasound guidance is recently being used in pain clinic procedures. We compared the fluoroscopy guidance and ultrasound guidance for caudal epidural steroid injection with respect to the time needed for correct placement of the needle and clinical effectiveness in patients with chronic LBP. Methods: Fifty patients with chronic LBP with radiculopathy, not responding to conventional medical management, were randomly allocated to receive injection depot methyl prednisolone (40 mg through caudal route either using ultrasound guidance (Group U, n = 25 or fluoroscopy guidance (Group F, n = 25. Pre-procedural visual analogue scale (VAS score and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI were noted. During the procedure, the time needed for correct placement of needle was observed. Adverse events, if any, were also noted. All patients were followed up for next 2 months to evaluate Visual Analogue Scale (VAS score and ODI at the 2nd week and again at the end of 1st and 2nd month. Results: The needle-placement time was less using ultrasound guidance as compared to fluoroscopy guidance (119 ± 7.66 vs. 222.28 ± 29.65 s, respectively,P< 0.001. Significant reduction in VAS score and ODI (clinical improvement was noted in the follow-up time points and comparable between the groups at all time points. Conclusion: Ultrasound guidance can be a safe alternative tool for achieving faster needle placement in caudal epidural space. Clinical effectiveness (reduction of VAS and ODI scores remains comparable between both the techniques.

Long-term prognosis of acute back pain in patients seen in general practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schiøttz-Christensen, Berit; Nielsen, Gunnar Lauge; Hansen, Vivian Kjær

1999-01-01

to develop chronic LBP and (iii) a history of LBP having caused previous sick leave. CONCLUSIONS: LBP in general practice has a good prognosis with regard to sick leave, but a high proportion of patients continue to complain of LBP. We were not able to identify objective measures that strongly predict......OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine the prognosis of acute low back pain (LBP) in patients in general practice and to identify prognostic factors associated with the long-term prognosis based on information immediately available to the GP. METHOD: We conducted a prospective cohort study in general...... practice in Denmark. The patients were those aged 18-60 years consulting their GP due to an episode of LBP lasting less than 2 weeks. The GPs collected data regarding 34 exposure variables, including their global assessment of the likelihood of chronic LBP. Outcome variables were collected from...

The relationship between abdominal muscle activity and pain, disability and fear of movement during standing postural tasks in females with chronic nonspecific low back pain

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Fatemeh Ehsani

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: It appears that the level of fear of movement changes deep trunk muscle activity in the patients with low back pain (LBP. There is no study to investigate the relationship between deep trunk muscle activity and fear of movement in the patients with LBP. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between abdominal muscle activity and pain, disability and fear of movement during standing postural tasks in females with chronic nonspecific LBP. Materials and Methods: Forty four females participated were asked to maintain their balance during standing on the platform stability levels of Biodex Balance System (BBS. Concurrently, ultrasonography (US data about abdominal muscles thickness measurement were transferred and saved to process offline. The pain intensity, disability and fear of movement were assessed by valid scales and questionnaire. Results: There was not significant correlation between abdominal muscle thickness changes and pain and disability intensity (P>0.05, while significant and inverse correlation between deep abdominal muscle thickness changes and fear of movement was observed in the patients (P<0.05, although this correlation is weak (r= -0.36- -0.32. Conclusion: It seems that increases in fear of movement decrease significantly deep abdominal muscles activity in the patients with LBP. This relationship demonstrates the importance of cognitive behavioral therapy and controlling fear of movement on improvement of deep abdominal muscle activity in the patients with LBP

Physiotherapy and low back pain - part 1 outcomes research in the quest for evidence

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L. D. Bardin

2002-01-01

conditions treated by physiotherapists and is acknowledged as a major health problem. Much published research on LBP is of poor design and  optimal outcome measures are not selected for LBP patients. Effective and cost-effective interventions for LBP, particularly chronic LBP, need to be identified using appropriate, valid, reliable and responsive measures of  outcome.  These outcome measures should reflect the biopsychosocial model necessary for evaluating the broad impact of LBP, in particular chronic LBP, on a patient’s life. Outcomes research is a feasible and affordable analysis of clinical practice as it occurs, and provides an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for LBP. This is in contrast to a randomised, controlled trial (RCT that evaluates efficacy under controlled conditions that often do not reflect clinical practice. Using a battery of outcome measures appropriate for measuring change in the LBP population, outcomes research has the potential to identify effective and cost-effective interventions, promote and influence further research, and contribute to the demand for evidence-based practice.

Complementary and alternative therapies for low back pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Tulder, M.; Furlan, A.D.; Gagnier, J.J.

2005-01-01

/subacute and chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP). Results from Cochrane reviews on acupuncture, botanical medicine, massage, neuroreflexotherapy, and spinal manipulation have been used. The results showed that acupuncture is more effective than no treatment or sham treatment for chronic LBP...

Evaluation of influence of stretching therapy and ergonomic factors on postural control in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain

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Piotr Gawda

2015-02-01

Ergonomic factors are often accompanied by the appearance of LBP. The restrictions within the musculoskeletal system cause disorders in muscle synergies, which is expressed by an increase in the angular velocity of the COG. In patients with chronic back pain syndrome, selected stretching therapy techniques improves the range of motion of the spine and reduces pain.

The Effect of Stabilization Exercises on Objective Outcome Measures in Patients with Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review with Particular Emphasis On Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

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Fatemeh Ehsani

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: Low back pain (LBP is one of the most common and costly health problems. Changes in muscle activity and recruitment of lumbar deep muscles which are responsible for lumbar spine stability have been reported in patients with LBP. Different exercise programs are used in the treatment of such patients to improve spinal stability. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the effect of stabilization exercises on objective outcome measures in patients with non-specific chronic LBP in previous randomized controlled trials. Materials & Methods: A literature search for the period of 2000-2012 was performed, using MEDLINE, PubMed, Google scholar, Science Direct, OVID and CINAHL databases. Low back pain, stabilization exercise, motor control exercise, segmental stabilization, transverse abdominis muscle, multifidus muscle, electromyography, ultrasound, ultrasonography, and randomized controlled trial were used as keywords. Muscle recruitment, postural balance control, muscle endurance, muscle size and lumbar range of motion were studied as objective outcome measures.  Results: In total, of 158 articles, 13 articles were selected according to the inclusion criteria of the study. There was a wide variation among studies in terms of methodology, main outcome measures, sample size, procedure, etc. The results demonstrated that stabilization exercise was more effective than other interventions on activity pattern of deep muscles, postural balance control, muscle endurance and range of motion, while it was not significantly different with other interventions on deep muscle size.  Conclusion: It seems that stabilization exercise has considerable effect on activity pattern of deep muscles, postural control, muscle endurance and range of motion and can be considered as an effective intervention in the treatment of patients with non-specific chronic LBP

What Do Clinicians Consider when Assessing Chronic Low Back Pain? A Content Analysis of Multidisciplinary Pain Centre Team Assessments of Functioning, Disability, and Health.

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Bagraith, Karl S; Strong, Jenny; Meredith, Pamela J; McPhail, Steven M

2018-05-22

Beyond expert suggestions as to the appropriate subject matter for chronic pain assessments, little is known about the actual content of multidisciplinary pain centre (MPC) clinical assessments. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Low Back Pain Core Set (ICF LBP-CS) provides a universal language to support the consistent description of LBP-related assessments across disciplines within multidisciplinary teams (MDT). This study sought to map the content of MPC clinical assessments to the ICF to: 1) identify and compare the content of clinical MDT assessments using a cross-disciplinary framework and, 2) examine the content validity of the LBP-CS. A qualitative examination of MPC team clinical assessments of CLBP was undertaken. MDT (pain medicine, psychiatry, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and psychology) assessments were audio-recorded and transcribed. Concepts were extracted from transcripts using a meaning condensation procedure and then linked to the ICF. Across seven MDT assessments, comprised of 42 discipline-specific assessments and 241,209 transcribed words, 8596 concepts were extracted. Contextual factors (i.e., the person and environment), except for physiotherapy, accounted for almost half of each discipline's assessments (range: 49% - 58%) Concepts spanned 113 second-level ICF categories, including 73/78 LBP-CS categories. Overall, the findings revealed novel insights into the content of MPC clinical assessments that can be used to improve healthcare delivery. ICF-based assessment profiles demonstrated unique contributions from each discipline to CLBP assessment. Finally, users of the LBP-CS can be confident that the tool exhibits sound content validity from the perceptive of MDT assessments of functioning, disability, and health.

Core Muscle Activity during TRX Suspension Exercises with and without Kinesiology Taping in Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain: Implications for Rehabilitation

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Shirley S. M. Fong

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to examine the effects of kinesiology taping (KT and different TRX suspension workouts on the amplitude of electromyographic (EMG activity in the core muscles among people with chronic low back pain (LBP. Each participant (total n=21 was exposed to two KT conditions: no taping and taping, while performing four TRX suspension exercises: (1 hamstring curl, (2 hip abduction in plank, (3 chest press, and (4 45-degree row. Right transversus abdominis/internal oblique (TrAIO, rectus abdominis (RA, external oblique (EO, and superficial lumbar multifidus (LMF activity was recorded with surface EMG and expressed as a percentage of the EMG amplitude recorded during a maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the respective muscles. Hip abduction in plank increased TrAIO, RA, and LMF EMG amplitude compared with other TRX positions (P0.05. Hip abduction in plank most effectively activated abdominal muscles, whereas the hamstring curl most effectively activated the paraspinal muscles. Applying KT conferred no immediate benefits in improving the core muscle activation during TRX training in adults with chronic LBP.

Antibiotic treatment in patients with chronic low back pain and vertebral bone edema (Modic type 1 changes)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Albert, H. B.; Sørensen, Joan S.; Berit Schiott, Christensen

2013-01-01

PURPOSE: Modic type 1 changes/bone edema in the vertebrae are present in 6 % of the general population and 35-40 % of the low back pain population. It is strongly associated with low back pain. The aim was to test the efficacy of antibiotic treatment in patients with chronic low back pain (>6...... months) and Modic type 1 changes (bone edema). METHODS: The study was a double-blind RCT with 162 patients whose only known illness was chronic LBP of greater than 6 months duration occurring after a previous disc herniation and who also had bone edema demonstrated as Modic type 1 changes...

Reliability and measurement error of sagittal spinal motion parameters in 220 patients with chronic low back pain using a three-dimensional measurement device.

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Mieritz, Rune M; Bronfort, Gert; Jakobsen, Markus D; Aagaard, Per; Hartvigsen, Jan

2014-09-01

A basic premise for any instrument measuring spinal motion is that reliable outcomes can be obtained on a relevant sample under standardized conditions. The purpose of this study was to assess the overall reliability and measurement error of regional spinal sagittal plane motion in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP), and then to evaluate the influence of body mass index, examiner, gender, stability of pain, and pain distribution on reliability and measurement error. This study comprises a test-retest design separated by 7 to 14 days. The patient cohort consisted of 220 individuals with chronic LBP. Kinematics of the lumbar spine were sampled during standardized spinal extension-flexion testing using a 6-df instrumented spatial linkage system. Test-retest reliability and measurement error were evaluated using interclass correlation coefficients (ICC(1,1)) and Bland-Altman limits of agreement (LOAs). The overall test-retest reliability (ICC(1,1)) for various motion parameters ranged from 0.51 to 0.70, and relatively wide LOAs were observed for all parameters. Reliability measures in patient subgroups (ICC(1,1)) ranged between 0.34 and 0.77. In general, greater (ICC(1,1)) coefficients and smaller LOAs were found in subgroups with patients examined by the same examiner, patients with a stable pain level, patients with a body mass index less than below 30 kg/m(2), patients who were men, and patients in the Quebec Task Force classifications Group 1. This study shows that sagittal plane kinematic data from patients with chronic LBP may be sufficiently reliable in measurements of groups of patients. However, because of the large LOAs, this test procedure appears unusable at the individual patient level. Furthermore, reliability and measurement error varies substantially among subgroups of patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of Auricular Acupressure for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

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Li-Hua Yang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. To identify the efficacy of auricular acupressure on pain and disability for chronic LBP by systematic review. Methods. A search of randomized controlled trials was conducted in four English medical electronic databases and three Chinese databases. Two reviewers independently retrieved related studies, assessed the methodological quality, and extracted data with a standardized data form. Meta-analyses were performed using all time-points meta-analysis. Results. A total of 7 trials met the inclusion criteria, of which 4 had the low risk of bias. The findings of this study showed that, for the immediate effect, auricular acupressure had large, significant effects in improving pain within 12 weeks. As for the follow-up effect, the pooled estimates also showed promising effect at 4-week follow-up after 4-week intervention (standardized mean difference = −1.13, 95% CI (-1.70, -0.56, P<0.001. But, for the disability level, the therapeutic effect was not significant (mean difference = −1.99, 95% CI (-4.93, 0.95, P=0.18. No serious adverse effects were recorded. Conclusions. The encouraging evidence of this study indicates that it is recommended to provide auricular acupressure to patients with chronic low back pain. However, a more accurate estimate of the effect will require further rigorously designed large-scale RCTs on chronic LBP for improving pain and disability.

Effects of Hemibridge with Ball and Balloon Exercise on Forced Expiratory Volume and Pain in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: An Experimental Study

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Jorida Fernandes

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Background and objectives: Suboptimal breathing patterns and impairments of posture and trunk stability are often associated with musculoskeletal complaints such as low back pain. Respiration is also affected by poor neuromuscular control of core muscles. Immediate effects of hemibridge with ball and balloon exercise has been studied on chronic pain in athlete population. Objective: To evaluate the effects of hemibridge with ball and balloon exercise on pain, forced expiratory volume and functional abilities in patients with chronic low back pain using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS, Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV and Modified Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (MODQ. Methods: The present experimental study was conducted among 30 participants between the age of 21 to 55 years with chronic non-specific LBP. The participants were given a hemibridge with ball and balloon exercise. Pre-interventional and 3rd day Post-interventional outcome measurements were taken using VAS, FEV1 and FEV6 and MODQ. Results: The difference between pre-and post of VAS was statistically highly significant (p=0.0001. The p value of FEV6 and MODQ by paired t test was statistically significant with p value of 0.02 and 0.0007 respectively. Conclusion: The study concludes that there is an immediate effect of hemibridge with ball and balloon exercise on pain, FEV6 and functional ability in patients with chronic LBP.

Lumbar muscle structure and function in chronic versus recurrent low back pain: a cross-sectional study.

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Goubert, Dorien; De Pauw, Robby; Meeus, Mira; Willems, Tine; Cagnie, Barbara; Schouppe, Stijn; Van Oosterwijck, Jessica; Dhondt, Evy; Danneels, Lieven

2017-09-01

Heterogeneity exists within the low back pain (LBP) population. Some patients recover after every pain episode, whereas others suffer daily from LBP complaints. Until now, studies rarely make a distinction between recurrent low back pain (RLBP) and chronic low back pain (CLBP), although both are characterized by a different clinical picture. Clinical experiences also indicate that heterogeneity exists within the CLBP population. Muscle degeneration, like atrophy, fat infiltration, alterations in muscle fiber type, and altered muscle activity, compromises proper biomechanics and motion of the spinal units in LBP patients. The amount of alterations in muscle structure and muscle function of the paraspinal muscles might be related to the recurrence or chronicity of LBP. The aim of this experimental study is to evaluate differences in muscle structure (cross-sectional area and lean muscle fat index) and muscle activity of the multifidus (MF) and erector spinae (ES) during trunk extension, in patients with RLBP, non-continuous CLBP, and continuous CLBP. This cross-sectional study took place in the university hospital of Ghent, Belgium. Muscle structure characteristics and muscle activity were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Fifty-five adults with non-specific LBP (24 RLBP in remission, 15 non-continuous CLBP, 16 continuous CLBP) participated in this study. Total cross-sectional area, muscle cross-sectional area, fat cross-sectional area, lean muscle fat index, T2-rest and T2-shift were assessed. A T1-weighted Dixon MRI scan was used to evaluate spinal muscle cross-sectional area and fat infiltration in the lumbar MF and ES. Muscle functional MRI was used to evaluate the muscle activity of the lumbar MF and ES during a lumbar extension exercise. Before and after the exercise, a pain assessment was performed. This study was supported by grants from the Special Research Fund of Ghent University (DEF12/AOP/022) without potential conflict of interest

Chronic suppurative otitis media in a birth cohort of children in Greenland: population-based study of incidence and risk factors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch, Anders; Homøe, Preben; Pipper, Christian Bressen

2011-01-01

Inuits of the Arctic experience very high rates of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), yet world-wide, very little is known about the epidemiology of CSOM. The study aims were to determine incidence, median age at debut, risk factors, and associated population attributable risks for CSOM...

Transitional Vertebra and Spina Bifida Occulta Related with Chronic Low Back Pain in a Young Patient.

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Kundi, Maryam; Habib, Maham; Babar, Sumbal; Kundi, Asif K; Assad, Salman; Sheikh, Amjad

2016-10-19

Bertolotti's syndrome (BS) must be considered as a differential diagnosis in a young patient presenting with low back pain (LBP). We present a case of a 26-year-old male complaining of mild chronic LBP for six years, radiating to his left thigh for the past six months. He has been taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with skeletal muscle relaxants for pain relief. The X-ray and computed tomography (CT) imagings showed congenital enlargement of the left transverse process of the fifth lumbar (L5) vertebra forming pseudo-articulation with the sacrum and unilateral pars interarticularis defect at the L4 level on the left side, respectively. He has managed with gabapentin 100 mg three times a day for his neuropathic left leg pain. On follow-up, the patient reported that his pain has improved with gabapentin and it decreased from 8/10 to 4/10 on the visual analogue scale.

Neuropathic low back pain in clinical practice.

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Baron, R; Binder, A; Attal, N; Casale, R; Dickenson, A H; Treede, R-D

2016-07-01

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common chronic pain conditions. This paper reviews the available literature on the role of neuropathic mechanisms in chronic LBP and discusses implications for its clinical management, with a particular focus on pharmacological treatments. Literature searches were performed in PubMed, key pain congresses and ProQuest Dialog to identify published evidence on neuropathic back pain and its management. All titles were assessed for relevant literature. Chronic LBP comprises both nociceptive and neuropathic components, however, the neuropathic component appears under-recognized and undertreated. Neuropathic pain (NP) is challenging to manage. Many patients with chronic LBP have pain that is refractory to existing treatments. Typically, less than half of patients experience clinically meaningful analgesia with oral pharmacotherapies; these are also associated with risks of adverse effects. Paracetamol and NSAIDs, although widely used for LBP, are unlikely to ameliorate the neuropathic component and data on the use of NP medications such as antidepressants and gabapentin/pregabalin are limited. While there is an unmet need for improved treatment options, recent data have shown tapentadol to have efficacy in the neuropathic component of LBP, and studies suggest that the capsaicin 8% patch and lidocaine 5% medicated plaster, topical analgesics available for the treatment of peripheral NP, may be a valuable additional approach for the management of neuropathic LBP. Chronic LBP often has an under-recognized neuropathic component, which can be challenging to manage, and requires improved understanding and better diagnosis and treatment. WHAT DOES THIS REVIEW ADD?: Increased recognition and improved understanding of the neuropathic component of low back pain raises the potential for the development of mechanism-based therapies. Open and retrospective studies suggest that agents like tapentadol and topical analgesics - such as the capsaicin

Physical and psychosocial ergonomic risk factors for low back pain in automobile manufacturing workers.

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Vandergrift, Jonathan L; Gold, Judith E; Hanlon, Alexandra; Punnett, Laura

2012-01-01

To examine the association between ergonomic physical and psychosocial exposures and the risk of prevalent and incident low back pain (LBP) in a longitudinal cohort of automobile manufacturing workers. Ergonomic exposure intensity and LBP presence were determined through questionnaires at baseline (n=1181) and to workers in the same job 1 year later (n=505). Models were constructed using log-binomial regression with special attention to interactions between ergonomic exposures. Awkward back posture (prevalence ratio (PR) 1.12, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.17), hand force (PR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.10), physical effort (PR 1.10, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.16) and whole body vibration (PR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.08) were each associated cross-sectionally with LBP. Awkward back posture (RR 1.13, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.31) and hand force (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.22) also predicted incident LBP, although estimates were statistically less precise. Neither job control, psychological demands, nor job strain was independently related to risk of incident LBP. Among participants reporting high physical ergonomic exposures and moderate to high job control, increasing job demands was associated with a reduced LBP risk (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.00). Among participants reporting high physical exposures and low job control, psychological demands was associated with an increased LBP risk (RR 1.30, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.66). Psychosocial workplace interventions for LBP should prioritise jobs in which there are high physical ergonomic exposures. Future studies of LBP should examine the interactions between physical ergonomic risk factors.

Effect of thoracic mobilization on respiratory parameters in chronic non-specific low back pain: A randomized controlled trial.

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Babina, R; Mohanty, P P; Pattnaik, M

2016-02-19

Altered respiratory function has been found to be associated with back pain. Limited chest excursion in subjects with chronic low back pain (CLBP) may be due to co-contraction or bracing of erector spinae and abdominal muscles; their flexed spinal posture; and/or their compromised spinal stability resulting from dysfunctional transversus abdominis. To check for the effects of thoracic mobilization on respiratory parameters in subjects with chronic non-specific low back pain. Sixty-two subjects (excluding 11 dropouts) with CLBP of age group 30-60 were randomly allocated to two groups. Both groups received individualized treatment for low back pain (LBP) and HEP (home exercise program) regime of breathing exercises. In addition, group 1 received Maitland's Central postero-anterior vertebral pressure for thoracic spine (T1-T8). Total treatment duration was 10 sessions in 2 weeks (5 sessions/week). Results showed significant improvement in respiratory parameters viz. Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Sustained Maximal Inspiratory Pressure (SMIP) and Chest Wall Expansion (CWE) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) in both groups (pchronic low back pain with or without radiation to lower limbs when treated with thoracic central PA mobilization, in addition to LBP specific treatment and breathing exercises, show an improvement in respiratory parameters and reduction in disability.

[Effects of non-physical factors on neck and shoulder pain and low back pain of adolescents].

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Zhang, Yongxing; Deng, Guoying; Zhao, Sheng; Zhou, Qian; Gao, Xiang; Wang, Hang; Zhang, Zhiqing; Ju, Yaping; Wang, Roujia; Wang, Yuyuan; Zhao, Qinghua

2014-10-14

To explore the incidence of self-reported neck/shoulder pain (NSP) and lower back pain (LBP) among Chinese adolescents in Shanghai and identify the influencing factors for the incidences of these musculoskeletal disorders. A total of 3 600 students were selected from 30 high schools randomly chosen from 237 regular full-time high schools registered in Shanghai. From each school, 40 students were selected from each of the tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades for a total of 120 students per school. The questionnaire involved questions pertaining to demographic information, learning environment and exercise habits of each student. The questionnaire also contained questions regarding the amount of weight carried by each student while commuting to and from school. And it was also used to collect specific information related with the occurrence of NSP and LBP. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the potential risk factors for NSP and LBP. Among 3 600 distributed questionnaires, a total of 2 842 valid questionnaires were returned. The results revealed that the incidences of NSP and LBP in the Chinese adolescent population were 41.1% and 32.8%, respectively. Both NSP and LBP were more common in girls than in boys. And 6.3% students reported at least one NSP- or LBP-induced absence from school. Chinese adolescents generally experienced a heavy academic burden (32.7% failing to achieve daily academic goals) and mental stress (16.3% suffering from insomnia); the problem of insufficient sleep was even more pronounced (52.0% falling asleep after midnight and 64.3% suffering insufficient sleep while only 31.9% feeling physically relaxed after awaking). The multivariate Logistic regression analysis suggested that gender, grade, academic burden, stress and sleep situation had a significant correlation with NSP and LBP in adolescents. The incidences of NSP and LBP are relatively high among adolescents in Shanghai. And several factors, including sedentary behaviors, personal

Occupational exposure to dusts, gases, and fumes and incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults

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Mehta, A.J.; Miedinger, D.; Keidel, D.; Bettschart, R.; Bircher, A.; Bridevaux, P.O.; Curjuric, I; Kromhout, H.; Rochat, T.; Rothe, T.; Russi, E.W.; Schikowski, T.; Schindler, C.; Schwartz, J.; Turk, A.; Vermeulen, R.; Probst-Hensch, N.; Künzli, N.

2012-01-01

RATIONALE There is limited evidence from population-based studies demonstrating incidence of spirometric-defined chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in association with occupational exposures. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the association between occupational exposures and incidence of COPD in

Identification and characterization of lbpA, an indigoidine biosynthetic gene in the γ-butyrolactone signaling system of Streptomyces lavendulae FRI-5.

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Pait, Ivy Grace Umadhay; Kitani, Shigeru; Kurniawan, Yohanes Novi; Asa, Maeda; Iwai, Takashi; Ikeda, Haruo; Nihira, Takuya

2017-10-01

Streptomyces lavendulae FRI-5 produces the blue pigment indigoidine and other secondary metabolites (d-cycloserine and nucleoside antibiotics). The production of these useful compounds is controlled by a signaling cascade mediated by the γ-butyrolactone autoregulator IM-2. Previously we revealed that the far regulatory island includes the IM-2 receptor, the IM-2 biosynthetic enzyme, and several transcriptional regulators, and that it contributes to the regulation of indigoidine production in response to the signaling molecule. Here, we found that the vicinity of the far regulatory island includes the putative gene cluster for the biosynthesis of indigoidine and unidentified compounds, and demonstrated that the expression of the gene cluster is under the control of the IM-2 regulatory system. Heterologous expression of lbpA, encoding a plausible nonribosomal peptide synthetase, in the versatile model host Streptomyces avermitilis SUKA22 led to indigoidine production, which was enhanced dramatically by feeding of the indigoidine precursor l-glutamine. These results confirmed that LbpA is an indigoidine biosynthetic enzyme in the IM-2 signaling cascade. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Core Muscle Activity during TRX Suspension Exercises with and without Kinesiology Taping in Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain: Implications for Rehabilitation.

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Fong, Shirley S M; Tam, Y T; Macfarlane, Duncan J; Ng, Shamay S M; Bae, Young-Hyeon; Chan, Eleanor W Y; Guo, X

2015-01-01

This study aimed to examine the effects of kinesiology taping (KT) and different TRX suspension workouts on the amplitude of electromyographic (EMG) activity in the core muscles among people with chronic low back pain (LBP). Each participant (total n = 21) was exposed to two KT conditions: no taping and taping, while performing four TRX suspension exercises: (1) hamstring curl, (2) hip abduction in plank, (3) chest press, and (4) 45-degree row. Right transversus abdominis/internal oblique (TrAIO), rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), and superficial lumbar multifidus (LMF) activity was recorded with surface EMG and expressed as a percentage of the EMG amplitude recorded during a maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the respective muscles. Hip abduction in plank increased TrAIO, RA, and LMF EMG amplitude compared with other TRX positions (P hamstring curl was effective in inducing a high EMG amplitude of LMF (P 0.05). Hip abduction in plank most effectively activated abdominal muscles, whereas the hamstring curl most effectively activated the paraspinal muscles. Applying KT conferred no immediate benefits in improving the core muscle activation during TRX training in adults with chronic LBP.

Finger Vein Recognition Using Optimal Partitioning Uniform Rotation Invariant LBP Descriptor

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Bang Chao Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available As a promising biometric system, finger vein identification has been studied widely and many relevant researches have been proposed. However, it is hard to extract a satisfied finger vein pattern due to the various vein thickness, illumination, low contrast region, and noise existing. And most of the feature extraction algorithms rely on high-quality finger vein database and take a long time for a large dimensional feature vector. In this paper, we proposed two block selection methods which are based on the estimate of the amount of information in each block and the contribution of block location by looking at recognition rate of each block position to reduce feature extraction time and matching time. The specific approach is to find out some local finger vein areas with low-quality and noise, which will be useless for feature description. Local binary pattern (LBP descriptors are proposed to extract the finger vein pattern feature. Two finger vein databases are taken to test our algorithm performance. Experimental results show that proposed block selection algorithms can reduce the feature vector dimensionality in a large extent.

Prevalence of low back pain in working nurses in Zagazig University Hospitals: an epidemiological study

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Amany M Abou El-Soud

2014-01-01

Conclusion Prevalence of LBP is high among nurses, resulting in significant medical and socioprofessional consequences. Risk factors necessitate multidisciplinary involvement to reduce the incidence of LBP and related costs.

Does an online psychological intervention improve self-efficacy and disability in people also receiving Multimodal Manual Therapy for chronic low back pain compared to Multimodal Manual Therapy alone? Design of a randomized controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Petrozzi, M.J.; Leaver, A.; Jones, M.K.; Ferreira, P.H.; Rubinstein, S.M.; Mackey, M.G.

2015-01-01

Background: Various interventions are available for the treatment of chronic low back pain (LBP), including Manual Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the addition of an internet-based CBT program leads to better outcomes in patients who

Non-surgical periodontal therapy decreases serum elastase levels in aggressive but not in chronic periodontitis.

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Eickholz, Peter; Siegelin, Yasemin; Scharf, Susanne; Schacher, Beate; Oremek, Gerhard M; Sauer-Eppel, Hildegund; Schubert, Ralf; Wohlfeil, Martin

2013-04-01

Assessment of the effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy (SRP) on serum inflammatory parameters in patients with untreated aggressive (AgP) and chronic (ChP) periodontitis. Overall, 31 ChP and 29 AgP were examined clinically prior to and 12 weeks after SRP (subgingival scaling of all pockets within 2 days) with systemic antibiotics for patients positive for Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (14 AgP, 9 ChP). Blood was sampled prior to, one day, 6, and 12 weeks after the first SRP visit. Serum elastase, C-reactive protein (CRP), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), interleukin (IL) 6, 8, and leukocyte counts were assessed. At baseline, serum elastase, CRP, and LBP were significantly (p < 0.01) higher in AgP than ChP. Serum elastase, CRP, LBP, and IL-6 were significantly (p < 0.001) elevated one day after scaling in both groups. Both groups showed significant clinical improvement (p < 0.001). A significant difference was observed regarding change of serum elastase 12 weeks after SRP between AgP and ChP (p = 0.015). Multiple regression analysis revealed AgP, African origin, and bleeding on probing to be associated with more pronounced elastase reduction. CRP reduction was associated with African origin, systemic antibiotics, and baseline probing pocket depth. SRP results in serum elastase reduction in AgP but not in ChP. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Low back pain, radiculopathy, and bilateral proximal hamstring ruptures: a case report.

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Deren, Matthew E; DeFroda, Steven F; Mukand, Nita H; Mukand, Jon A

2015-12-01

Low back pain (LBP) is a common complaint in the United States, with an incidence of 6.3%-15.4% and yearly recurrence in 54%-90% of patients.1 Trends show more frequent diagnostic testing, opioid use, and surgical intervention as the incidence of LBP increases.2 LBP is defined as pain at and near the lumbosacral region that can vary with physical activity and time. LBP is usually related to pathology of muscles, ligaments, spinal column joints, nerve roots, and the spinal cord. During the assessment of LBP, practitioners must also consider less common causes of pain in that region. For instance, patients with indolent or nighttime pain may have infectious or malignant processes. Referred pain from injuries to pelvic musculature or abdominal contents should be considered, especially following a traumatic event. One of these injuries, which can present as acute low back pain, is rupture of the proximal hamstring tendon. On rare occasion, concomitant LBP, radiculopathy, and hamstring injuries can occur;. This diagnostic challenge is described in the following case.

Managing Low Back Pain in the Primary Care Setting: The Know-Do Gap

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N Ann Scott

2010-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To ascertain knowledge gaps in the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic low back pain (LBP in the primary care setting to prepare a scoping survey for identifying knowledge gaps in LBP management among Alberta’s primary care practitioners, and to identify potential barriers to implementing a multidisciplinary LBP guideline.

The effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on postural control in patients with chronic low back pain.

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Rojhani-Shirazi, Z; Rezaeian, T

2015-01-01

Objective: The effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on postural control in patients with low back pain which is not well known. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of TENS on postural control in chronic low back pain. Methods: This study was an experimental research design. Twenty-eight patients with chronic LBP (25-45 Y/ O) participated and by using a random allocation, were divided to samples who participated in this study. The mean center of pressure (COP) velocity and displacement were measured before, immediately and 30 min after the intervention. The tests were done with eyes open and closed on a force platform. Sensory electrical stimulation was applied through the TENS device. The descriptive statistics, independent sample T-test and ANOVA with repeated measurement on time were used for data analysis. Results: The results of the present study demonstrated that the application of the sensory electrical stimulation in chronic LBP patients showed a statistically significant improvement in postural control in Medio-lateral direction with no corresponding effect on the anterior-posterior direction immediately following the TENS application and 30 minutes after it in closed eyes conditions as compared to baseline. The application of TENS decreased the displacement and velocity of COP (p≤0.05), 30 minutes after the application of sensory electrical stimulation. The results showed that the mean displacement and velocity of COP decreased in eyes open position (p≤0.05). Also, immediately and 30 minutes after the application of sensory electrical stimulation, COP displacement and velocity in ML direction with eyes closed significantly decreased in the intervention group in comparison with control group (p≤0.05). Conclusion: The application of TENS in patients with chronic low back pain could improve postural control in these patients.

Optimization of the management of patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain

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E. Yu. Kalimeeva

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The management of patients with chronic (>3-month nonspecific pain in the lumbar region (low back pain (LBP is an actual problem of modern medicine. It is noted in many countries that an integrated approach to treating these patients is effective; however, this approach is not yet applied in our country.Objective: to clarify the efficiency of combination treatment using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT, therapeutic exercises in patients with nonspecific chronic LBP (NCLBP.Patients and methods. Sixty patients (19 men and 41 women; their mean age was 50.3±1.97 years with NCLP underwent a comprehensive clinical, neurological, and psychological examination and treatment and were followed up for 1 year.Results. It was ascertained that the frequency of erroneous beliefs about back pain was high in patients with NCLBP and these ideas and concomitant anxiety and depressive disorders, sleep disorders, and headache had a negative impact on treatment outcomes. The integrated approach using therapeutic exercises, CBT was noted to be effective in both the immediate (within 1 month and late (after 1 year period. During the follow-up, there was a considerable increase in the proportion of patients performing therapeutic exercises (from 28 to 85% after 3 months; adherence to the latter remained in most (71.7% patients.Conclusion. When patients with NCLP are managed, it is important to use therapeutic exercises, CBT (to clarify patients' ideas, to explain the true causes of this disease and its favorable outcome, and to identify and treat concomitant anxiety and depressive disorders, headache, and sleep disorders. 

Geographic Variation of Chronic Kidney Disease Prevalence: Correlation with the Incidence of Renal Cell Carcinoma or Urothelial Carcinoma?

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Yap, Yit-Sheung; Chuang, Kai-Wen; Chiang, Chun-Ju; Chuang, Hung-Yi; Lu, Sheng-Nan

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate whether geographic variations in the prevalence of late-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) exist and are associated with incidence rates of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), or lower tract urothelial carcinoma (LTUC). Prevalence rates of late-stage CKD for 366 townships (n > 30) in Taiwan were calculated for 1,518,241 and 1,645,151 subjects aged 40 years or older in years 2010 and 2009, respectively. Late-stage CKD prevalence in year 2010 was used as a training set and its age-adjusted standardized morbidity rates (ASMR) were divided into three groups as defined ASMR ASMR of late-stage CKD in years 2010 and 2009 were 1.76%, and 2.09%, respectively. Geographic variations were observed, with notably higher rates of disease in areas of the central, southwestern mountainside, and southeastern seaboard. There were no significant differences among different combined risk groups of RCC, UTUC, and LTUC incidence. The substantial geographic variations in the prevalence of late-stage CKD exist, but are not correlated with RCC, UTUC, or LTUC incidence.

Adaptation of muscles of the lumbar spine to sudden imbalance in patients with lower back pain caused by military training.

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Gao, Ying; Shi, Jian-guo; Ye, Hong; Liu, Zhi-rong; Zheng, Long-bao; Ni, Zhi-ming; Fan, Liang-quan; Wang, Jian; Hou, Zhen-hai

2014-11-01

This study aims to investigate the effects of sudden load changes (expected and unexpected imbalance) on the activity of muscles of the lumbar spine and their central motor control strategy in military personnel with or without chronic low back pain (LBP). Bilateral sudden imbalance was examined (2 × 2 factorial design). The 117th PLA Hospital, Hangzhou, China Twenty-one male subjects with lower back pain and 21 male healthy control subjects were active members of the Nanjing Military Region land forces. Independent variables: LBP vs. healthy controls and imbalance anticipation (expected and unexpected imbalance). rapid reaction time (RRT) and intensity of rapid reaction (IRR) of bilateral lumbar (L3-L4) erector spinae (ES), lumbar (L5-S1) multifidus (MF), and abdominal external oblique muscles. Results Under expected or unexpected sudden imbalance conditions, subjects with LBP demonstrated significantly greater IRR than healthy controls in ipsilateral and contralateral ES and MF, respectively (P imbalance prolonged RRT of selected trunk muscles in patients with chronic LBP. The activation amplitude increased. The results may provide a theoretical basis for a study on the pathogenesis of chronic LBP.

Minimally invasive arthrodesis for chronic sacroiliac joint dysfunction using the SImmetry SI Joint Fusion system

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Miller LE

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Larry E Miller,1,2 Jon E Block21Miller Scientific Consulting, Inc., Asheville, NC, USA; 2The Jon Block Group, San Francisco, CA, USA Abstract: Chronic sacroiliac (SI joint-related low back pain (LBP is a common, yet under-diagnosed and undertreated condition due to difficulties in accurate diagnosis and highly variable treatment practices. In patients with debilitating SI-related LBP for at least 6 months duration who have failed conservative management, arthrodesis is a viable option. The SImmetry® SI Joint Fusion System is a novel therapy for SI joint fusion, not just fixation, which utilizes a minimally invasive surgical approach, instrumented fixation for immediate stability, and joint preparation with bone grafting for a secure construct in the long term. The purpose of this report is to describe the minimally invasive SI Joint Fusion System, including patient selection criteria, implant characteristics, surgical technique, postoperative recovery, and biomechanical testing results. Advantages and limitations of this system will be discussed. Keywords: arthrodesis, fusion, minimally invasive, sacroiliac, SImmetry

Study protocol of cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of a biopsychosocial multidisciplinary intervention in the evolution of non-specific sub-acute low back pain in the working population: cluster randomised trial

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de Kort Nelleke

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Low back pain (LBP, with high incidence and prevalence rate, is one of the most common reasons to consult the health system and is responsible for a significant amount of sick leave, leading to high health and social costs. The objective of the study is to assess the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis of a multidisciplinary biopsychosocial educational group intervention (MBEGI of non-specific sub-acute LBP in comparison with the usual care in the working population recruited in primary healthcare centres. Methods/design The study design is a cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis of a MBEGI in comparison with the usual care of non-specific sub-acute LBP. Measures on effectiveness and costs of both interventions will be obtained from a cluster randomised controlled clinical trial carried out in 38 Catalan primary health care centres, enrolling 932 patients between 18 and 65 years old with a diagnosis of non-specific sub-acute LBP. Effectiveness measures are: pharmaceutical treatments, work sick leave (% and duration in days, Roland Morris disability, McGill pain intensity, Fear Avoidance Beliefs (FAB and Golberg Questionnaires. Utility measures will be calculated from the SF-12. The analysis will be performed from a social perspective. The temporal horizon is at 3 months (change to chronic LBP and 12 months (evaluate the outcomes at long term. Assessment of outcomes will be blinded and will follow the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion We hope to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of MBEGI, see an improvement in the patients' quality of life, achieve a reduction in the duration of episodes and the chronicity of non-specific low back pain, and be able to report a decrease in the social costs. If the intervention is cost-effectiveness and cost-utility, it could be applied to Primary Health Care Centres. Trial registration ISRCTN: ISRCTN58719694

Chiropractic and self-care for back-related leg pain: design of a randomized clinical trial

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Schulz Craig A

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Back-related leg pain (BRLP is a common variation of low back pain (LBP, with lifetime prevalence estimates as high as 40%. Often disabling, BRLP accounts for greater work loss, recurrences, and higher costs than uncomplicated LBP and more often leads to surgery with a lifetime incidence of 10% for those with severe BRLP, compared to 1-2% for those with LBP. In the US, half of those with back-related conditions seek CAM treatments, the most common of which is chiropractic care. While there is preliminary evidence suggesting chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy is beneficial for patients with BRLP, there is insufficient evidence currently available to assess the effectiveness of this care. Methods/Design This study is a two-site, prospective, parallel group, observer-blinded randomized clinical trial (RCT. A total of 192 study patients will be recruited from the Twin Cities, MN (n = 122 and Quad Cities area in Iowa and Illinois (n = 70 to the research clinics at WHCCS and PCCR, respectively. It compares two interventions: chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy (SMT plus home exercise program (HEP to HEP alone (minimal intervention comparison for patients with subacute or chronic back-related leg pain. Discussion Back-related leg pain (BRLP is a costly and often disabling variation of the ubiquitous back pain conditions. As health care costs continue to climb, the search for effective treatments with few side-effects is critical. While SMT is the most commonly sought CAM treatment for LBP sufferers, there is only a small, albeit promising, body of research to support its use for patients with BRLP. This study seeks to fill a critical gap in the LBP literature by performing the first full scale RCT assessing chiropractic SMT for patients with sub-acute or chronic BRLP using important patient-oriented and objective biomechanical outcome measures. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00494065

Incident Pneumonia and Mortality in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. A Double Effect of Inhaled Corticosteroids?

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Scanlon, Paul D.

2015-01-01

Inhaled corticosteroids are commonly prescribed for patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Although their use improves quality of life and reduces exacerbations, it is associated with increased risk of pneumonia. Curiously, their use has not been associated with increased risk of pneumonia-related or overall mortality. We review pertinent literature to further explore the effects of inhaled corticosteroids on incident pneumonia and mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The association of use of inhaled corticosteroids and incident pneumonia is substantial and has been present in the majority of the studies on the topic. This includes both randomized controlled trials and observational studies. However, all of the studies have substantial risk of bias. Most randomized trials are limited by lack of systematic ascertainment of pneumonia; they depended on adverse event reporting. Many observational studies included proper radiographic assessment of pneumonia, but they are limited by their retrospective, observational design. The unadjusted higher risk of pneumonia is associated with longer duration of use, more potent ICS compounds, and higher doses. That implies a dose–effect relationship. Unlike pneumonia, mortality is a precise outcome. Despite the robust association of inhaled corticosteroid use with increased risk of pneumonia, all studies find either no difference or a reduction in pulmonary-related and overall mortality associated with the use of inhaled corticosteroids. These observations suggest a double effect of inhaled corticosteroids (i.e., an adverse effect plus an unexplained mitigating effect). PMID:25409118

Yoga, Physical Therapy, or Education for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Noninferiority Trial.

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Saper, Robert B; Lemaster, Chelsey; Delitto, Anthony; Sherman, Karen J; Herman, Patricia M; Sadikova, Ekaterina; Stevans, Joel; Keosaian, Julia E; Cerrada, Christian J; Femia, Alexandra L; Roseen, Eric J; Gardiner, Paula; Gergen Barnett, Katherine; Faulkner, Carol; Weinberg, Janice

2017-07-18

Yoga is effective for mild to moderate chronic low back pain (cLBP), but its comparative effectiveness with physical therapy (PT) is unknown. Moreover, little is known about yoga's effectiveness in underserved patients with more severe functional disability and pain. To determine whether yoga is noninferior to PT for cLBP. 12-week, single-blind, 3-group randomized noninferiority trial and subsequent 40-week maintenance phase. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01343927). Academic safety-net hospital and 7 affiliated community health centers. 320 predominantly low-income, racially diverse adults with nonspecific cLBP. Participants received 12 weekly yoga classes, 15 PT visits, or an educational book and newsletters. The maintenance phase compared yoga drop-in classes versus home practice and PT booster sessions versus home practice. Primary outcomes were back-related function, measured by the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), and pain, measured by an 11-point scale, at 12 weeks. Prespecified noninferiority margins were 1.5 (RMDQ) and 1.0 (pain). Secondary outcomes included pain medication use, global improvement, satisfaction with intervention, and health-related quality of life. One-sided 95% lower confidence limits were 0.83 (RMDQ) and 0.97 (pain), demonstrating noninferiority of yoga to PT. However, yoga was not superior to education for either outcome. Yoga and PT were similar for most secondary outcomes. Yoga and PT participants were 21 and 22 percentage points less likely, respectively, than education participants to use pain medication at 12 weeks. Improvements in yoga and PT groups were maintained at 1 year with no differences between maintenance strategies. Frequency of adverse events, mostly mild self-limited joint and back pain, did not differ between the yoga and PT groups. Participants were not blinded to treatment assignment. The PT group had disproportionate loss to follow-up. A manualized yoga program for nonspecific cLBP was noninferior to PT for

Biomechanical aspects of nonspecific back pain

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Ridwan Harrianto

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Low back pain (LBP is a common problem in adult life, since despite its benign nature it is commonly associated with incapacity, productivity loss due to sick leave, and correspondingly high costs to the individual worker. Psychosocial and lifestyle factors and work-place exposures have been implicated in the onset of symptoms. Heavy physical work, static work postures, frequent bending and twisting, lifting and postural movements, repetitive work, and whole body vibrations are occupational factors associated with LBP. The usual classification of LBP is related to the duration of the complaints (acute, subacute, and chronic. However, these terms fail to take into account several clinically important aspects of the course of LBP, which is frequently recurrent and thus neither acute nor chronic. More realistically, LBP should be classified as specific and nonspecific. Approximately 90% of LBP cases have no identifiable cause and is designated nonspecific LBP. However, despite its high prevalence, the etiology and nature of nonspecific LBP are not yet well understood. Its pathophysiology remains complex and multifaceted. Multiple anatomic structures and elements of the lumbar spine (e.g. bones, ligaments, tendons, discs, and muscles are all suspected of playing a role. Many of these components of the lumbar spine have sensory innervations that can generate nociceptive signals in response to tissue-damaging stimuli. Other causes could be neuropathic (e.g. sciatica. Some cases of LBP most likely involve mixed nociceptive and neuropathic etiologies.

Incidence and description of autoimmune cytopenias during treatment with ibrutinib for chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

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Rogers, K A; Ruppert, A S; Bingman, A; Andritsos, L A; Awan, F T; Blum, K A; Flynn, J M; Jaglowski, S M; Lozanski, G; Maddocks, K J; Byrd, J C; Woyach, J A; Jones, J A

2016-02-01

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is frequently complicated by secondary autoimmune cytopenias (AICs). Ibrutinib is an irreversible inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase approved for the treatment of relapsed CLL and CLL with del(17p). The effect of ibrutinib treatment on the incidence of AIC is currently unknown. We reviewed medical records of 301 patients treated with ibrutinib, as participants in therapeutic clinical trials at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center between July 2010 and July 2014. Subjects were reviewed with respect to past history of AIC, and treatment-emergent AIC cases were identified. Before starting ibrutinib treatment, 26% of patients had experienced AIC. Information was available for a total of 468 patient-years of ibrutinib exposure, during which there were six cases of treatment-emergent AIC. This corresponds to an estimated incidence rate of 13 episodes for every 1000 patient-years of ibrutinib treatment. We further identified 22 patients receiving therapy for AIC at the time ibrutinib was started. Of these 22 patients, 19 were able to discontinue AIC therapy. We found that ibrutinib treatment is associated with a low rate of treatment-emergent AIC. Patients with an existing AIC have been successfully treated with ibrutinib and subsequently discontinued AIC therapy.

Anxiety and depression in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME): Examining the incidence of health anxiety in CFS/ME.

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Daniels, Jo; Brigden, Amberly; Kacorova, Adela

2017-09-01

There is a lack of research examining the incidence of health anxiety in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME), despite this being an important research area with potentially significant clinical implications. This preliminary study aimed to determine the incidence of anxiety and depression, more specifically health anxiety, in a sample of CFS/ME patients over a 3-month period. The research was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study, using a consecutive sample of patients who were assessed in a CFS/ME service. Data were taken from the Short Health Anxiety Inventory and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to identify incidence of anxiety, depression, and health anxiety. Data were collected from 45 CFS/ME patients over the sampling period. Thirty-one patients (68.9%) scored above the normal range but within the subclinical range of health anxiety, and 19 patients (42.2%) scored within the clinically significant health anxiety range. Anxiety and depression were common, with prevalence rates of 42.2% and 33.3% respectively, which is comparable to data found in a recent large-scale trial. Health anxiety in CFS/ME patients is likely to be common and warrants further investigation to provide a better insight into how this may influence treatment and symptom management. Anxiety and depression were common in a sample of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) patients, with a high proportion meeting criteria for severe health anxiety. While CFS/ME and health anxiety are distinct and separate conditions, it is unsurprising that patients with CFS/ME, who commonly report feeling 'delegitimized', may experience high levels of anxiety relating to their physical symptoms. Clinicians should consider screening for health anxiety due to the possible clinical implications for treatment; mutual maintenance may negatively influence treatment success in a complex condition such as CFS/ME. Health anxiety has been found to be common

Efficacy of Prone Lumbar Traction on Chronic Discogenic Low Back Pain and Disability

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Mahmoud Beyki

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To compare the outcomes of prone and supine lumbar traction in patients with chronic discogenic low back pain. Methods: The test was prospective and randomized control trial. The structure of trial was Urban Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation clinic. Participants was included of A total of 124 subjects with chronic low back pain (LBP and evidence of a degenerative and/or herniated inter-vertebral disk at 1 or more levels of the lumbar spine, who have not our exclusion criteria. There was A 4-week course of lumbar traction, prone or supine in case and control groups consecutively, consisting of six 30-minute sessions every other days, followed by four 30-minute sessions every 3 days. The numeric Visual pain rating scale and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI were completed at pre-intervention and discharge (within 2 weeks of the last visit. Results: A total of 124 subjects completed the treatment protocol. We noted significant improvements for all post-intervention outcome scores when compared with pre-intervention scores (P<0.01. Also found significant difference between 2 groups in favor of prone traction (P<0.01 Discussion: Traction applied in the prone position for 4 weeks was associated with improvements in pain intensity and ODI scores at discharge, in a sample of patients with activity limiting LBP. However, because we lacked a reasonable long time follow-up, we cannot imply a long lasting relationship between the traction and outcome, and a long time follow-up is suggested.

Chronic Endotoxemia in Subjects with Type-1 Diabetes Is Seen Much before the Onset of Microvascular Complications.

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Vivekanandhan Aravindhan

Full Text Available Lipopolysaccharide (LPS/Endotoxin is hypothesized to play an important role in chronic inflammation associated with Type-1 diabetes (T1DM and its complications. Endotoxin core antibodies (EndoCAb, LPS binding protein (LBP and soluble CD14 (sCD14 act as modulators of LPS induced activation of innate immune system in vivo. For the present study we estimated the levels of LPS and its translocation markers in T1DM subjects with and without microvascular complications (MVC and correlate them with clinical parameters of T1DM and serum inflammatory cytokine levels (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and GM-CSF.A total of 197 subjects (64 normal glucose tolerance (NGT subjects, 97 T1DM subjects without MVC and 36 with MVC were included in this study and the levels of serum LPS, its translocation markers and cytokines measured by immunoassays.Compared to NGT, T1DM subjects (both with and without MVC had significantly higher levels of LPS, reduced levels of LBP and EndoCAb along with significant increase in the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and GM-CSF (p<0.05. No significant change was seen in the levels of these biomarkers between T1DM subjects with and without MVC.Decreased levels of EndoCAb and LBP suggest sustained endotoxin activity in T1DM subjects even before the onset of microvascular complications.

Mixed-methods development of a new patient-reported outcome instrument for chronic low back pain: part 1-the Patient Assessment for Low Back Pain - Symptoms (PAL-S).

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Martin, Mona L; Blum, Steven I; Liedgens, Hiltrud; Bushnell, Donald M; McCarrier, Kelly P; Hatley, Noël V; Ramasamy, Abhilasha; Freynhagen, Rainer; Wallace, Mark; Argoff, Charles; Eerdekens, Mariёlle; Kok, Maurits; Patrick, Donald L

2018-06-01

We describe the mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative) development and preliminary validation of the Patient Assessment for Low Back Pain-Symptoms (PAL-S), a patient-reported outcome measure for use in chronic low back pain (cLBP) clinical trials. Qualitative methods (concept elicitation and cognitive interviews) were used to identify and refine symptom concepts and quantitative methods (classical test theory and Rasch measurement theory) were used to evaluate item- and scale-level performance of the measure using an iterative approach. Patients with cLBP participated in concept elicitation interviews (N = 43), cognitive interviews (N = 38), and interview-based assessment of paper-to-electronic mode equivalence (N = 8). A web-based sample of patients with self-reported cLBP participated in quantitative studies to evaluate preliminary (N = 598) and revised (n = 401) drafts and a physician-diagnosed cohort of patients with cLBP (N = 45) participated in preliminary validation of the measure. The PAL-S contained 14 items describing symptoms (overall pain, sharp, prickling, sensitive, tender, radiating, shocking, shooting, burning, squeezing, muscle spasms, throbbing, aching, and stiffness). Item-level performance, scale structure, and scoring seemed to be appropriate. One-week test-retest reproducibility was acceptable (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.81 [95% confidence interval, 0.61-0.91]). Convergent validity was demonstrated with total score and MOS-36 Bodily Pain (Pearson correlation -0.79), Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (0.73), Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (0.67), and MOS-36 Physical Functioning (-0.65). Individual item scores and total score discriminated between numeric rating scale tertile groups and painDETECT categories. Respondent interpretation of paper and electronic administration modes was equivalent. The PAL-S has demonstrated content validity and is potentially useful to assess treatment benefit in cLBP clinical trials.

Long-term prognosis of acute low back pain in patients seen in general practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schiøttz-Christensen, Berit; Nielsen, G L; Hansen, V K

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine the prognosis of acute low back pain (LBP) in patients in general practice and to identify prognostic factors associated with the long-term prognosis based on information immediately available to the GP. METHOD: We conducted a prospective cohort study in general...... to develop chronic LBP and (iii) a history of LBP having caused previous sick leave. CONCLUSIONS: LBP in general practice has a good prognosis with regard to sick leave, but a high proportion of patients continue to complain of LBP. We were not able to identify objective measures that strongly predict...

Nature and Determinants of the Course of Chronic Low Back Pain Over a 12-Month Period: A Cluster Analysis

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Maher, Christopher G.; Latimer, Jane; McAuley, James H.; Hodges, Paul W.; Rogers, W. Todd

2014-01-01

Background It has been suggested that low back pain (LBP) is a condition with an unpredictable pattern of exacerbation, remission, and recurrence. However, there is an incomplete understanding of the course of LBP and the determinants of the course. Objective The purposes of this study were: (1) to identify clusters of LBP patients with similar fluctuating pain patterns over time and (2) to investigate whether demographic and clinical characteristics can distinguish these clusters. Design This study was a secondary analysis of data extracted from a randomized controlled trial. Methods Pain scores were collected from 155 participants with chronic nonspecific LBP. Pain intensity was measured monthly over a 1-year period by mobile phone short message service. Cluster analysis was used to identify participants with similar fluctuating patterns of pain based on the pain measures collected over a year, and t tests were used to evaluate if the clusters differed in terms of baseline characteristics. Results The cluster analysis revealed the presence of 3 main clusters. Pain was of fluctuating nature within 2 of the clusters. Out of the 155 participants, 21 (13.5%) had fluctuating pain. Baseline disability (measured with the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire) and treatment groups (from the initial randomized controlled trial) were significantly different in the clusters of patients with fluctuating pain when compared with the cluster of patients without fluctuating pain. Limitations A limitation of this study was the fact that participants were undergoing treatment that may have been responsible for the rather positive prognosis observed. Conclusions A small number of patients with fluctuating patterns of pain over time were identified. This number could increase if individuals with episodic pain are included in this fluctuating group. PMID:24072729

Incidence of Infection and Inhospital Mortality in Patients With Chronic Renal Failure After Total Joint Arthroplasty.

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Erkocak, Omer F; Yoo, Joanne Y; Restrepo, Camilo; Maltenfort, Mitchell G; Parvizi, Javad

2016-11-01

Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) may require total joint arthroplasty (TJA) to treat degenerative joint disease, fractures, osteonecrosis, or amyloid arthropathy. There have been conflicting results, however, regarding outcomes of TJA in patients with chronic renal disease. The aim of this case-controlled study was to determine the outcome of TJA in patients with CRF, with particular interest in the incidence of infections and inhospital mortality. We queried our electronic database to determine which patients among the 29,389 TJAs performed at our institution between January 2000 and June 2012 had a diagnosis of CRF. A total of 359 CRF patients were identified and matched for procedure, gender, age (±4 years), date of surgery (±2 years), and body mass index (±5 kg/m 2 ) in a 2:1 ratio to 718 control patients. The incidence of infection and inhospital mortality was not significantly different between the nondialysis CRF patients and controls, whereas it was significantly higher in dialysis-dependent end-stage renal failure patients compared to controls. Of the 50 CRF patients receiving hemodialysis, 10 (20%) developed surgical site infection, of which 4 (8%) were periprosthetic joint infection, and 4 (8%) died during hospital stay. The odds ratio for infection in the dialysis group was 7.54 (95% confidence interval: 2.83-20.12) and 10.46 (95% confidence interval: 1.67-65.34) for the inhospital mortality. We conclude that end-stage renal failure patients receiving hemodialysis have higher postoperative infection and inhospital mortality rates after an elective TJA procedure, whereas nondialysis CRF patients have similar outcomes compared with the general TJA population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association of lumbar spine stiffness and flexion-relaxation phenomenon with patient-reported outcomes in adults with chronic low back pain - a single-arm clinical trial investigating the effects of thrust spinal manipulation.

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Xia, Ting; Long, Cynthia R; Vining, Robert D; Gudavalli, Maruti R; DeVocht, James W; Kawchuk, Gregory N; Wilder, David G; Goertz, Christine M

2017-06-09

Spinal manipulation (SM) is used commonly for treating low back pain (LBP). Spinal stiffness is routinely assessed by clinicians performing SM. Flexion-relaxation ratio (FRR) was shown to distinguish between LBP and healthy populations. The primary objective of this study was to examine the association of these two physiological variables with patient-reported pain intensity and disability in adults with chronic LBP (>12 weeks) receiving SM. A single-arm trial provided 12 sessions of side-lying thrust SM in the lumbosacral region over 6 weeks. Inclusion criteria included 21-65 years old, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) score ≥ 6 and numerical pain rating score ≥ 2. Spinal stiffness and FRR were assessed pre-treatment at baseline, after 2 weeks and after 6 weeks of treatment. Lumbar spine global stiffness (GS) were calculated from the force-displacement curves obtained using i) hand palpation, ii) a hand-held device, and iii) an automated indenter device. Lumbar FRR was assessed during trunk flexion-extension using surface electromyography. The primary outcomes were RMDQ and pain intensity measured by visual analog scale (VAS). Mixed-effects regression models were used to analyze the data. The mean age of the 82 participants was 45 years; 48% were female; and 84% reported LBP >1 year. The mean (standard deviation) baseline pain intensity and RMDQ were 46.1 (18.1) and 9.5 (4.3), respectively. The mean reduction (95% confidence interval) after 6 weeks in pain intensity and RMDQ were 20.1 mm (14.1 to 26.1) and 4.8 (3.7 to 5.8). There was a small change over time in the palpatory GS but not in the hand-held or automated GS, nor in FRR. The addition of each physiologic variable did not affect the model-estimated changes in VAS or RMDQ over time. There was no association seen between physiological variables and LBP intensity. Higher levels of hand-held GS at L3 and automated GS were significantly associated with higher levels of RMDQ (p

A prospective study of the cumulative incidence and course of restless legs syndrome in de novo patients with Parkinson's disease during chronic dopaminergic therapy.

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Marchesi, Elena; Negrotti, Anna; Angelini, Monica; Goldoni, Matteo; Abrignani, Giorgia; Calzetti, Stefano

2016-03-01

The authors report the cumulative incidence of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) over a 3 years follow-up period in 92 de novo Parkinson's disease patients under chronic dopaminergic therapy and the clinical course of the sensory-motor disorder over 12 months as from its onset. The overall cumulative incidence of RLS was found by 15.3%, i.e. 14 incident cases, and by 11.9%, i.e. 11 incident cases, after the exclusion of possible "secondary" forms of the disorder. These figures are higher than those reported in general population in Germany (Study of Health in Pomerania), confirming our previous findings of incidence rate of the disorder. At the end of the 3 years follow-up period the prevalence of "current" RLS was significantly higher than that previously found in drug naïve Parkinson's disease patients and in controls, supporting the view that RLS emerging in the course of chronic dopaminergic therapy is the main determinant of the co-morbid association with Parkinson's disease. During the 12 months period of observation the RLS showed a frequency of occurrence of 6.08 episodes per month on average and a remittent clinical course was prevailing in the 11 incident cases, with a significant frequency decrease in the second as compared to the first 6 months, i.e. 3.26 versus 8.9 episodes per month, and none of the patients developed augmentation in the same period. It is hypothesized that the remittent course could be due to long-term adaptation (downregulation) of the hypersensitive post-synaptic dopamine receptors in the spinal cord to a continuous dopaminergic stimulation, possibly coupled with compensatory up-regulation of pre-synaptic dopamine re-uptake mechanism, in the patients in which the hypothalamic A11 area, site of origin of the dopamine-mediated diencephalo-spinal pathway, is involved in the neurodegenerative process.

The NIOSH lifting equation and low-back pain, Part 1: Association with low-back pain in the backworks prospective cohort study.

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Garg, Arun; Boda, Sruthi; Hegmann, Kurt T; Moore, J Steven; Kapellusch, Jay M; Bhoyar, Parag; Thiese, Matthew S; Merryweather, Andrew; Deckow-Schaefer, Gwen; Bloswick, Donald; Malloy, Elizabeth J

2014-02-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate relationships between the revised NIOSH lifting equation (RNLE) and risk of low-back pain (LBP). The RNLE is commonly used to quantify job physical stressors to the low back from lifting and/or lowering of loads. There is no prospective study on the relationship between RNLE and LBP that includes accounting for relevant covariates. A cohort of 258 incident-eligible workers from 30 diverse facilities was followed for up to 4.5 years. Job physical exposures were individually measured. Worker demographics, medical history, psychosocial factors, hobbies, and current LBP were obtained at baseline. The cohort was followed monthly to ascertain development of LBP and quarterly to determine changes in job physical exposure. The relationship between LBP and peak lifting index (PLI) and peak composite lifting index (PCLI) were tested in multivariate models using proportional hazards regression. Point and lifetime prevalences of LBP at baseline were 7.1% and 75.1%, respectively. During follow-up, there were 123 incident LBP cases. Factors predicting development of LBP included job physical exposure (PLI and PCLI), history of LBP, psychosocial factors, and housework. In adjusted models, risk (hazard ratio [HR]) increased per-unit increase in PLI and PCLI (p = .05 and .02; maximum HR = 4.3 and 4.2, respectively). PLI suggested a continuous increase in risk with an increase in PLI, whereas the PCLI showed elevated, but somewhat reduced, risk at higher exposures. Job physical stressors are associated with increased risk of LBP. Data suggest that the PLI and PCLI are useful metrics for estimating exposure to job physical stressors.

High incidence of adrenal crisis in educated patients with chronic adrenal insufficiency: a prospective study.

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Hahner, Stefanie; Spinnler, Christina; Fassnacht, Martin; Burger-Stritt, Stephanie; Lang, Katharina; Milovanovic, Danijela; Beuschlein, Felix; Willenberg, Holger S; Quinkler, Marcus; Allolio, Bruno

2015-02-01

Adrenal crisis (AC) is a life-threatening complication of adrenal insufficiency (AI), which according to retrospective data represents a significant clinical complication. Here we aimed to prospectively assess incidence of AC and mortality associated with AC in patients with chronic AI. A total of 423 patients with AI (primary AI, n = 221; secondary AI, n = 202) were prospectively followed up for 2 years. Baseline assessment included a general questionnaire and detailed written instructions on glucocorticoid dose adaptation during stress. Patients received follow-up questionnaires every 6 months and were contacted by phone in case of reported adrenal crisis. A total of 423 data sets were available for baseline analysis, and 364 patients (86%) completed the whole study. Sixy-four AC in 767.5 patient-years were documented (8.3 crises per 100 patient-years). Precipitating causes were mainly gastrointestinal infection, fever, and emotional stress (20%, respectively) but also other stressful events (eg, major pain, surgery, strenuous physical activity, heat, pregnancy) or unexplained sudden onset of AC (7%) were documented. Patients with a previous AC were at higher risk of crisis (odds ratio 2.85, 95% confidence interval 1.5-5.5, P cases death was associated with AC (0.5 AC related deaths per 100 patient-years). Even in educated patients with chronic adrenal insufficiency, AC occurs in a substantial proportion of cases. Furthermore, we identified AC-associated mortality in approximately 6% of AC. Our findings further emphasize the need for improved management of AC in patients with chronic AI.

The association between changes in lifestyle behaviors and the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in middle-aged and older?men

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Michishita, Ryoma; Matsuda, Takuro; Kawakami, Shotaro; Tanaka, Satoshi; Kiyonaga, Akira; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Morito, Natsumi; Higaki, Yasuki

2017-01-01

Background: This study was designed to evaluate whether changes in lifestyle behaviors are correlated with the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: The subjects consisted of 316 men without a history of cardiovascular disease, stroke, or renal dysfunction or dialysis treatment. The following lifestyle behaviors were evaluated using a standardized self-administered questionnaire: habitual moderate exercise, daily physical activity, walking speed, eating speed, late-night din...

What have we learned from ten years of trajectory research in low back pain?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kongsted, Alice; Kent, Peter; Axén, Iben

2016-01-01

, a number of subsequent studies have also identified LBP trajectories and it is timely to provide an overview of their findings and discuss how insights into these trajectories may be helpful for improving our understanding of LBP and its clinical management. Discussion: LBP trajectories in adults have been......, and as a tool to support communication with patients. Conclusions: Investigations of trajectories underpin the notion that differentiation between acute and chronic LBP is overly simplistic, and we believe it is time to shift from this paradigm to one that focuses on trajectories over time. We suggest...

Preliminary study into the components of the fear-avoidance model of LBP: change after an initial chiropractic visit and influence on outcome

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Newell Dave

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the last decade the sub grouping of low back pain (LBP patients according to their likely response to treatment has been identified as a research priority. As with other patient groups, researchers have found few if any factors from the case history or physical examination that are helpful in predicting the outcome of chiropractic care. However, in the wider LBP population psychosocial factors have been identified that are significantly prognostic. This study investigated changes in the components of the LBP fear-avoidance beliefs model in patients pre- and post- their initial visit with a chiropractor to determine if there was a relationship with outcomes at 1 month. Methods Seventy one new patients with lower back pain as their primary complaint presenting for chiropractic care to one of five clinics (nine chiropractors completed questionnaires before their initial visit (pre-visit and again just before their second appointment (post-visit. One month after the initial consultation, patient global impression of change (PGIC scores were collected. Pre visit and post visit psychological domain scores were analysed for any association with outcomes at 1 month. Results Group mean scores for Fear Avoidance Beliefs (FAB, catastrophisation and self-efficacy were all improved significantly within a few days of a patient's initial chiropractic consultation. Pre-visit catastrophisation as well as post-visit scores for catastrophisation, back beliefs (inevitability and self-efficacy were weakly correlated with patient's global impression of change (PGIC at 1 month. However when the four assessed psychological variables were dichotomised about pre-visit group medians those individuals with 2 or more high variables post-visit had a substantially increased risk (OR 36.4 (95% CI 6.2-213.0 of poor recovery at 1 month. Seven percent of patients with 1 or fewer adverse psychological variables described poor benefit compared to 73% of those

Proline-Based Cyclic Dipeptides from Korean Fermented Vegetable Kimchi and from Leuconostoc mesenteroides LBP-K06 Have Activities against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

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Liu, Rui; Kim, Andrew H; Kwak, Min-Kyu; Kang, Sa-Ouk

2017-01-01

Lactobacillus plantarum and Leuconostoc mesenteroides play a prominent role as functional starters and predominant isolates in the production of various types of antimicrobial compound-containing fermented foods, especially including kimchi. In the case of the bioactive cyclic dipeptides, their racemic diastereomers inhibitory to bacteria and fungi have been suggested to come solely from Lactobacillus spp. of these strains. We previously demonstrated the antifungal and antiviral activities of proline-based cyclic dipeptides, which were fractionated from culture filtrates of Lb. plantarum LBP-K10 originated from kimchi. However, cyclic dipeptides have not been identified in the filtrates, either from cultures or fermented subject matter, driven by Ln. mesenteroides , which have been widely used as starter cultures for kimchi fermentation. Most importantly, the experimental verification of cyclic dipeptide-content changes during kimchi fermentation have also not been elucidated. Herein, the antibacterial fractions, including cyclo(Leu-Pro) and cyclo(Phe-Pro), from Ln. mesenteroides LBP-K06 culture filtrates, which exhibited a typical chromatographic retention behavior (t R ), were identified by using semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Based on this finding, the proline-based cyclic dipeptides, including cyclo(Ser-Pro), cyclo(Tyr-Pro), and cyclo(Leu-Pro), were additionally identified in the filtrates only when fermenting Chinese cabbage produced with Ln. mesenteroides LBP-K06 starter cultures. The detection and isolation of cyclic dipeptides solely in controlled fermented cabbage were conducted under the control of fermentation-process parameters concomitantly with strong CDP selectivity by using a two-consecutive-purification strategy. Interestingly, cyclic dipeptides in the filtrates, when using this strain as a starter, increased with fermentation time. However, no cyclic dipeptides were observed in the

Effects of Hydrotherapy on postural control and electromyography parameters in men with chronic non-specific low back pain

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Mahdi Mahjur

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of hydrotherapy on postural control and electromyography parameters in men with chronic non-specific low back pain. Thirty men with chronic non-specific LBP divided into two hydrotherapy and control groups, randomly and equally. Electromyographic activity of erector spinae muscles and balance measured for both of groups before and after intervention. Hydrotherapy program was consisted of 24 sessions. Subjects in control group didn’t have any special activity. Two-way variance was used to interpret the data and correlated and independent T-tests were used for analysis of data at the significance level of (P0.05. However, a significant difference observed between two groups in balance index (P<0.05.

Dry Eye Disease Incidence Associated with Chronic Graft-Host Disease: Nonconcurrent Cohort Study (An American Ophthalmological Society Thesis)

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Mian, Shahzad I.; De la Parra-Colín, Paola; De Melo-Franco, Rafael; Johnson, Christopher; Barrientos-Gutierrez, Tonatiuh

2015-01-01

Purpose: To determine if chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is associated with stable or progressive dry eye disease and to determine the true incidence in patients with no prior history of dry eye disease. Methods: A nonconcurrent cohort study at a single institution with 136 patients who had no previous history of dry eye disease before HSCT. Survival analysis was used to estimate dry eye disease incidence. The incidence rate was calculated using life tables as the number of observed dry eye disease cases divided by the person-time at risk accumulated by the cohort. Transition probabilities were calculated from time of transplant to time of diagnosis, and then to last recorded visit. Results: Incidence rate was 0.8 cases of dry eye disease per person-year, and half of the population at risk developed dry eye disease during the first 10 months post transplant. Time to develop dry eye disease was 2.5 months for mild dry eye disease, 9.6 months for moderate dry eye disease, and 13.2 months for severe dry eye disease. In terms of cumulative incidence, 73% of subjects developed dry eye disease (50% mild, 16% moderate, and 7% severe) at the time of diagnosis. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that dry eye disease associated with cGVHD is an extremely frequent event and shows a wide spectrum of severity, with a mild form presenting early and a moderate to severe form presenting later after HSCT. These findings need to be studied further to elucidate if these are two different pathophysiological entities or just different expressions of the same pathology. PMID:27507907

Individuals with chronic low back pain have greater difficulty in engaging in positive lifestyle behaviours than those without back pain: An assessment of health literacy

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Burnett Angus F

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the large volume of research dedicated to understanding chronic low back pain (CLBP, patient outcomes remain modest while healthcare costs continue to rise, creating a major public health burden. Health literacy - the ability to seek, understand and utilise health information - has been identified as an important factor in the course of other chronic conditions and may be important in the aetiology of CLBP. Many of the currently available health literacy measurement tools are limited since they measure narrow aspects of health literacy. The Health Literacy Measurement Scale (HeLMS was developed recently to measure broader elements of health literacy. The aim of this study was to measure broad elements of health literacy among individuals with CLBP and without LBP using the HeLMS. Methods Thirty-six community-dwelling adults with CLBP and 44 with no history of LBP responded to the HeLMS. Individuals were recruited as part of a larger community-based spinal health study in Western Australia. Scores for the eight domains of the HeLMS as well as individual item responses were compared between the groups. Results HeLMS scores were similar between individuals with and without CLBP for seven of the eight health literacy domains (p > 0.05. However, compared to individuals with no history of LBP, those with CLBP had a significantly lower score in the domain 'Patient attitudes towards their health' (mean difference [95% CI]: 0.46 [0.11-0.82] and significantly lower scores for each of the individual items within this domain (p d = 0.47-0.65. Conclusions Although no differences were identified in HeLMS scores between the groups for seven of the health literacy domains, adults with CLBP reported greater difficulty in engaging in general positive health behaviours. This aspect of health literacy suggests that self-management support initiatives may benefit individuals with CLBP.

Codeine Shopping Behavior in a Retrospective Cohort of Chronic Noncancer Pain Patients: Incidence and Risk Factors.

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Chenaf, Chouki; Kabore, Jean-Luc; Delorme, Jessica; Pereira, Bruno; Mulliez, Aurélien; Roche, Lucie; Eschalier, Alain; Delage, Noémie; Authier, Nicolas

2016-12-01

Codeine is a widely used opioid analgesic but studies on its misuse in chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) are still lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of codeine shopping behavior in CNCP patients and to identify the associated risk factors. This was a population-based retrospective cohort study from the French health insurance claims database from 2004 to 2014. The main outcome was the one-year incidence of codeine shopping behavior defined as ≥1 day of overlapping prescriptions written by ≥2 different prescribers and filled in ≥3 different pharmacies. A total of 1,958 CNCP patients treated with codeine were included, with a mean age of 62.7 ± 16.1 years, 36.8% men. The 1-year incidence rate of codeine shopping behavior was 4.03% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.07-5.28). In multivariate analysis, risk factors associated with shopping behavior were younger age (≤40 years) (hazard ratio [HR] = 7.29; 95% CI, 4.28-12.42), mental health disorders (HR = 2.25; 95% CI, 1.08-4.67), concurrent use of anxiolytic benzodiazepines (HR = 3.12; 95% CI, 1.55-6.26), and previous use of strong opioids (HR = 2.94; 95% CI, 1.24-6.98). The incidence of codeine shopping behavior in CNCP patients was 4% and risk factors identified were shared with those of opioid abuse. Shopping behavior for codeine was not infrequent in CNCP patients. The risk factors identified in this study are similar to those identified for opioid abuse in other studies. Appropriate use of codeine from the perspectives of patients and healthcare providers should be encouraged. Copyright © 2016 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of MELT method on thoracolumbar connective tissue: The full study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanjana, Faria; Chaudhry, Hans; Findley, Thomas

2017-01-01

Altered connective tissue structure has been identified in adults with chronic low back pain (LBP). A self-care treatment for managing LBP is the MELT method. The MELT method is a hands-off, self-treatment that is said to alleviate chronic pain, release tension and restore mobility, utilizing specialized soft treatments balls, soft body roller and techniques mimicking manual therapy. The objective of this study was to determine whether thickness of thoracolumbar connective tissue and biomechanical and viscoelastic properties of myofascial tissue in the low back region change in subjects with chronic LBP as a result of MELT. This study was designed using a quasi experimental pre-post- design that analyzed data from subjects who performed MELT. Using ultrasound imaging and an algorithm developed in MATLAB, thickness of thoracolumbar connective tissue was analyzed in 22 subjects. A hand-held digital palpation device, called the MyotonPRO, was used to assess biomechanical properties such as stiffness, elasticity, tone and mechanical stress relaxation time of the thoracolumbar myofascial tissue. A forward bending test assessing flexibility and pain scale was added to see if MELT affected subjects with chronic LBP. A significant decrease in connective tissue thickness and pain was observed in participants. Significant increase in flexibility was also recorded. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How consistent are lordosis, range of movement and lumbo-pelvic rhythm in people with and without back pain?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laird, Robert A; Kent, Peter; Keating, Jennifer L

2016-01-01

with and without chronic LBP (>12 week's duration). METHODS: Wireless, wearable, inertial measurement units measured lumbar lordosis angle, range of movement (ROM) and lumbo-pelvic rhythm in adults (n = 63). Measurements were taken on three separate occasions: two tests on the same day with different raters...... participants with and without LBP for lordosis angle. There were significant differences for pelvic flexion ROM (LBP 60.8°, NoLBP 54.8°, F(1,63) = 4.31, p = 0.04), lumbar right lateral flexion ROM (LBP 22.2°, NoLBP 24.6° F(1,63) = 4.48, p = .04), trunk right lateral flexion ROM (LBP 28.4°, NoLBP 31.7°, F(1......,63) = 5.9, p = .02) and lumbar contribution to lumbo-pelvic rhythm in the LBP group (LBP 45.8 %, F(1,63) = 4.20, NoLBP 51.3 % p = .044). MDC90 estimates for intra and inter-rater comparisons were 10°-15° for lumbar lordosis, and 5°-15° for most ROM. For lumbo-pelvic rhythm, we found 8-15 % variation...

Osteoporosis in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Niklas Rye; Schwarz, Peter

2008-01-01

The purpose of this review is to examine the state of knowledge and clinical practice in the association of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to osteoporosis and fracture incidence.......The purpose of this review is to examine the state of knowledge and clinical practice in the association of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to osteoporosis and fracture incidence....

Serum 25(OH)D and incident type 2 diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Husemoen, L L N; Skaaby, T; Thuesen, B H

2012-01-01

Mild to moderate vitamin D insufficiency has been proposed as a risk factor for several common chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to examine the association between serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) and incident diabetes.......Mild to moderate vitamin D insufficiency has been proposed as a risk factor for several common chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to examine the association between serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) and incident diabetes....

Herbal medicine for low-back pain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oltean, H.; Robbins, C.S.; van Tulder, M.W.; Berman, B.M.; Bombardier, C.; Gagnier, J.J.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Low-back pain (LBP) is a common condition and imposes a substantial economic burden upon people living in industrialized societies. A large proportion of people with chronic LBP use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), visit CAM practitioners, or both. Several herbal medicines

[Gender-based differences in the management of low back pain].

Science.gov (United States)

Sagy, Iftach; Friger, Michael; Sagy, Tal Peleg; Rudich, Zvia

2014-07-01

Low back pain (LBP) is a well-known reason people worldwide seek medical help and it is a Leading cause of chronic pain and disability among people of working age. Recent research reveals that the female gender is not only a risk factor for developing LBP but it may also influence the management of this common condition. Our objective was to evaluate gender-related differences in the management of LBP patients in a specialized hospital-based chronic pain unit. A cross-sectional survey was carried out through telephone interviews and the hospital computerized database (N = 129). Socio-demographic, Lifestyle, occupational and medical variables were collected, and their association with the frequency of use of five different diagnostic and/or therapeutic modalities was examined using gender stratification. After adjustment for age, religion, socioeconomic data and the number of co-morbid conditions, women were more prone to poly-pharmacy of analgesic medications prescribed in the previous year compared to men (p = 0.024) and exhibited an increased rate of treatment cessations due to adverse effects (p pain clinic (p = 0.097), men tended on average to have more visits than women to the pain clinic for their complaints (p = 0.019). Among those who applied for insurance compensation for LBP-related disability, women exhibited increased use of imaging procedures compared to men (p = 0.038). This cross-sectional study reveals gender-related differences in management and health services utilization for treatment of LBP in the chronic pain clinic. If confirmed in other centers, these findings should inspire gender-sensitive resource management of the treatment of chronic pain patients. Moreover, the findings suggest that increased awareness of gender bias when seeking insurance compensation for LBP-related disability is warranted.

Incidence of pulmonary embolism in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and indeterminate lung scans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perlmutt, L.M.; Blinder, R.A.; Newman, G.E.; Braun, S.D.; Coleman, R.E.

1987-01-01

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is commonly considered as a cause of acute excerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These patients often have indeterminate lung scans. To determine the incidence of PE in this group of patients, the authors have retrospectively reviewed 157 consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary angiography. Forty (25%) had a diagnosis of COPD. Seven (18%) of these had PE compared with 57 (36%) in the total group. Thirty-seven of the 40 patients had a lung scan, of which 30 (81%) were indeterminate. Of these 30 patients, only four (13%) had PE. In conclusion, the prevalence of PE in patients with COPD is much lower than the prevalence of PE in the total population, and at this prevalence, an indeterminate scan in patients with COPD caries a low probability (13%) for PE

Integrative therapies for low back pain that include complementary and alternative medicine care: a systematic review.

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Kizhakkeveettil, Anupama; Rose, Kevin; Kadar, Gena E

2014-09-01

Systematic review of the literature. To evaluate whether an integrated approach that includes different Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies combined or CAM therapies combined with conventional medical care is more effective for the management of low back pain (LBP) than single modalities alone. LBP is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, yet its optimal management is still unresolved. The PRISMA Statement guidelines were followed. The Cochrane Back Review Group scale was used to rate the quality of the studies found. Twenty-one studies were found that met the inclusion criteria. The CAM modalities used in the studies included spinal manipulative therapy, acupuncture, exercise therapy, physiotherapy, massage therapy, and a topical ointment. Twenty studies included acupuncture and/or spinal manipulative therapy. Nine high quality studies showed that integrative care was clinically effective for the management of LBP. Spinal manipulative therapy combined with exercise therapy and acupuncture combined with conventional medical care or with exercise therapy appears to be promising approaches to the management of chronic cases of LBP. There is support in the literature for integrated CAM and conventional medical therapy for the management of chronic LBP. Further research into the integrated management of LBP is clearly needed to provide better guidance for patients and clinicians.

Effect of Chronic Diseases on Work Productivity: A Propensity Score Analysis.

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Fouad, Ahmed Mahmoud; Waheed, Amani; Gamal, Amira; Amer, Shaimaa Ahmed; Abdellah, Rasha Farouk; Shebl, Fatma Mohamed

2017-05-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of chronic disease(s) on work productivity. Using the Health & Work Performance Questionnaire, information was collected from 516 workers on chronic disease status and work productivity. Propensity-score matching was performed to identify matched-pairs of workers. In the propensity-score matched sample, workers with chronic diseases were more likely to have increased absenteeism and presenteeism rates, 6.34 and 2.36 times the rates if no chronic diseases, respectively. In addition, they had greater odds for getting negative critical work incidents and less odds for positive incidents than none or balanced status. Multimorbidity showed more significant increase in absenteeism and presenteeism rates, as well as increased odds for excess negative critical work incidents. Chronic disease(s) can significantly reduce work productivity by increasing absenteeism, presenteeism, and net negative critical incidents.

Size and symmetry of trunk muscles in ballet dancers with and without low back pain.

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Gildea, Jan E; Hides, Julie A; Hodges, Paul W

2013-08-01

Cross-sectional, observational study. To investigate the cross-sectional area (CSA) of trunk muscles in professional ballet dancers with and without low back pain (LBP). LBP is the most prevalent chronic injury in classical ballet dancers. Research on nondancers has found changes in trunk muscle size and symmetry to be associated with LBP. There are no studies that examine these changes in ballet dancers. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 14 male and 17 female dancers. The CSAs of 4 muscles (multifidus, lumbar erector spinae, psoas, and quadratus lumborum) were measured and compared among 3 groups of dancers: those without LBP or hip pain (n = 8), those with LBP only (n = 13), and those with both hip-region pain and LBP (n = 10). Dancers with no pain had larger multifidus muscles compared to those with LBP at L3-5 (P.05). The CSAs of the other muscles did not differ between groups. The psoas (Pballet dancers, LBP and hip-region pain and LBP are associated with a smaller CSA of the multifidus but not the erector spinae, psoas, or quadratus lumborum muscles.

Incidence of gastroesophageal reflux symptoms in patients with refractory chronic sinusitis upon clinical treatment

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Oliveira, Marcela Schmidt B. de

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS is a pathology that has structural and histological alterations. The association between CRS and the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD has been widely discussed in the last years. For this relationship to be confirmed, it is necessary to find evidences that the patients with CRS present a major incidence of GERD, that the physiopathology of both diseases explains the association between them and that the GERD treatment cures or improves the CRS' symptoms. Objectives: To evaluate the incidence of GERD in patients with CRS and a level of improvement of the nasosinusal disease symptoms after treatment with protons pump inhibitors. Methods: Retrospective study with 30 patients with CRS refractory to the clinical treatment and/or nasal cavity polypoid pathology with indication of the paranasal sinuses functional endoscopic surgery. We applied a questionnaire for evaluation of the symptomatology and previous treatment for gastroesophageal reflux. The data were submitted to statistical analysis by the Chi-Square test or Fisher's exact test with a significance of 5%. Results: Out of the patients with GERD, 33% had an improvement of the CRS' symptomatology with medications for treatment of the gastric pathology. Conclusion: It is not possible yet to state that the GER is a factor responsible for the CRS and it must be researched as a cofactor or eliciting factor when there is not other evident etiology. However, there are plausible biological mechanisms for such association.

Acute effects of anesthetic lumbar spine injections on temporal spatial parameters of gait in individuals with chronic low back pain: A pilot study.

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Herndon, Carl L; Horodyski, MaryBeth; Vincent, Heather K

2017-10-01

This study examined whether epidural injection-induced anesthesia acutely and positively affected temporal spatial parameters of gait in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) due to lumbar spinal stenosis. Twenty-five patients (61.7±13.6years) who were obtaining lumbar epidural injections for stenosis-related LBP participated. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, Medical Outcomes Short Form (SF-36) scores, 11-point Numerical pain rating (NRS pain ) scores, and temporal spatial parameters of walking gait were obtained prior to, and 11-point Numerical pain rating (NRS pain ) scores, and temporal spatial parameters of walking gait were obtained after the injection. Gait parameters were measured using an instrumented gait mat. Patients received transforaminal epidural injections in the L1-S1 vertebral range (1% lidocaine, corticosteroid) under fluoroscopic guidance. Patients with post-injection NRS pain ratings of "0" or values greater than "0" were stratified into two groups: 1) full pain relief, or 2) partial pain relief, respectively. Post-injection, 48% (N=12) of patients reported full pain relief. ODI scores were higher in patients with full pain relief (55.3±21.4 versus 33.7 12.8; p=0.008). Post-injection, stride length and step length variability were significantly improved in the patients with full pain relief compared to those with partial pain relief. Effect sizes between full and partial pain relief for walking velocity, step length, swing time, stride and step length variability were medium to large (Cohen's d>0.50). Patients with LBP can gain immediate gait improvements from complete pain relief from transforaminal epidural anesthetic injections for LBP, which could translate to better stability and lower fall risk. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

From acute to persistent low back pain: a longitudinal investigation of somatosensory changes using quantitative sensory testing-an exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Marcuzzi, Anna; Wrigley, Paul J; Dean, Catherine M; Graham, Petra L; Hush, Julia M

2018-03-01

Chronic low back pain (LBP) is commonly associated with generalised pain hypersensitivity. It is suggested that such somatosensory alterations are important determinants for the transition to persistent pain from an acute episode of LBP. Although cross-sectional research investigating somatosensory function in the acute stage is developing, no longitudinal studies designed to evaluate temporal changes have been published. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the temporal development of somatosensory changes from the acute stage of LBP to up to 4 months from onset. Twenty-five people with acute LBP (testing with the assessor blinded to group allocation, and again at 2 and 4 months. Psychological variables were concurrently assessed. People with acute LBP were classified based on their average pain severity over the previous week at 4 months as recovered (≤1/10 numeric rating scale) or persistent (≥2/10 numeric rating scale) LBP. In the persistent LBP group, (1) there was a significant decrease in pressure pain threshold between 2 and 4 months ( P psychological variables were significantly higher in those with persistent LBP compared with the recovered LBP group at all time points ( P importance of concurrent evaluation of psychological contributors in acute LBP.

Prevalence of cutaneous viral infections in incident cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma detected among chronic lymphocytic leukemia and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hampras, Shalaka S; Locke, Frederick L; Chavez, Julio C; Patel, Nishit S; Giuliano, Anna R; Miller, Kyle; Gheit, Tarik; Tommasino, Massimo; Rollison, Dana E

2018-04-01

The role of cutaneous viral infections in the development of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), including cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), among chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and blood and marrow transplant (BMT) patients is not established. CLL (n = 977) and BMT (n = 3587) patients treated at the Moffitt Cancer Center were included in a retrospective cohort study. Human papillomavirus (HPV) and human polyomavirus (HPyV) DNA were examined in a subset of incident SCC tumors. Five-year cumulative incidence of NMSC was 1.42% in both BMT (n = 31 NMSCs) and CLL (n = 18 NMSCs) cohorts. Of the nine SCC tumors examined from each cohort, 22.2% and 33.3% were positive for viral DNA in the transplant (HPV 65, MCV) and CLL (HPV 38, HPV 15, HPyV6) cohort, respectively. Enhanced skin cancer screening of BMT/CLL patients should be conducted to better capture incident NMSCs and examine the role of viral infections in these tumors.

Associations of Conventional Echocardiographic Measures with Incident Heart Failure and Mortality: The Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort.

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Dubin, Ruth F; Deo, Rajat; Bansal, Nisha; Anderson, Amanda H; Yang, Peter; Go, Alan S; Keane, Martin; Townsend, Ray; Porter, Anna; Budoff, Matthew; Malik, Shaista; He, Jiang; Rahman, Mahboob; Wright, Jackson; Cappola, Thomas; Kallem, Radhakrishna; Roy, Jason; Sha, Daohang; Shlipak, Michael G

2017-01-06

Heart failure is the most frequent cardiac complication of CKD. Left ventricular hypertrophy is common and develops early in CKD, but studies have not adequately evaluated the association of left ventricular mass index with heart failure incidence among men and women with CKD. We evaluated echocardiograms of 2567 participants without self-reported heart failure enrolled in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study. Two-dimensional echocardiograms were performed at the year 1 study visit and interpreted at a central core laboratory. Left ventricular mass index was calculated using the linear method, indexed to height 2.7 , and analyzed using sex-specific quartiles. The primary outcomes of incident heart failure and all-cause mortality were adjudicated over a median of 6.6 (interquartile range, 5.7-7.6) years. Among 2567 participants, 45% were women, and 54% were nonwhite race; mean (SD) age was 59±11 years old, and mean eGFR was 44±17 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 . During a median follow-up period of 6.6 years, 262 participants developed heart failure, and 470 participants died. Compared with participants in the first quartile of left ventricular mass index, those in the highest quartile had higher rates of incident heart failure (hazard ratio, 3.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.96 to 8.02) and mortality (hazard ratio, 1.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.22 to 2.85), even after adjustment for B-type natriuretic peptide, troponin T, mineral metabolism markers, and other cardiovascular disease risk factors. Those in the lowest quartile of ejection fraction had higher rates of incident heart failure (hazard ratio, 3.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.94 to 4.67) but similar mortality rates (hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 0.89 to 1.57) compared with those in the highest quartile. Diastolic dysfunction was not significantly associated with heart failure or death. Among persons with CKD and without history of cardiovascular disease, left ventricular mass index is

Associations of Conventional Echocardiographic Measures with Incident Heart Failure and Mortality: The Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort

Science.gov (United States)

Deo, Rajat; Bansal, Nisha; Anderson, Amanda H.; Yang, Peter; Go, Alan S.; Keane, Martin; Townsend, Ray; Porter, Anna; Budoff, Matthew; Malik, Shaista; He, Jiang; Rahman, Mahboob; Wright, Jackson; Cappola, Thomas; Kallem, Radhakrishna; Roy, Jason; Sha, Daohang; Shlipak, Michael G.

2017-01-01

Background and objectives Heart failure is the most frequent cardiac complication of CKD. Left ventricular hypertrophy is common and develops early in CKD, but studies have not adequately evaluated the association of left ventricular mass index with heart failure incidence among men and women with CKD. Design, setting, participants, & measurements We evaluated echocardiograms of 2567 participants without self–reported heart failure enrolled in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study. Two-dimensional echocardiograms were performed at the year 1 study visit and interpreted at a central core laboratory. Left ventricular mass index was calculated using the linear method, indexed to height2.7, and analyzed using sex-specific quartiles. The primary outcomes of incident heart failure and all-cause mortality were adjudicated over a median of 6.6 (interquartile range, 5.7–7.6) years. Results Among 2567 participants, 45% were women, and 54% were nonwhite race; mean (SD) age was 59±11 years old, and mean eGFR was 44±17 ml/min per 1.73 m2. During a median follow-up period of 6.6 years, 262 participants developed heart failure, and 470 participants died. Compared with participants in the first quartile of left ventricular mass index, those in the highest quartile had higher rates of incident heart failure (hazard ratio, 3.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.96 to 8.02) and mortality (hazard ratio, 1.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.22 to 2.85), even after adjustment for B–type natriuretic peptide, troponin T, mineral metabolism markers, and other cardiovascular disease risk factors. Those in the lowest quartile of ejection fraction had higher rates of incident heart failure (hazard ratio, 3.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.94 to 4.67) but similar mortality rates (hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 0.89 to 1.57) compared with those in the highest quartile. Diastolic dysfunction was not significantly associated with heart failure or death. Conclusions Among persons

The relationship between pain, disability, guilt and acceptance in low back pain: a mediation analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Serbic, Danijela; Pincus, Tamar

2017-08-01

Pain-related guilt is a common yet unexplored psychological factor in low back pain (LBP). It has recently been linked to greater depression, anxiety and disability in LBP, hence an understanding of how it can be managed in the presence of pain and disability is necessary. Since acceptance of pain has been shown to be associated with improved outcomes in chronic pain, we examined whether it might also help reduce guilt in people with LBP. To this end, a series of mediation analyses were conducted on data from 287 patients with chronic LBP, in which acceptance of pain was tested as a mediator of the relationship between pain/disability and guilt. Results showed that acceptance of pain reduced the impact of pain/disability on pain-related guilt in all mediation analyses. Pain-related guilt might be a potential target for acceptance based interventions, thus this relationship should be further tested using longitudinal designs.

Geographic Variation of Chronic Kidney Disease Prevalence: Correlation with the Incidence of Renal Cell Carcinoma or Urothelial Carcinoma?

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Yit-Sheung Yap

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether geographic variations in the prevalence of late-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD exist and are associated with incidence rates of renal cell carcinoma (RCC, upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC, or lower tract urothelial carcinoma (LTUC. Methods. Prevalence rates of late-stage CKD for 366 townships (n>30 in Taiwan were calculated for 1,518,241 and 1,645,151 subjects aged 40 years or older in years 2010 and 2009, respectively. Late-stage CKD prevalence in year 2010 was used as a training set and its age-adjusted standardized morbidity rates (ASMR were divided into three groups as defined <1.76%, 1.76% ≤ ASMR < 2.64%, and ≥2.64%, respectively. Year 2009, defined as the validation set, was used to validate the results. Results. The ASMR of late-stage CKD in years 2010 and 2009 were 1.76%, and 2.09%, respectively. Geographic variations were observed, with notably higher rates of disease in areas of the central, southwestern mountainside, and southeastern seaboard. There were no significant differences among different combined risk groups of RCC, UTUC, and LTUC incidence. Conclusion. The substantial geographic variations in the prevalence of late-stage CKD exist, but are not correlated with RCC, UTUC, or LTUC incidence.

Experienced dilemmas of everyday life in chronic neuropathic pain patients--results from a critical incident study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hensing, Gunnel K E; Sverker, Annette M; Leijon, Göran S

2007-06-01

Neuropathic pain is a disabling chronic condition with limited therapeutic options. Few studies have addressed patient's experience and strategies. The aim of this study was to explore dilemmas experienced in order to improve care and rehabilitation. An interview study with 39 patients suffering from neuropathic pain of different origin was performed. We used the critical incident technique to collect data. Questions on occasions when patients had been hindered by or reminded of their neuropathic pain were included, and the self-perceived consequences and management of such occasions. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed qualitatively. A broad range of experiences categorised into dilemmas, disturbances, consequences and managements from most parts of everyday life was identified. The dilemmas were 'housework', 'sitting', 'physical activity', 'personal hygiene', 'sleeping difficulties', 'hypersensitivity to external stimuli', 'social relationships', 'transportation' and 'leisure time'. Disturbances were 'failures', 'inabilities' and 'restrictions'. Consequences were 'increased pain', 'psychological reactions' and 'physical symptoms'. The majority of the patients used activity-oriented strategies to manage their pain such as alternative ways of performing the task, a cognitive approach or simply ignoring the pain. This is one of the first studies presenting detailed data on everyday dilemmas, disturbances and consequences of patients with chronic neuropathic pain. Such information is important in clinical settings to improve care and rehabilitation.

The effect of manual therapy and neuroplasticity education on chronic low back pain: a randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Louw, Adriaan; Farrell, Kevin; Landers, Merrill; Barclay, Martin; Goodman, Elise; Gillund, Jordan; McCaffrey, Sara; Timmerman, Laura

2017-12-01

To determine if a neuroplasticity educational explanation for a manual therapy technique will produce a different outcome compared to a traditional mechanical explanation. Sixty-two patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) were recruited for the study. Following consent, demographic data were obtained as well as pain ratings for low back pain (LBP) and leg pain (Numeric Pain Rating Scale), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), fear-avoidance (Fear-Avoidance-Beliefs Questionnaire), forward flexion (fingertips-to-floor), and straight leg raise (SLR) (inclinometer). Patients were then randomly allocated to receive one of two explanations (neuroplasticity or mechanical), a manual therapy technique to their lumbar spine, followed by post-intervention measurements of LBP, leg pain, forward flexion, and SLR. Sixty-two patients (female 35 [56.5%]), with a mean age of 60.1 years and mean duration of 9.26 years of CLBP participated in the study. There were no statistically significant interactions for LBP ( p  = .325), leg pain ( p  = .172), and trunk flexion ( p  = .818) between the groups, but SLR showed a significant difference in favor of the neuroplasticity explanation ( p  = .041). Additionally, the neuroplasticity group were 7.2 times (95% confidence interval = 1.8-28.6) more likely to improve beyond the MDC on the SLR than participants in the mechanical group. The results of this study show that a neuroplasticity explanation, compared to a traditional biomechanical explanation, resulted in a measureable difference in SLR in patients with CLBP when receiving manual therapy. Future studies need to explore if the increase in SLR correlated to changes in cortical maps of the low back.

Vacuum therapy for chronic wounds

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Ekaterina Leonidovna Zaytseva

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Chronic wound in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM is one of the most urgent problems of modern diabetology and surgery. Numberof patients suffering from different types of chronic wounds follows increase in DM incidence. Vacuum therapy is a novel perspectivemethod of topical treatment for non-healing chronic wounds of various etiology. Current review addresses experimental and clinicalevidence for this method.

Intravaginal lactic Acid bacteria modulated local and systemic immune responses and lowered the incidence of uterine infections in periparturient dairy cows.

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Qilan Deng

Full Text Available The objective of this investigation was to evaluate whether intravaginal infusion of a lactic acid bacteria (LAB cocktail around parturition could influence the immune response, incidence rate of uterine infections, and the overall health status of periparturient dairy cows. One hundred pregnant Holstein dairy cows were assigned to 1 of the 3 experimental groups as follows: 1 one dose of LAB on wk -2 and -1, and one dose of carrier (sterile skim milk on wk +1 relative to the expected day of parturition (TRT1; 2 one dose of LAB on wk -2, -1, and +1 (TRT2, and 3 one dose of carrier on wk -2, -1, and +1 (CTR. The LAB were a lyophilized culture mixture composed of Lactobacillus sakei FUA3089, Pediococcus acidilactici FUA3138, and Pediococcus acidilactici FUA3140 with a cell count of 108-109 cfu/dose. Blood samples and vaginal mucus were collected once a week from wk -2 to +3 and analyzed for content of serum total immunoglobulin G (IgG, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP, serum amyloid A (SAA, haptoglobin (Hp, tumor necrosis factor (TNF, interleukin (IL-1, IL-6, and vaginal mucus secretory IgA (sIgA. Clinical observations including rectal temperature, vaginal discharges, retained placenta, displaced abomasum, and laminitis were monitored from wk -2 to +8 relative to calving. Results showed that intravaginal LAB lowered the incidence of metritis and total uterine infections. Intravaginal LAB also were associated with lower concentrations of systemic LBP, an overall tendency for lower SAA, and greater vaginal mucus sIgA. No differences were observed for serum concentrations of Hp, TNF, IL-1, IL-6 and total IgG among the treatment groups. Administration with LAB had no effect on the incidence rates of other transition cow diseases. Overall intravaginal LAB lowered uterine infections and improved local and systemic immune responses in the treated transition dairy cows.

Low pressure pain thresholds are associated with, but does not predispose for, low back pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

O'Neill, Søren; Kjær, Per; Graven-Nielsen, Thomas

2011-01-01

Chronic pain is often associated with hyperalgesia in cross-sectional studies. In the present study, a random cohort of 40-year-old individuals (n = 264) from the general population was assessed for low back pain (LBP) status and pressure pain threshold (PPT), with follow-up assessment 4 and 8......-lasting LBP, those with a low PPT at baseline (lower 10% percentile) had no increased risk of developing LBP (p > 0.05). The findings indicate that PPT decreases as a consequence of long-lasting pain, whereas a low PPT seems not to constitute a separate risk factor for the development of LBP....

Physical activity and time spent sitting as a risk factor for low-back pain: longitudinal data from the HUNT study

OpenAIRE

Venseth, Torje Bragstad

2014-01-01

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is the most common pain condition with a lifetime prevalence of 70 %. One of the most investigated risk factor for LBP is sedentary lifestyle. This is of great interest as sitting is the more dominant occupational activity in today’s society. Aim: The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate if the risk of chronic LBP is associated with time spent sitting, leisure time physical activity, and occupational activity. We also examined the combined eff...

Evaluation of influence of stretching therapy and ergonomic factors on postural control in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piotr Gawda

2015-02-01

Full Text Available [b]Introduction and objectives. [/b]The vertical orientation of the body in the upright standing position is maintained by keeping the body’s centre of gravity (COG upright, above the base of support, by a dynamic interplay of visual, vestibular, and somatosensory control systems. The objectives of this study were: to compare the postural control strategy between people with and without low back pain (LBP, to estimate the influence of the stretching therapy on the postural control strategy, and to discover the relationship between the restriction of spine mobility and occurrence of some ergonomic factors. [b]Materials and methods.[/b] The study consisted of 32 patients with LBP and 25 healthy controls. Postural characteristics of the subjects were measured with the use of a computerized force platform. The software programme filters and measures COG sway velocity in different conditions. Additional measurements and tests were conducted in patients after stretching therapy. Based on survey research, all individuals were selected and evaluated from the aspect of ergonomics. [b]Results[/b]. The results of the COG sway velocity vary under the testing conditions. From the aspect of ergonomic attitude and influence of the rehabilitation, results varied in the groups. [b]Conclusions[/b]. Ergonomic factors are often accompanied by the appearance of LBP. The restrictions within the musculoskeletal system cause disorders in muscle synergies, which is expressed by an increase in the angular velocity of the COG. In patients with chronic back pain syndrome, selected stretching therapy techniques improves the range of motion of the spine and reduces pain.

Diet quality is associated with reduced incidence of cancer and self-reported chronic disease: Observations from Alberta's Tomorrow Project.

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Solbak, Nathan M; Xu, Jian-Yi; Vena, Jennifer E; Csizmadi, Ilona; Whelan, Heather K; Robson, Paula J

2017-08-01

The objective of this study was to assess diet quality using the Healthy Eating Index-2005 Canada (HEI-2005-Canada) and its association with risk of cancer and chronic disease in a sample of Alberta's Tomorrow Project (ATP) participants. Food frequency questionnaires completed by 25,169 participants (38% men; mean age 50.3 (9.2)) enrolled between 2000 and 2008 were used to calculate HEI-2005-Canada scores. Data from a subset of participants (n=10,735) who reported no chronic disease at enrollment were used to investigate the association between HEI-2005-Canada score and development of self-reported chronic disease at follow-up (2008). Participants were divided into HEI-2005-Canada score quartiles. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for cancer and chronic disease incidence. In this cohort, mean HEI-2005-Canada scores for men and women were 50.9 and 55.5 (maximum range 0-100), respectively. In men, higher HEI-2005-Canada score (Q4 vs. Q1) was associated with lower cancer risk (HR (95% CI) 0.63 (0.49-0.83)) over the course of follow-up (mean (SD)=10.4 (2.3) years); the same was not observed in women. In contrast, higher overall HEI-2005-Canada score (Q4 vs. Q1) was associated with lower risk of self-reported chronic disease (0.85 (0.75-0.97)) in both men and women over follow-up (4.2 (2.3) years). In conclusion, in this cohort better diet quality was associated with a lower risk of cancer in men and lower risk of chronic disease in both sexes. Future studies with longer follow-up and repeated measures of diet may be helpful to elucidate sex-specific associations between dietary quality and disease outcomes. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low back pain patterns over one year among 842 workers in the DPhacto study and predictors for chronicity based on repetitive measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lagersted-Olsen, Julie; Bay, Hans; Jørgensen, Marie Birk

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) occurrence and intensity are considered to fluctuate over time, requiring frequent repetitive assessments to capture its true time pattern. Text messages makes frequent reporting of LBP feasible, which enables investigation of 1) the time pattern of LBP, and 2...

Trends in the incidence of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia in the UK, 2001-2013: a Clinical Practice Research Datalink study.

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Collin, Simon M; Bakken, Inger J; Nazareth, Irwin; Crawley, Esther; White, Peter D

2017-06-01

Objective Trends in recorded diagnoses of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS, also known as 'myalgic encephalomyelitis' (ME)) and fibromyalgia (FM) in the UK were last reported more than ten years ago, for the period 1990-2001. Our aim was to analyse trends in incident diagnoses of CFS/ME and FM for the period 2001-2013, and to investigate whether incidence might vary by index of multiple deprivation (IMD) score. Design Electronic health records cohort study. Setting NHS primary care practices in the UK. Participants Participants: Patients registered with general practices linked to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) primary care database from January 2001 to December 2013. Main outcome measure Incidence of CFS/ME, FM, post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS), and asthenia/debility. Results The overall annual incidence of recorded cases of CFS/ME was 14.8 (95% CI 14.5, 15.1) per 100,000 people. Overall annual incidence per 100,000 people for FM was 33.3 (32.8-33.8), for PVFS 12.2 (11.9, 12.5), and for asthenia/debility 7.0 (6.8, 7.2). Annual incidence rates for CFS/ME diagnoses decreased from 17.5 (16.1, 18.9) in 2001 to 12.6 (11.5, 13.8) in 2013 (annual percent change -2.8% (-3.6%, -2.0%)). Annual incidence rates for FM diagnoses decreased from 32.3 (30.4, 34.3) to 27.1 (25.5, 28.6) in 2007, then increased to 38.2 (36.3, 40.1) per 100,000 people in 2013. Overall annual incidence of recorded fatigue symptoms was 2246 (2242, 2250) per 100,000 people. Compared with the least deprived IMD quintile, incidence of CFS/ME in the most deprived quintile was 39% lower (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.61 (0.50, 0.75)), whereas rates of FM were 40% higher (IRR 1.40 (0.95, 2.06)). Conclusion These analyses suggest a gradual decline in recorded diagnoses of CFS/ME since 2001, and an increase in diagnoses of fibromyalgia, with opposing socioeconomic patterns of lower rates of CFS/ME diagnoses in the poorest areas compared with higher rates of FM diagnoses.

Association between circulating specific leukocyte types and incident chronic kidney disease: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

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Tian, Niu; Penman, Alan D; Manning, R Davis; Flessner, Michael F; Mawson, Anthony R

2012-01-01

Progressive renal fibrosis is a characteristic of all the diseases that cause renal failure and is invariably accompanied by a prominent leukocyte infiltration in the kidney. The goal of this study was to determine the association between the circulating specific leukocyte types and incident chronic kidney disease (CKD). In a cohort of 10,056 middle-aged white and African American adults, levels of circulating neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes were measured at baseline; blood pressure (BP) and serum creatinine were measured and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated at baseline and 3 and 9 years later; and surveillance for first hospitalization or death with CKD was carried out over a mean follow-up of 7.4 years (maximum, 11.9 years). Increased neutrophil levels and decreased lymphocyte levels were significantly associated with greater CKD incidence after adjustment for covariates. African Americans tended to have similar but stronger patterns of association between circulating leukocytes and CKD incidence than whites, although the differences between race groups were not statistically significant. We also found that eGFR and BP were higher at each visit in African Americans than whites between ages 45 and 65. These findings support a potential role for circulating specific leukocytes in the pathogenesis of kidney dysfunction, especially in African Americans, indicating the leukocyte-related renal mechanism of essential hypertension (HT). Copyright © 2012 American Society of Hypertension. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for chronic low back pain.

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Kamper, Steven J; Apeldoorn, Andreas T; Chiarotto, Alessandro; Smeets, Rob J E M; Ostelo, Raymond W J G; Guzman, Jaime; van Tulder, Maurits W

2014-09-02

Low back pain (LBP) is responsible for considerable personal suffering worldwide. Those with persistent disabling symptoms also contribute to substantial costs to society via healthcare expenditure and reduced work productivity. While there are many treatment options, none are universally endorsed. The idea that chronic LBP is a condition best understood with reference to an interaction of physical, psychological and social influences, the 'biopsychosocial model', has received increasing acceptance. This has led to the development of multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation (MBR) programs that target factors from the different domains, administered by healthcare professionals from different backgrounds. To review the evidence on the effectiveness of MBR for patients with chronic LBP. The focus was on comparisons with usual care and with physical treatments measuring outcomes of pain, disability and work status, particularly in the long term. We searched the CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases in January and March 2014 together with carrying out handsearches of the reference lists of included and related studies, forward citation tracking of included studies and screening of studies excluded in the previous version of this review. All studies identified in the searches were screened independently by two review authors; disagreements regarding inclusion were resolved by consensus. The inclusion criteria were published randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that included adults with non-specific LBP of longer than 12 weeks duration; the index intervention targeted at least two of physical, psychological and social or work-related factors; and the index intervention was delivered by clinicians from at least two different professional backgrounds. Two review authors extracted and checked information to describe the included studies, assessed risk of bias and performed the analyses. We used the Cochrane risk of bias tool to describe the

Lumbar motion changes in chronic low back pain patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mieritz, Rune M; Hartvigsen, Jan; Boyle, Eleanor

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Several therapies have been used in the treatment of chronic low back pain, including various exercise strategies and spinal manipulative therapy. A common belief is that spinal motion changes in particular ways in direct response to specific interventions, such as exercise...... or spinal manipulation. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess changes in lumbar region motion over 12 weeks by evaluating four motion parameters in the sagittal plane and two in the horizontal plane in LBP patients treated with either exercise therapy or spinal manipulation. STUDY DESIGN......, and the University of Southern Denmark. No conflicts of interest. RESULTS: For the cohort as a whole, lumbar region motion parameters were altered over the 12-week period, except for the jerk index parameter. The group receiving spinal manipulation changed significantly in all, and the exercise groups in half...

Anthropometry, spinal canal width, and flexibility of the spine and hamstring muscles in 45-55-year-old men with and without low back pain.

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Hultman, G; Saraste, H; Ohlsen, H

1992-09-01

One hundred fifty 45-55-year-old men were divided into three groups: those with healthy backs, recurrent low back pain (LBP), and chronic LBP. These groups were studied with respect to anthropometry, spinal canal width, spinal sagittal configuration and flexibility, and the flexibility of the hamstrings musculature with straight leg raising (SLR). There were no differences between the groups with respect to anthropometry. The group with healthy backs had significantly greater lordosis and sagittal flexibility than the other groups. The width of the spinal canal was correlated to body height. The SLR test showed significantly higher values in the group with healthy backs and in the recurrent pain group than in the chronic pain group. The possible role of restoring normal range of motion to minimize the risk of LBP recurrence is discussed.

Trends in adult leukemia incidence and survival in Denmark, 1943-2003

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Nielsen, Ove Juul; Johansen, Christoffer

2009-01-01

The etiology of leukemia is largely unknown. Ecological data indicating trends in incidence and survival can provide information about changes in risk factors, can reflect underlying changes in diagnostic classification, and can measure therapeutic advances. From the records of the Danish Cancer...... Registry with registration starting from 1943, we calculated age-specific, period-specific, and age-standardized (world standard) incidence rates of chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL), acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) for persons above the age...... of 18. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and median survival times were calculated. Between 1943 and 2003, there were 26,036 cases of leukemia reported. The age-specific incidence rates of CLL, CML, and AML were higher for older men and women, while the incidence rates of ALL by age were more homogeneous...

Peptic Ulcer Disease Risk in Chronic Kidney Disease: Ten-Year Incidence, Ulcer Location, and Ulcerogenic Effect of Medications

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Chih-Chia; Muo, Chih-Hsin; Wang, I-Kuan; Chang, Chiz-Tzung; Chou, Che-Yi; Liu, Jiung-Hsiun; Yen, Tzung-Hai; Huang, Chiu-Ching; Chung, Chi-Jung

2014-01-01

Objectives We aimed at determining peptic ulcer disease (PUD) incidence among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients during 1998–2008, compared to patients without CKD, and at examining associations between CKD and PUD. Methods Data for 1998–2008 were extracted from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. The annual PUD incidence (cases per thousand persons per year) was calculated separately for patients with and without CKD. Characteristics of patients with newly diagnosed PUD (n = 16322) were compared to those of a control group without PUD (n = 32644). The 2 groups were matched for age, sex, and index year. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by logistic regression. Results Over the 10-year period, the PUD incidence was ∼10–12 times higher in CKD patients than in those without CKD. Its incidence in elderly CKD patients increased rapidly over time. For CKD patients, most PUD events (>95%) were managed during hospitalization. Peptic ulcer risk, adjusted for all potential confounders, was much higher in CKD patients undergoing hemodialysis (adjusted OR, 9.74; 95% CI, 7.11–13.31). Maintenance hemodialysis patients were 2 times more likely to have gastric ulcers than duodenal ulcers, while CKD patients not on dialysis had similar risks for both. There were no significant interactions between medications and CKD status on the peptic ulcer risk. Unlike CKD patients on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and clopidogrel, those on aspirin did not have a higher peptic ulcer risk (adjusted OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.44–1.77). Conclusions CKD patients have a substantially increased PUD risk, and the majority of CKD patients with PUD require hospital management. Further, peptic ulcer risk is affected by hemodialysis therapy, patient status (inpatient vs. outpatient), and ulcerogenic medications. PMID:24498412

Incidence and risk factors of bleeding-related adverse events in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with ibrutinib

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lipsky, Andrew H; Farooqui, Mohammed Z H; Tian, Xin

2015-01-01

Ibrutinib is associated with bleeding-related adverse events of grade ≤2 in severity, and infrequently with grade ≥3 events. To investigate the mechanisms of bleeding and identify patients at risk, we prospectively assessed platelet function and coagulation factors in our investigator-initiated t......Ibrutinib is associated with bleeding-related adverse events of grade ≤2 in severity, and infrequently with grade ≥3 events. To investigate the mechanisms of bleeding and identify patients at risk, we prospectively assessed platelet function and coagulation factors in our investigator......-initiated trial of single-agent ibrutinib for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. At a median follow-up of 24 months we recorded grade ≤2 bleeding-related adverse events in 55% of 85 patients. No grade ≥3 events occurred. Median time to event was 49 days. The cumulative incidence of an event plateaued by 6 months...... 19 patients on ibrutinib (often transiently). Collagen and adenosine diphosphate induced platelet aggregation was tested using whole blood aggregometry. Compared to normal controls, response to both agonists was decreased in all patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, whether on ibrutinib or not...

The importance and impact of patients' health literacy on low back pain management: a systematic review of literature.

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Edward, Jean; Carreon, Leah Yacat; Williams, Mark V; Glassman, Steven; Li, Jing

2018-02-01

Health literacy (HL) and the overall ability of patients to seek, understand, and apply health information play an important role in the management of chronic pain conditions. Awareness of how patients' HL skills influence their pain experience and how their ability to understand the treatment regimen and to manage chronic pain may allow physicians to adjust clinical treatment accordingly. Despite the prevalence and the substantial economic impact of chronic low back pain (LBP), little is known about the relationship between HL and the treatment and management of this common disease entity. The purpose of this systematic review of published research was to examine the importance and the implications of HL in the treatment and management of LBP. A literature search was performed in Web of Science, PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsychInfo using medical subject heading (MeSH) terms related to LBP, HL, and patient education, which yielded only three studies that directly addressed HL among patients suffering from LBP. We identified only a limited number of studies that focused specifically on HL in the LBP population that were included in this review. The majority of studies excluded from this review focused on patient levels of educational attainment and patient education programs without addressing patients' HL levels and their impact on adherence to educational programs, self-care management, and rehabilitation, among other factors. The three studies that are critically reviewed in this review either use a direct measure of HL or make an effort to address HL in their programs. All three studies emphasize the importance of considering the HL of patients in the treatment and management of LBP. Building on these studies and the narrative review of other relevant literature, we identified significant gaps in current research addressing HL in the treatment and management of LBP. We developed recommendations for future research based

Association between Daytime Napping and Chronic Diseases in China.

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Zhou, Junmin; Kessler, Asia Sikora; Su, Dejun

2016-03-01

To explore the relationship between daytime napping and incidence of chronic diseases over the past 6 months among adults in China. Based on data collected from 13,469 respondents over age 40 in the Chinese Family Panel Studies in 2010, logistic regression models were estimated to examine the association between daytime napping and the incidence of any chronic diseases and 3 specific chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease) after adjusting for confounders. Differences of risks by sex and age were also investigated. In the sample, 50.8% were women and 32.2% were over 60 years old. Adjusted estimates show respondents with daytime napping had elevated odds of developing any chronic diseases, hypertension, and diabetes compared to those who did not nap; having over 60 minutes of daytime napping had weaker association compared with shorter duration of daytime napping. The association between daytime napping and hypertension was found in women but not in men. Daytime napping appears to be associated with elevated risk of incidence of any chronic diseases, hypertension, and diabetes.

Lower back pain in nurses working in home care: linked to work-family conflict, emotional dissonance, and appreciation?

Science.gov (United States)

Elfering, Achim; Häfliger, Evelyne; Celik, Zehra; Grebner, Simone

2018-07-01

In industrial countries home care services for elderly people living in the community are growing rapidly. Home care nursing is intensive and the nurses often suffer from musculoskeletal pain. Time pressure and job control are job-related factors linked to the risk of experiencing lower back pain (LBP) and LBP-related work impairment. This survey investigated whether work-family conflict (WFC), emotional dissonance and being appreciated at work have incremental predictive value. Responses were obtained from 125 home care nurses (63% response rate). Multiple linear regression showed that emotional dissonance and being appreciated at work predicted LBP intensity and LBP-related disability independently of time pressure and job control. WFC was not a predictor of LBP-related disability in multiple regression analyses despite a zero-order correlation with it. Redesigning the working pattern of home care nurses to reduce the emotional demands and improve appreciation of their work might reduce the incidence of LBP in this group.

Polysaccharides from Wolfberry Prevents Corticosterone-Induced Inhibition of Sexual Behavior and Increases Neurogenesis

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Benson Wui-Man; Lee, Jada Chia-Di; Li, Yue; Fung, Sophia Man-Yuk; Sang, Yan-Hua; Shen, Jiangang; Chang, Raymond Chuen-Chung; So, Kwok-Fai

2012-01-01

Lycium barbarum, commonly known as wolfberry, has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of infertility and sexual dysfunction. However, there is still a scarcity of experimental evidence to support the pro-sexual effect of wolfberry. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) on male sexual behavior of rats. Here we report that oral feeding of LBP for 21 days significantly improved the male copulatory performance including increase of copulatory efficiency, increase of ejaculation frequency and shortening of ejaculation latency. Furthermore, sexual inhibition caused by chronic corticosterone was prevented by LBP. Simultaneously, corticosterone suppressed neurogenesis in subventricular zone and hippocampus in adult rats, which could be reversed by LBP. The neurogenic effect of LBP was also shown in vitro. Significant correlation was found between neurogenesis and sexual performance, suggesting that the newborn neurons are associated with reproductive successfulness. Blocking neurogenesis in male rats abolished the pro-sexual effect of LBP. Taken together, these results demonstrate the pro-sexual effect of LBP on normal and sexually-inhibited rats, and LBP may modulate sexual behavior by regulating neurogenesis. PMID:22523540

Inhibition of Pain and Pain-Related Brain Activity by Heterotopic Noxious Counter-Stimulation and Selective Attention in Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Ladouceur, Alexandra; Rustamov, Nabi; Dubois, Jean-Daniel; Tessier, Jessica; Lehmann, Alexandre; Descarreaux, Martin; Rainville, Pierre; Piché, Mathieu

2017-10-10

The aim of the present study was to assess inhibition of pain and somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) by heterotopic noxious counter-stimulation (HNCS) and by selective attention in patients with chronic non-specific LBP. Seventeen patients and age/sex-matched controls were recruited (10 men, 7 women; mean age ± SD: 43.3 ± 10.4 and 42.7 ± 11.1, respectively). On average, patients with LBP reported pain duration of 7.6 ± 6.5 years, light to moderate disability (19.3 ± 5.7/100) and low clinical pain intensity (21.8 ± 1.5/100), while pain catastrophizing, state and trait anxiety and depressive symptoms were not significantly different between groups (all p's >0.05). HNCS and selective attention had differential inhibitory effects on pain and SEP, but no difference was observed between groups. Across both groups, HNCS decreased pain (p = 0.06) as well as the N100 and the N150 components of SEP (p's selective attention only decreased pain (p attention was directed toward the HNCS stimulus (pselective attention. Importantly, this experiment was carefully designed to control for non-specific effects associated with the repetition of the test stimulus and the effect of an innocuous counter-stimulation. It remains to be determined if these results hold for patients with severe LBP and psychological symptoms or whether symptom severity may be associated with pain inhibition deficits. Copyright © 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surgery for chronic pancreatitis decreases the risk for pancreatic cancer: a multicenter retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ueda, Junji; Tanaka, Masao; Ohtsuka, Takao; Tokunaga, Shoji; Shimosegawa, Tooru

2013-03-01

Chronic pancreatitis is suggested to be one of the risk factors for the development of pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study was to confirm the high incidence of pancreatic cancer in patients with chronic pancreatitis in Japan and to determine the factors associated with the risk for pancreatic cancer in patients with chronic pancreatitis. The working group of the Research Committee of Intractable Disease supported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan carried out a nationwide survey to investigate the relationship between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis who had had at least 2 years of follow-up. They were contacted through 22 Japanese referral centers experienced in the management of chronic pancreatitis. The standardized incidence ratio (95 CI) of pancreatic cancer was 11.8 (7.1-18.4). The incidence of pancreatic cancer was significantly lower in patients who had received surgery for chronic pancreatitis than in those who had not undergone surgery (hazard ratio estimated by Cox regression 0.11; 95% CI, 0.0014-0.80; P = .03). Patients who continued to drink alcohol after diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis showed a significantly higher incidence of pancreatic cancer than those who stopped drinking after diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis (hazard ratio, 5.07; 95% CI, 1.13-22.73; P = .03). This study confirmed that chronic pancreatitis is an important risk factor for the development of pancreatic cancer in Japan. Patients who underwent surgery for the treatment of chronic pancreatitis had significantly lower incidences of pancreatic cancer. Surgery for chronic pancreatitis may inhibit the development of pancreatic cancer in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Prediction of outcome in patients with low back pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kongsted, Alice; Andersen, Cathrine Hedegaard; Mørk Hansen, Martin

2016-01-01

The clinical course of low back pain (LBP) cannot be accurately predicted by existing prediction tools. Therefore clinicians rely largely on their experience and clinical judgement. The objectives of this study were to investigate 1) which patient characteristics were associated with chiropractors...... intensity (0-10) and disability (RMDQ) after 2-weeks, 3-months, and 12-months. The course of LBP in 859 patients was predicted to be short (54%), prolonged (36%), or chronic (7%). Clinicians' expectations were most strongly associated with education, LBP history, radiating pain, and neurological signs......' expectations of outcome from a LBP episode, 2) if clinicians' expectations related to outcome, 3) how accurate clinical predictions were as compared to those of the STarT Back Screening Tool (SBT), and 4) if accuracy was improved by combining clinicians' expectations and the SBT. Outcomes were measured as LBP...

Higher Serum Direct Bilirubin Levels Were Associated with a Lower Risk of Incident Chronic Kidney Disease in Middle Aged Korean Men

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Ryu, Seungho; Chang, Yoosoo; Zhang, Yiyi; Woo, Hee-Yeon; Kwon, Min-Jung; Park, Hyosoon; Lee, Kyu-Beck; Son, Hee Jung; Cho, Juhee; Guallar, Eliseo

2014-01-01

Background The association between serum bilirubin levels and incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the general population is unknown. We aimed to examine the association between serum bilirubin concentration (total, direct, and indirect) and the risk of incident CKD. Methods and Findings Longitudinal cohort study of 12,823 Korean male workers 30 to 59 years old without CKD or proteinuria at baseline participating in medical health checkup program in a large worksite. Study participants were followed for incident CKD from 2002 through 2011. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated by using the CKD-EPI equation. CKD was defined as eGFR bilirubin were 0.93 (95% CI 0.67–1.28), 0.88 (0.60–1.27) and 0.60 (0.42–0.88), respectively. In multivariable models, the adjusted hazard ratio for CKD comparing the highest to the lowest quartile of serum direct bilirubin levels was 0.60 (95% CI 0.41–0.87; P trend = 0.01). Neither serum total nor indirect bilirubin levels were significantly associated with the incidence of CKD. Conclusions Higher serum direct bilirubin levels were significantly associated with a lower risk of developing CKD, even adjusting for a variety of cardiometabolic parameters. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this association and to establish the role of serum direct bilirubin as a marker for CKD risk. PMID:24586219

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Review of the Literature

OpenAIRE

Turgeon, Sue A.

1989-01-01

Chronic fatigue syndrome, previously known as chronic mononucleosis or post-infectious fatigue, is a poorly understood illness characterized by chronic debilitating fatigue, recurrent flu-like symptoms, and few clinical or laboratory abnormalities. Attention was briefly focused on the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) as a causal agent, but that hypothesis is now in serious doubt. While a significant incidence of psychiatric illness has been demonstrated among patients with the chronic fatigue syndrom...

Responsiveness of the Oswestry Disability Index and the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire in Italian subjects with sub-acute and chronic low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Monticone, Marco; Baiardi, Paola; Vanti, Carla; Ferrari, Silvano; Pillastrini, Paolo; Mugnai, Raffaele; Foti, Calogero

2012-01-01

An ability to assess longitudinal changes in health status is crucial for the outcome measures used in treatment efficacy trials. The aim of this study was to verify the responsiveness of the Italian versions of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) in subjects with subacute or chronic low back pain (LBP). At the beginning and end of an 8 week rehabilitation programme, 179 patients completed a booklet containing the ODI, the RMDQ, a 0-10 numerical rating scale (NRS), and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). A global perception of change scale was also completed at the end of the programme, and collapsed to produce a dichotomous outcome (i.e. improved vs. not improved). Responsiveness was assessed by means of distribution methods [minimum detectable change (MDC); effect size (ES); standardised response mean (SRM)] and anchor-based methods (ROC curves). The MDC for the ODI and RMDQ was, respectively, 13.67 and 4.87; the ES was 0.53 and 0.68; and the SRM was 0.80 and 0.81. ROC analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0.71 for the ODI and 0.64 for the RMDQ, thus indicating discriminating capacity; the best cut-off point for the dichotomous outcome was 9.5 for the ODI (sensitivity 76% and specificity 63%) and 2.5 for the RMDQ (sensitivity 62% and specificity 55%). These estimates were comparable between the subacute and chronic subjects. Both the ODI and the RMDQ moderately correlated with the SF-36 and NRS (Spearman's and Pearson's correlation coefficients of >0.30). The Italian ODI and RMDQ proved to be sensitive in detecting clinical changes after conservative treatment for subacute and chronic LBP. Our findings are consistent with those published in the literature, thus allowing cross-cultural comparisons and stimulating cross-national studies.

Increased prevalence of low back pain among physiotherapy students compared to medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Falavigna, Asdrubal; Teles, Alisson Roberto; Mazzocchin, Thaís; de Braga, Gustavo Lisbôa; Kleber, Fabrício Diniz; Barreto, Felipe; Santin, Juliana Tosetto; Barazzetti, Daniel; Lazzaretti, Lucas; Steiner, Bruna; Beckenkamp, Natália Laste

2011-03-01

Some studies have demonstrated that physiotherapists have a high prevalence of low back pain (LBP). The association between physiotherapy students, who are potentially exposed to the same LBP occupational risks as graduates, and LBP has never been demonstrated. The objective of the study is to evaluate the association between undergraduate physiotherapy study and LBP. The study design includes a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire-based study was carried out with physiotherapy and medical students. LBP was measured as lifetime, 1-year and point prevalence. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to find the factors associated with LBP. Bivariate analyses were also performed to assess differences between LBP characteristics in the two courses. 77.9% of the students had LBP at some point in their lives, 66.8% in the last year and 14.4% of them reported they were suffering from LBP at the moment of answering the questionnaire. Physiotherapy students reported a higher prevalence of LBP when compared with the medical students in all measures. In the logistic regression model, physiotherapy students (A-OR 2.51; 95% CI 1.35-4.67; p = 0.003), and being exposed to the undergraduate study for more than four semesters (A-OR 2.55; 95% CI 1.43-4.55; p = 0.001) were independently associated with LBP. There were no differences between the courses concerning pain intensity and disability. As it was a cross-sectional study, we were not able to observe accurately if there is an increasing incidence of LBP during the course. Also, we did not intend to identify which activities in the course were associated with the development of LBP. This study clearly demonstrated an association between undergraduate physiotherapy study and LBP. The length of course exposure is also associated with LBP.

Effect of hamstring flexibility on hip and lumbar spine joint excursions during forward-reaching tasks in participants with and without low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Erica N; Thomas, James S

2010-07-01

To examine the correlation between hamstring flexibility and hip and lumbar spine joint excursions during standardized reaching and forward-bending tasks. Retrospective analysis of data obtained during 2 previous prospective studies that examined kinematics and kinetics during forward-reaching tasks in participants with and without low back pain (LBP). The 2 previous studies were conducted in the Motor Control Lab at Ohio University and the Orthopaedic Ergonomics Laboratory at The Ohio State University. Data from a total of 122 subjects from 2 previous studies: study 1: 86 subjects recovered from an episode of acute LBP (recovered) and study 2 (A.I. McCallum, unpublished data): 18 chronic LBP subjects and 18 healthy-matched controls (healthy). Not applicable. Correlation values between hamstring flexibility as measured by straight leg raise (SLR) and amount of hip and lumbar spine joint excursions used during standardized reaching and forward-bending tasks. No significant correlation was found between hamstring flexibility and hip and lumbar joint excursions during forward-bending tasks in the LBP or recovered groups. The SLR had a significant negative correlation with lumbar spine excursions during reaching tasks to a low target in the healthy group (right SLR: P=.011, left SLR: P=.004). Hamstring flexibility is not strongly related to the amount of lumbar flexion used to perform forward-reaching tasks in participants who have chronic LBP or who have recovered from LBP. More research needs to be conducted to examine the influence of hamstring flexibility on observed movement patterns to further evaluate the efficacy of flexibility training in the rehabilitation of patients with LBP. Copyright 2010 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevention of Resistance in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: the role of combination therapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

W. Deenik (Wendy)

2010-01-01

textabstractChronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a rare disease with a worldwide incidence of approximately 1-2 cases per 100,000 individuals. Chronic myeloid leukemia occurs slightly more frequently in men than in women. The median age at diagnosis is approximately 60 years, and although the incidence

Hamstring muscle length and lumbar lordosis in subjects with different lifestyle and work setting: comparison between individuals with and without chronic low back pain.

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Arab, Amir Massoud; Nourbakhsh, Mohammad Reza

2014-01-01

Shortened hamstring muscle length has been noted in persons with low back pain (LBP). Prolonged sitting postures, such as those adopted during different work settings and sedentary lifestyle has been associated with hamstring shortness and LBP. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of lifestyle and work setting on hamstring length and lumbar lordosis in subjects with and without LBP and to identify the relationship between hamstring muscles length and lumbar lordosis in individuals with different lifestyle and work setting. A total of 508 subjects between the ages of 20 and 65 were selected. Subjects were categorized into two groups of individuals with and without LBP. A questionnaire was used to obtain information about the subjects' lifestyle and work setting. Hamstring muscle length and lumbar lordosis were measured in all subjects. The results showed no significant difference in the number of subjects with different work setting or lifestyle in individuals with and without LBP. Hamstring muscle length or lumbar lordosis was not affected by type of work setting and lifestyle. Our data showed significant difference in hamstring length and no significant difference in lumbar lordosis between subjects with and without LBP in all categories. Lumbar lordosis was not different between individuals with and without hamstring tightness in normal and LBP subjects with different work setting and lifestyle. The findings of this study did not support the assumption that work setting and sedentary lifestyle would lead to hamstring tightness in subjects with LBP. It seems that work setting and lifestyle was not a contributing factor for hamstring tightness in subjects with LBP.

Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Score Is Associated With Incident Heart Failure Hospitalization in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Without Previously Diagnosed Heart Failure: Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study.

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Mishra, Rakesh K; Yang, Wei; Roy, Jason; Anderson, Amanda H; Bansal, Nisha; Chen, Jing; DeFilippi, Christopher; Delafontaine, Patrice; Feldman, Harold I; Kallem, Radhakrishna; Kusek, John W; Lora, Claudia M; Rosas, Sylvia E; Go, Alan S; Shlipak, Michael G

2015-07-01

Chronic kidney disease is a risk factor for heart failure (HF). Patients with chronic kidney disease without diagnosed HF have an increased burden of symptoms characteristic of HF. It is not known whether these symptoms are associated with occurrence of new onset HF. We studied the association of a modified Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire with newly identified cases of hospitalized HF among 3093 participants enrolled in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study who did not report HF at baseline. The annually updated Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score was categorized into quartiles (Q1-4) with the lower scores representing the worse symptoms. Multivariable-adjusted repeated measure logistic regression models were adjusted for demographic characteristics, clinical risk factors for HF, N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide level and left ventricular hypertrophy, left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Over a mean (±SD) follow-up period of 4.3±1.6 years, there were 211 new cases of HF hospitalizations. The risk of HF hospitalization increased with increasing symptom quartiles; 2.62, 1.85, 1.14, and 0.74 events per 100 person-years, respectively. The median number of annual Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire assessments per participant was 5 (interquartile range, 3-6). The annually updated Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score was independently associated with higher risk of incident HF hospitalization in multivariable-adjusted models (odds ratio, 3.30 [1.66-6.52]; P=0.001 for Q1 compared with Q4). Symptoms characteristic of HF are common in patients with chronic kidney disease and are associated with higher short-term risk for new hospitalization for HF, independent of level of kidney function, and other known HF risk factors. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Is there an association between diabetes and neck pain and lower back pain? Results of a population-based study

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Jimenez-Garcia R

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Rodrigo Jimenez-Garcia,1 José Luis del Barrio,1 Valentín Hernandez-Barrera,1 Javier de Miguel-Díez,2 Isabel Jimenez-Trujillo,1 María Angeles Martinez-Huedo,3 Ana Lopez-de-Andres1 1Preventive Medicine and Public Health Teaching and Research Unit, Health Sciences Faculty, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain; 2Respiratory Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IiSGM, Madrid, Spain; 3Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Unidad de Docencia, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain Background: The objective of the study was to study the association between low back pain (LBP, neck pain (NP, and diabetes while controlling for many sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, and lifestyle variables. The study also aimed to identify which of these variables is independently associated with LBP and NP among diabetes sufferers. Methods: A case–control study using data taken from the European Health Interview Surveys for Spain was conducted in 2009/2010 (n=22,188 and 2014 (n=22,842. We selected subjects ≥40 years of age. Diabetes status was self-reported. One non-diabetic control was matched by the year of survey, age, and sex for each diabetic case. The presence of LBP and NP was defined as the affirmative answer to both of the questions: “Have you suffered chronic LBP/NP over the last 12 months?” and “Has your physician confirmed the diagnosis?” Independent variables included demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, health status variables, lifestyles, and pain characteristics. Results: The prevalence of NP (32.2% vs 26.8% and LBP (37.1% vs 30.3% was significantly higher among those suffering from diabetes. Multivariable analysis showed that diabetes was associated with a 1.19 (95% CI 1.04–1.36 and 1.20 (95% CI 1.06–1.35 higher risk of NP and LBP. Among

Dietary Protein Sources and Risk for Incident Chronic Kidney Disease: Results From the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

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Haring, Bernhard; Selvin, Elizabeth; Liang, Menglu; Coresh, Josef; Grams, Morgan E; Petruski-Ivleva, Natalia; Steffen, Lyn M; Rebholz, Casey M

2017-07-01

Dietary protein restriction is recommended for patients with moderate to severe renal insufficiency. Long-term data on the relationship between dietary protein sources and risk for incident kidney disease in individuals with normal kidney function are largely missing. This study aimed to assess the association between dietary protein sources and incident chronic kidney disease (CKD). Prospective cohort. Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study participants from 4 US communities. A total of 11,952 adults aged 44-66 years in 1987-1989 who were free of diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 60 mL/minute/1.73 m 2 . A 66-item food frequency questionnaire was used to assess food intake. CKD stage 3 was defined as a decrease in eGFR of ≥25% from baseline resulting in an eGFR of less than 60 mL/minute/1.73 m 2 ; CKD-related hospitalization; CKD-related death; or end-stage renal disease. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression. During a median follow-up of 23 years, there were 2,632 incident CKD cases. Red and processed meat consumption was associated with increased CKD risk (HR Q5 vs. Q1 : 1.23, 95% CI: 1.06-1.42, p trend  = 0.01). In contrast, higher dietary intake of nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy products was associated with lower CKD risk (nuts: HR Q5 vs. Q1 : 0.81, 95% CI: 0.72-0.92, p trend protein sources with risk of incident CKD; with red and processed meat being adversely associated with CKD risk; and nuts, low-fat dairy products, and legumes being protective against the development of CKD. Copyright © 2016 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Apple Polysaccharide inhibits microbial dysbiosis and chronic inflammation and modulates gut permeability in HFD-fed rats.

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Wang, Sheng; Li, Qian; Zang, Yue; Zhao, Yang; Liu, Nan; Wang, Yifei; Xu, Xiaotao; Liu, Li; Mei, Qibing

2017-06-01

The saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" has been known for over 150 years, and numerous studies have shown that apple consumption is closely associated with reduced risks of chronic diseases. It has been well accepted that dysbiosis is the reflection of various chronic diseases. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of apple polysaccharides (AP) on gut dysbiosis. High-fat diet (HFD) fed rats were treated for 14 weeks with AP. The microbiota composition, microbiota-generated short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), gut permeability and chronic inflammation were analyzed. AP treatment showed higher abundance of Bacteroidetes and Lactobacillus while lower Firmicutes and Fusobacteium. AP significantly increased total SCFAs level that contributed by acetic acid and isobutyric acid. Moreover, AP dramatically alleviated dysbiosis-associated gut permeability and chronic inflammation with decreased plasma LBP, up-regulation of Occludin, down-regulation of tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-a), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL-1) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β). The potential mechanism is due to the fact that AP reduces gut permeability, which involves the induction of autophagy in goblet cells. Therefore, AP exerts health benefits through inhibiting gut dysbiosis and chronic inflammation and modulating gut permeability in HFD-induced dysbiosis rats. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How to treat a patient with chronic low back pain - methodology and results of the first international case conference of integrative medicine.

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Brinkhaus, Benno; Lewith, George; Rehberg, Benno; Heusser, Peter; Cummings, Mike; Michalsen, Andreas; Teut, Michael; Willich, Stefan N; Irnich, Dominik

2011-02-01

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is frequently used in patients in industrialised countries. Despite this popularity, there remains a considerable deficit of discourse and cooperation between physicians practicing CAM and conventional medicine. The aim is to present the methodology and results of the first international case conference on integrative medicine (IM) dealing with a patient with low back pain. In this paper the methodological tool "case conference on IM" is also described. The interactive case conference took place on November 20th, 2009 as part of the "2nd European Congress of IM" in Berlin, Germany. An experienced expert panel from both conventional medicine and CAM developed integrative medical diagnoses and therapeutic strategies using as their starting point an individual patient case on chronic low back pain (LBP). The case was selected because LBP is a common diagnosis with considerable economic impact and a problem which is often treated with CAM. In this case conference, the expert panel agreed on a diagnosis of "chronic non-specific LBP with somatic and psychological factors" and proposed multi-modal short- and long-term treatment including of CAM. The importance of the patient-physician-relationship and the consultation process with appropriate consultation time for treatment success was highlighted. There was consensus that the diagnostic process and resulting treatment plan should be individualised and focussed on the patient as a complete person, identifying the significance the disease has for the patient and not just on the disease for itself. Considerable differences were found amongst the experts regarding the first steps of treatment and each expert saw possibilities of "effective and adequate treatment" being met by their own individual treatment method. The case conference on integrative medicine stimulated an intensive exchange between the approaches used by conventional medicine and CAM clarifying different treatment

From acute to persistent low back pain: a longitudinal investigation of somatosensory changes using quantitative sensory testing—an exploratory study

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Marcuzzi, Anna; Wrigley, Paul J.; Dean, Catherine M.; Graham, Petra L.; Hush, Julia M.

2018-01-01

Abstract Introduction: Chronic low back pain (LBP) is commonly associated with generalised pain hypersensitivity. It is suggested that such somatosensory alterations are important determinants for the transition to persistent pain from an acute episode of LBP. Although cross-sectional research investigating somatosensory function in the acute stage is developing, no longitudinal studies designed to evaluate temporal changes have been published. Objectives: This exploratory study aimed to investigate the temporal development of somatosensory changes from the acute stage of LBP to up to 4 months from onset. Methods: Twenty-five people with acute LBP (pain-free controls were prospectively assessed at baseline using quantitative sensory testing with the assessor blinded to group allocation, and again at 2 and 4 months. Psychological variables were concurrently assessed. People with acute LBP were classified based on their average pain severity over the previous week at 4 months as recovered (≤1/10 numeric rating scale) or persistent (≥2/10 numeric rating scale) LBP. Results: In the persistent LBP group, (1) there was a significant decrease in pressure pain threshold between 2 and 4 months (P pain threshold was significantly different from the recovered LBP group (P pain-free control reference value. Pain-related psychological variables were significantly higher in those with persistent LBP compared with the recovered LBP group at all time points (P pain sensitivity occurring in the subacute stage warrant further longitudinal evaluation to better understand the role of somatosensory changes in the development of persistent LBP. Pain-related cognitions at baseline distinguished persistent from the recovered LBP groups, emphasizing the importance of concurrent evaluation of psychological contributors in acute LBP. PMID:29756087

Testing a path-analytic mediation model of how motivational enhancement physiotherapy improves physical functioning in pain patients.

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Cheing, Gladys; Vong, Sinfia; Chan, Fong; Ditchman, Nicole; Brooks, Jessica; Chan, Chetwyn

2014-12-01

Pain is a complex phenomenon not easily discerned from psychological, social, and environmental characteristics and is an oft cited barrier to return to work for people experiencing low back pain (LBP). The purpose of this study was to evaluate a path-analytic mediation model to examine how motivational enhancement physiotherapy, which incorporates tenets of motivational interviewing, improves physical functioning of patients with chronic LBP. Seventy-six patients with chronic LBP were recruited from the outpatient physiotherapy department of a government hospital in Hong Kong. The re-specified path-analytic model fit the data very well, χ (2)(3, N = 76) = 3.86, p = .57; comparative fit index = 1.00; and the root mean square error of approximation = 0.00. Specifically, results indicated that (a) using motivational interviewing techniques in physiotherapy was associated with increased working alliance with patients, (b) working alliance increased patients' outcome expectancy and (c) greater outcome expectancy resulted in a reduction of subjective pain intensity and improvement in physical functioning. Change in pain intensity also directly influenced improvement in physical functioning. The effect of motivational enhancement therapy on physical functioning can be explained by social-cognitive factors such as motivation, outcome expectancy, and working alliance. The use of motivational interviewing techniques to increase outcome expectancy of patients and improve working alliance could further strengthen the impact of physiotherapy on rehabilitation outcomes of patients with chronic LBP.

Disparity in liver cancer incidence and chronic liver disease mortality by nativity in Hispanics: The Multiethnic Cohort.

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Setiawan, Veronica Wendy; Wei, Pengxiao C; Hernandez, Brenda Y; Lu, Shelly C; Monroe, Kristine R; Le Marchand, Loic; Yuan, Jian Min

2016-05-01

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and chronic liver disease (CLD) are major causes of morbidity and mortality among Hispanics. Disparities in the incidence of HCC and in CLD deaths by nativity in Hispanics have been reported. Whether individual-level risk factors could explain these disparities was assessed in a prospective study of 36,864 Hispanics (18,485 US-born and 18,379 foreign-born) in the Multiethnic Cohort. Risk factors were assessed with a baseline questionnaire and Medicare claim files. During a 19.6-year follow-up, 189 incident cases of HCC and 298 CLD deaths were identified. The HCC incidence rate was almost twice as high for US-born Hispanic men versus foreign-born Hispanic men (44.7 vs 23.1), but the rates were comparable for women (14.5 vs 13.4). The CLD mortality rate was about twice as high for US-born Hispanics versus foreign-born Hispanics (66.3 vs 35.1 for men and 42.2 vs 19.7 for women). Heavy alcohol consumption was associated with HCC and CLD in foreign-born individuals, whereas the current smoking status, hepatitis B/C viral infection, and diabetes were associated with both HCC and CLD. After adjustments for these risk factors, the hazard rate ratios for HCC and CLD death were 1.58 (95% confidence interval, 1.00-2.51) and 1.85 (95% confidence interval, 1.25-2.73), respectively, for US-born Hispanics versus foreign-born Hispanics. US-born Hispanics, particularly males, are at greater risk for HCC and death from CLD than foreign-born Hispanics. Overall known differences in risk factors do not account for these disparities. Future studies are warranted to identify factors that contribute to the elevated risk of HCC development and CLD death in US-born Hispanics. Cancer 2016;122:1444-1452. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Chronic postthoracotomy pain and perioperative ketamine infusion.

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Hu, Jie; Liao, Qin; Zhang, Fan; Tong, Jianbin; Ouyang, Wen

2014-06-01

The objectives of this study were to investigate whether continuous intravenous ketamine during the first 72 hours after thoracotomy could reduce the incidence and intensity of chronic postthoracotomy pain (CPTP) and to define the incidence and risk factors of CPTP. Seventy-eight patients receiving thoracotomy for lung tumor (benign or malignant) were randomly divided into two groups: ketamine group (n = 31) and control groups (n = 47). Patients in the ketamine group received intravenous ketamine 1 mg/kg before incision, followed by 2 μg/kg/minute infusion for 72 hours plus sufentanil patient-controlled intravenous analgesia after thoracotomy. Patients in the control group received intravenous a 0.9% normal saline and infusion plus sufentanil patient-controlled intravenous analgesia. The solutions patients received were blinded. The numerical rating scale (NRS) pain scores and the incidence and risk factors of CPTP were recorded during the first 6 months after surgery. Compared with control group, the incidence of chronic pain in the ketamine group did not decrease at 2 months (χ(2) = 1.599, P = .206) and 6 months (χ(2) = 0.368, P = .544) after surgery. Postoperative pain scores in the ketamine group were not significantly different from those of the control group patients at 2 months (U = 677.5, P = .593) and 6 months (U = 690.5, P = .680). The incidence of CPTP was 78.2% (61/78) at 2 months and 53.8% (42/78) at 6 months after surgery. Retractor used time (OR = 5.811, P = .002), inadequate acute pain control (NRS ≥ 5) (OR = 5.425, P = .048), and chemotherapy (OR = 3.784, P = .056) were independent risk factors for chronic postthoracotomy pain. The authors conclude that continuous intravenous ketamine (2 μg/kg/min) during the first 72 hours after thoracotomy was not beneficial to prevent chronic postthoracotomy pain. The independent risk factors for chronic postthoracotomy pain were retractor used time, inadequate acute pain control, and chemotherapy.

The 'Lumbar Fusion Outcome Score' (LUFOS): a new practical and surgically oriented grading system for preoperative prediction of surgical outcomes after lumbar spinal fusion in patients with degenerative disc disease and refractory chronic axial low back pain.

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Mattei, Tobias A; Rehman, Azeem A; Teles, Alisson R; Aldag, Jean C; Dinh, Dzung H; McCall, Todd D

2017-01-01

In order to evaluate the predictive effect of non-invasive preoperative imaging methods on surgical outcomes of lumbar fusion for patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD) and refractory chronic axial low back pain (LBP), the authors conducted a retrospective review of 45 patients with DDD and refractory LBP submitted to anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) at a single center from 2007 to 2010. Surgical outcomes - as measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS/back pain) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) - were evaluated pre-operatively and at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year post-operatively. Linear mixed-effects models were generated in order to identify possible preoperative imaging characteristics (including bone scan/99mTc scintigraphy increased endplate uptake, Modic endplate changes, and disc degeneration graded according to Pfirrmann classification) which may be predictive of long-term surgical outcomes . After controlling for confounders, a combined score, the Lumbar Fusion Outcome Score (LUFOS), was developed. The LUFOS grading system was able to stratify patients in two general groups (Non-surgical: LUFOS 0 and 1; Surgical: LUFOS 2 and 3) that presented significantly different surgical outcomes in terms of estimated marginal means of VAS/back pain (p = 0.001) and ODI (p = 0.006) beginning at 3 months and continuing up to 1 year of follow-up. In conclusion,  LUFOS has been devised as a new practical and surgically oriented grading system based on simple key parameters from non-invasive preoperative imaging exams (magnetic resonance imaging/MRI and bone scan/99mTc scintigraphy) which has been shown to be highly predictive of surgical outcomes of patients undergoing lumbar fusion for treatment for refractory chronic axial LBP.

The greatest risk for low-back pain among newly educated female health care workers; body weight or physical work load?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jensen Jette

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Low back pain (LBP represents a major socioeconomic burden for the Western societies. Both life-style and work-related factors may cause low back pain. Prospective cohort studies assessing risk factors among individuals without prior history of low back pain are lacking. This aim of this study was to determine risk factors for developing low back pain (LBP among health care workers. Methods Prospective cohort study with 2,235 newly educated female health care workers without prior history of LBP. Risk factors and incidence of LBP were assessed at one and two years after graduation. Results Multinomial logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, smoking, and psychosocial factors showed that workers with high physical work load had higher risk for developing LBP than workers with low physical work load (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.1–2.8. In contrast, workers with high BMI were not at a higher risk for developing LBP than workers with a normal BMI. Conclusion Preventive initiatives for LBP among health care workers ought to focus on reducing high physical work loads rather than lowering excessive body weight.

Altered trunk muscle recruitment patterns during lifting in individuals in remission from recurrent low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Suehiro, Tadanobu; Ishida, Hiroshi; Kobara, Kenichi; Osaka, Hiroshi; Watanabe, Susumu

2018-04-01

Changes in the recruitment pattern of trunk muscles may contribute to the development of recurrent or chronic symptoms in people with low back pain (LBP). However, the recruitment pattern of trunk muscles during lifting tasks associated with a high risk of LBP has not been clearly determined in recurrent LBP. The present study aimed to investigate potential differences in trunk muscles recruitment patterns between individuals with recurrent LBP and asymptomatic individuals during lifting. The subjects were 25 individuals with recurrent LBP and 20 asymptomatic individuals. Electromyography (EMG) was used to measure onset time, EMG amplitude, overall activity of abdominal muscles, and overall activity of back muscles during a lifting task. The onsets of the transversus abdominis/internal abdominal oblique and multifidus were delayed in the recurrent LBP group despite remission from symptoms. Additionally, the EMG amplitudes of the erector spinae, as well as the overall activity of abdominal muscles or back muscles, were greater in the recurrent LBP group. No differences in EMG amplitude of the external oblique, transversus abdominis/internal abdominal oblique, and multifidus were found between the groups. Our findings indicate the presence of an altered trunk muscle recruitment pattern in individuals with recurrent LBP during lifting. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Healthy lifestyles reduce the incidence of chronic diseases and dementia: evidence from the Caerphilly cohort study.

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Peter Elwood

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Healthy lifestyles based on non-smoking, an acceptable BMI, a high fruit and vegetable intake, regular physical activity, and low/moderate alcohol intake, are associated with reductions in the incidence of certain chronic diseases, but to date there is limited evidence on cognitive function and dementia. METHODS: In 1979 healthy behaviours were recorded on 2,235 men aged 45-59 years in Caerphilly, UK. During the following 30 years incident diabetes, vascular disease, cancer and death were recorded, and in 2004 cognitive state was determined. FINDINGS: Men who followed four or five of the behaviours had an odds ratio (OR and confidence intervals (CI for diabetes, corrected for age and social class, of 0.50 (95% CI: 0.19, 1.31; P for trend with increasing numbers of healthy behaviours <0.0005. For vascular disease the OR was 0.50 (95% CI: 0.30, 0.84; P for trend <0.0005, and there was a delay in vascular disease events of up to 12 years. Cancer incidence was not significantly related to lifestyle although there was a reduction associated with non-smoking (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.54, 0.79. All-cause mortality was reduced in men following four or five behaviours (OR 0.40; 95% CI: 0.24, 0.67; P for trend <0.005. After further adjustment for NART, the OR for men following four or five healthy behaviours was 0.36 (95% CI: 0.12, 1.09; P for trend <0.001 for cognitive impairment, and 0.36 (95% CI: 0.07, 1.99; P for trend <0.02 for dementia. The adoption of a healthy lifestyle by men was low and appears not to have changed during the subsequent 30 years, with under 1% of men following all five of the behaviours and 5% reporting four or more in 1979 and in 2009. INTERPRETATION: A healthy lifestyle is associated with increased disease-free survival and reduced cognitive impairment but the uptake remains low.

The lived experience of low back pain among Irish farmers: case studies.

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Osborne, Aoife; Blake, Catherine; Meredith, David; McNamara, John; Phelan, Jim; Cunningham, Caitriona

2014-01-01

Low back pain (LBP) is the most commonly reported musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) among farmers. There is limited researching regarding the lived experience of LBP among farmers. Video interviews were conducted with three dairy farmers who reported having a significant episode of LBP. The interview data were transcribed and analyzed, and results were presented in relation to the constructs explored. The farmers experienced their first significant episode of LBP in their late 20s or early 30s and all attributed their LBP to farm work or a farm-related incident. Hours worked per day ranged from 9 to 13 hours. Tasks identified by farmers that they were unable to do due to LBP included physical work, working with sheep, building work, and "certain jobs." Work changes made due to LBP included getting help, slowing down, avoiding strenuous work, carrying smaller loads, mechanizing the farm, using the tractor more, and wearing a back belt for certain jobs. Each farmer had his own way of preventing or managing his LBP, including a mix of active self-management and passive coping strategies such as swimming, using ice, spinal manipulation, and taking medication. The farmers were unable to quantify how much their LBP had cost them directly or indirectly. The case studies illustrate farmers engaging in ongoing work despite significant pain. All of the farmers have adapted at work and engaged in self-management strategies to reduce the occurrence of LBP. Given the rich data produced by these case studies, future case studies are recommended to gain greater insights into farmers' experiences concerning LBP.

Effectiveness of graded activity versus physiotherapy in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain: midterm follow up results of a randomized controlled trial.

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Magalhães, Maurício Oliveira; Comachio, Josielli; Ferreira, Paulo Henrique; Pappas, Evangelos; Marques, Amélia Pasqual

Low back pain (LBP) is a major health and economic problem worldwide. Graded activity and physiotherapy are commonly used interventions for nonspecific low back pain. However, there is currently little evidence to support the use of one intervention over the other in the medium-term. To compare the effectiveness of graded activity exercises to physiotherapy-based exercises at mid-term (three and six months' post intervention) in patients with chronic nonspecific LBP. Sixty-six patients were randomly allocated to two groups: graded activity group (n=33) and physiotherapy group (n=33). These patients received individual sessions twice a week for six weeks. Follow-up measurements were taken at three and six months. The main outcome measurements were intensity pain (Pain Numerical Rating Scale) and disability (Rolland Morris Disability Questionnaire). No significant differences between groups after three and six month-follow ups were observed. Both groups showed similar outcomes for pain intensity at three months [between group differences: -0.1 (95% confidence interval [CI]=-1.5 to 1.2)] and six months [0.1 (95% CI=-1.1 to 1.5)], disability at three months was [-0.6 (95% CI=-3.4 to 2.2)] and six months [0.0 (95% CI=-2.9 to 3.0)]. The results of this study suggest that graded activity and physiotherapy have similar effects in the medium-term for patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. Copyright © 2017 Associação Brasileira de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Fisioterapia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Quality of life of patients with low back pain and pharmacoeconomic aspects of the treatment

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T V Chernyshova

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To define clinical efficacy of diclofenac and nise in pts with low back pain (LBP considering quality of life (QL and pharmacoeconomic aspects (PA Material and methods . 100 pts with chronic LBP due to vertebral osteochondrosis were included. Clinical examination was performed. QL was assessed with 4 questionnaires: Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ, WOMAC osteoarthritis index (Vfersion vas. 1, Osvestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire and SF-36. 50 pts of the 1 group received diclofenac retard 100 mg twice a day during 10 days. Nise was administered to the 50 pts of the 2 group 100 mg twice a day. All pts received midocalm 450 mg/day. Results. The study showed high efficacy of nise in complex treatment of pts with chronic LBP considering its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, low adverse events frequency so as PA and QL improvement.

Occurrence of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia

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Pritish K Bhattacharyya

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL is the most common leukemia of adults in the western world and constitutes about 33% of all leukemia′s. The incidence of CLL increases with age and are more common in older population. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML on the contrary occurs in both young adults and elderly and is a chronic myeloproliferative disease that originates from abnormal pluripotent stem cells and results in involvement of multiple hematopoietic lineages, but predominantly myeloid and less commonly lymphoid. Association between CLL and myeloid malignancies (CML, acute myeloid leukemia and MDS, myelodysplastic syndrome is rare. In literature documenting CLL and CML in same patients, occur either simultaneously or CML is preceded by CLL.

Trends in incidence of leukemia in Poland after the Chernobyl disaster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwiatkowski, B.

1996-01-01

After the Chernobyl accident the whole population of Poland was exposed to low-level radiation mainly emitted by I-131 and Cs-137. In 6-year period the incidence of leukemia increased in 2 groups of children: age 0-4 in males and 5-7 in females. In adults in some clinical types of leukemia significant trends of incidence were observed: in acute myleoid leukemia in age groups of 70-79 for males, in chronic myleoid leukemia in age groups of 40-49 and 60-69 for females, in chronic lymphatic leukemia in age group of 70-79 for males. Non of those trends was significant prior to the Chernobyl disaster

Increased risk of chronic liver disease in patients with bipolar disorder: A population-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Jer-Hwa; Chien, I-Chia; Lin, Ching-Heng

2016-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and incidence of chronic liver disease in patients with bipolar disorder. We used a random sample of 766,427 subjects aged ≥18 years from the National Health Research Institute database in the year 2005. Subjects with at least one primary diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 2005 were identified. Patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of chronic liver disease were also defined. We compared the prevalence and associated factors of chronic liver disease between patients with bipolar disorder and the general population in 2005. We also compared the incidence of chronic liver disease in patients with bipolar disorder and the general population from 2006 to 2010. The prevalence of chronic liver disease in patients with bipolar disorder (13.9%) was 2.68 times higher than that of the general population (5.8%) in 2005. The average annual incidence of chronic liver disease in patients with bipolar disorder from 2006 to 2010 was also higher than that of the general population (2.95% vs. 1.73%; risk ratio: 1.71; 95% confidence interval: 1.46-2.01). Patients with bipolar disorder had a significantly higher prevalence and incidence of chronic liver disease than those in the general population, and younger patients with bipolar disorder have a much higher prevalence and incidence than those in the general population. Male sex, second-generation antipsychotic or antidepressant use, and hyperlipidemia were associated factors for chronic liver disease in patients with bipolar disorder. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Towards comprehensive and transparent reporting: context-specific additions to the ICF taxonomy for medical evaluations of work capacity involving claimants with chronic widespread pain and low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwegler, Urban; Anner, Jessica; Glässel, Andrea; Brach, Mirjam; De Boer, Wout; Cieza, Alarcos; Trezzini, Bruno

2014-08-29

Medical evaluations of work capacity provide key information for decisions on a claimant's eligibility for disability benefits. In recent years, the evaluations have been increasingly criticized for low transparency and poor standardization. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a comprehensive spectrum of categories for reporting functioning and its determinants in terms of impairments and contextual factors and could facilitate transparent and standardized documentation of medical evaluations of work capacity. However, the comprehensiveness of the ICF taxonomy in this particular context has not been empirically examined. In this study, we wanted to identify potential context-specific additions to the ICF for its application in medical evaluations of work capacity involving chronic widespread pain (CWP) and low back pain (LBP). A retrospective content analysis of Swiss medical reports was conducted by using the ICF for data coding. Concepts not appropriately classifiable with ICF categories were labeled as specification categories (i.e. context-specific additions) and were assigned to predefined specification areas (i.e. precision, coverage, personal factors, and broad concepts). Relevant specification categories for medical evaluations of work capacity involving CWP and LBP were determined by calculating their relative frequency across reports and setting a relevance threshold. Forty-three specification categories for CWP and fifty-two for LBP reports passed the threshold. In both groups of reports, precision was the most frequent specification area, followed by personal factors. The ICF taxonomy represents a universally applicable standard for reporting health and functioning information. However, when applying the ICF for comprehensive and transparent reporting in medical evaluations of work capacity involving CWP and LBP context-specific additions are needed. This is particularly true for the documentation of

A systematic review on the effectiveness of physical and rehabilitation interventions for chronic non-specific low back pain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. van Middelkoop (Marienke); S.M. Rubinstein (Sidney); T. Kuijpers (Ton); A.P. Verhagen (Arianne); R.W.J.G. Ostelo (Raymond); B.W. Koes (Bart); M.W. van Tulder (Maurits)

2011-01-01

textabstractLow back pain (LBP) is a common and disabling disorder in western society. The management of LBP comprises a range of different intervention strategies including surgery, drug therapy, and non-medical interventions. The objective of the present study is to determine the effectiveness of

Chronic kidney disease among children in Guatemala.

Science.gov (United States)

Cerón, Alejandro; Fort, Meredith P; Morine, Chris M; Lou-Meda, Randall

2014-12-01

To describe the distribution of pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Guatemala, estimate incidence and prevalence of pediatric end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and estimate time to progress to ESRD. This study analyzed the registry of the only pediatric nephrology center in Guatemala, from 2004-2013. Incidence and prevalence were calculated for annual periods. Moran's index for spatial autocorrelation was used to determine significance of geographic distribution of incidence. Time to progress to ESRD and associated risk factors were calculated with multivariate Cox regression. Of 1 545 patients from birth to less than 20 years of age, 432 had chronic renal failure (CRF). Prevalence and incidence of ESRD were 4.9 and 4.6 per million age-related population, respectively. Incidence was higher for the Pacific coast and Guatemala City. The cause of CRF was undetermined in 43% of patients. Average time to progress to ESRD was 21.9 months; factors associated with progression were: older age, diagnosis of glomerulopathies, and advanced-stage CKD at consultation. Prevalence and incidence of ESRD in Guatemala are lower than in other countries. This may reflect poor access to diagnosis. Areas with higher incidence and large proportion of CKD of undetermined cause are compatible with other studies from the geographic subregion. Findings on progression to ESRD may reflect delayed referral.

Chronic kidney disease among children in Guatemala

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandro Cerón

2014-12-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To describe the distribution of pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD in Guatemala, estimate incidence and prevalence of pediatric end-stage renal disease (ESRD, and estimate time to progress to ESRD. METHODS: This study analyzed the registry of the only pediatric nephrology center in Guatemala, from 2004-2013. Incidence and prevalence were calculated for annual periods. Moran's index for spatial autocorrelation was used to determine significance of geographic distribution of incidence. Time to progress to ESRD and associated risk factors were calculated with multivariate Cox regression. RESULTS: Of 1 545 patients from birth to less than 20 years of age, 432 had chronic renal failure (CRF. Prevalence and incidence of ESRD were 4.9 and 4.6 per million age-related population, respectively. Incidence was higher for the Pacific coast and Guatemala City. The cause of CRF was undetermined in 43% of patients. Average time to progress to ESRD was 21.9 months; factors associated with progression were: older age, diagnosis of glomerulopathies, and advanced-stage CKD at consultation. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence and incidence of ESRD in Guatemala are lower than in other countries. This may reflect poor access to diagnosis. Areas with higher incidence and large proportion of CKD of undetermined cause are compatible with other studies from the geographic subregion. Findings on progression to ESRD may reflect delayed referral.

Thyroid function, reduced kidney function and incident chronic kidney disease in a community-based population: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schultheiss, Ulla T; Daya, Natalie; Grams, Morgan E; Seufert, Jochen; Steffes, Michael; Coresh, Josef; Selvin, Elizabeth; Köttgen, Anna

2017-11-01

Reduced kidney function is a common public health problem that increases risk for a wide variety of adverse outcomes, making the identification of potentially modifiable factors associated with the development of incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) important. Alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis have been linked to reduced kidney function, but the association of thyroid function with the development of incident CKD is largely uncharacterized. Concentrations of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) were quantified in 12 785 black and white participants of the ongoing community-based prospective Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. Thyroid markers and clinical categories of thyroid dysfunction (euthyroidism, combined subclinical and overt hypothyroidism, combined subclinical and overt hyperthyroidism) were also evaluated for their association with reduced kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate kidney function at study baseline. The clinical entities hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism were also associated with higher odds of baseline reduced kidney function, but this was not significant. However, none of the markers of thyroid function nor different clinical categories of thyroid dysfunction (hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism or TPOAb positivity) were associated with incident CKD in adjusted analyses. Elevated TSH, FT4 and reduced T3 concentrations were associated with reduced kidney function cross-sectionally. The lack of association with the development of incident CKD suggests that altered thyroid function in the general population is not causally related to CKD development, but screening for thyroidal status may be especially relevant in persons with reduced kidney function. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved.

High incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease after myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation for chronic lymphocytic leukemia in Sweden: graft-versus-leukemia effect protects against relapse.

Science.gov (United States)

Machaczka, Maciej; Johansson, Jan-Erik; Remberger, Mats; Hallböök, Helene; Lazarevic, Vladimir Lj; Wahlin, Björn Engelbrekt; Omar, Hamdy; Wahlin, Anders; Juliusson, Gunnar; Kimby, Eva; Hägglund, Hans

2013-12-01

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is a potentially curative treatment option for eligible patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, it is known that cure of CLL is only possible if a graft-versus-leukemia effect is present. Between 1994 and 2007, 48 adults underwent allo-SCT for poor-risk CLL in Sweden. Of these, ten (21%) patients aged 24-53 years (median: 46 years) received myeloablative conditioning (MAC), based on TBI and cyclophosphamide. All MAC patients had refractory, poorly controlled CLL before allo-SCT (partial remission in 9/10 patients and progressive disease in one). The cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) grades II-IV was 30%. Nine patients developed chronic GVHD; extensive in four. Rates of nonrelapse mortality at 1, 3 and 10 years were 0, 10 and 20%, respectively. Two patients relapsed 36 and 53 months after transplantation. Six patients were still alive after a median follow-up time of 11.5 years (range 5.9-13.7). The probabilities of relapse-free and overall survival from 1, 3 and 5 years after transplantation were 100, 90 and 70%, and 100, 90 and 80%, respectively. Nevertheless, our analysis of long-term outcome after MAC allo-SCT for CLL suggests that younger patients with poorly controlled CLL may benefit from MAC allo-SCT.

Incidence and risk factors of bleeding-related adverse events in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with ibrutinib

Science.gov (United States)

Lipsky, Andrew H.; Farooqui, Mohammed Z.H.; Tian, Xin; Martyr, Sabrina; Cullinane, Ann M.; Nghiem, Khanh; Sun, Clare; Valdez, Janet; Niemann, Carsten U.; Herman, Sarah E. M.; Saba, Nakhle; Soto, Susan; Marti, Gerald; Uzel, Gulbu; Holland, Steve M.; Lozier, Jay N.; Wiestner, Adrian

2015-01-01

Ibrutinib is associated with bleeding-related adverse events of grade ≤2 in severity, and infrequently with grade ≥3 events. To investigate the mechanisms of bleeding and identify patients at risk, we prospectively assessed platelet function and coagulation factors in our investigator-initiated trial of single-agent ibrutinib for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. At a median follow-up of 24 months we recorded grade ≤2 bleeding-related adverse events in 55% of 85 patients. No grade ≥3 events occurred. Median time to event was 49 days. The cumulative incidence of an event plateaued by 6 months, suggesting that the risk of bleeding decreases with continued therapy. At baseline, von Willebrand factor and factor VIII levels were often high and normalized on treatment. Platelet function measured via the platelet function analyzer (PFA-100™) was impaired in 22 patients at baseline and in an additional 19 patients on ibrutinib (often transiently). Collagen and adenosine diphosphate induced platelet aggregation was tested using whole blood aggregometry. Compared to normal controls, response to both agonists was decreased in all patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, whether on ibrutinib or not. Compared to untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients, response to collagen showed a mild further decrement on ibrutinib, while response to adenosine diphosphate improved. All parameters associated with a significantly increased risk of bleeding-related events were present at baseline, including prolonged epinephrine closure time (HR 2.74, P=0.012), lower levels of von Willebrand factor activity (HR 2.73, P=0.009) and factor VIII (HR 3.73, P=0.0004). In conclusion, both disease and treatment-related factors influence the risk of bleeding. Patients at greater risk for bleeding of grade ≤2 can be identified by clinical laboratory tests and counseled to avoid aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and fish oils. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01500733 PMID

Prevalence and pharmacologic treatment of patients with low back pain treated at kosovo energetic corporation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibraimi, Zana; Murtezani, Ardiana; Haxhiu, Bekim; Mustafa, Aziz; Martinaj, Merita

2013-12-01

Low back pain (LBP) is a common complaint among the general population with a subgroup developing chronic and disabling symptoms generating large societal costs. Recurrences and functional limitations can be minimized with appropriate conservative management, including medications, physical therapy modalities, exercise and patient education. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of low back complaints in industrial workers, to investigate whether individual risk factors involved in the occurrence of LBP, and to determine the most frequent used drug in LBP treatment. Data for this study were provided from Kosovo Energetic Corporation. A cross-sectional study design was utilized. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed among 228 industrial workers. Patient with LBP underwent a comprehensive clinical, radiological and biochemical evaluation. showed that LBP occurred in 63.5% of workers. Individual factors did not show significant associations with LBP. Age (OR=0.99/95% Cl 0.95-1.03), weight (OR=1.13/95% Cl 0.99-1.06), height (OR=0.97/95% Cl 0.91-1.02), and work experience (OR=1.01/95% Cl 0.97-1.05) increase odds for LBP but not significantly. The most frequently used drugs in patients included in this study are NSAIDs. In 33 (55.0%) patients for the treatment of LBP two types of drugs are administered. Increased physical activity, health promotion and reduced body weight can prevent morbidity from LBP. A continuous consultation with the Clinical Pharmacist demonstrates effective way of dosage and drug re-evaluation for the patients with LBP.

Chronic Diseases among Older Cancer Survivors

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Laura Deckx

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To compare the occurrence of pre-existing and subsequent comorbidity among older cancer patients (≥60 years with older non-cancer patients. Material and Methods. Each cancer patient (n=3835, mean age 72 was matched with four non-cancer patients in terms of age, sex, and practice. The occurrence of chronic diseases was assessed cross-sectionally (lifetime prevalence at time of diagnosis and longitudinally (incidence after diagnosis for all cancer patients and for breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer patients separately. Cancer and non-cancer patients were compared using logistic and Cox regression analysis. Results. The occurrence of the most common pre-existing and incident chronic diseases was largely similar in cancer and non-cancer patients, except for pre-existing COPD (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.06–1.37 and subsequent venous thrombosis in the first two years after cancer diagnosis (HR 4.20, 95% CI 2.74–6.44, which were significantly more frequent (P<0.01 among older cancer compared to non-cancer patients. Conclusion. The frequency of multimorbidity in older cancer patients is high. However, apart from COPD and venous thrombosis, the incidence of chronic diseases in older cancer patients is similar compared to non-cancer patients of the same age, sex, and practice.

A systematic review on the effectiveness of physical and rehabilitation interventions for chronic non-specific low back pain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Middelkoop, M.; Rubinstein, S.M.; Kuijpers, T.; Verhagen, A.P.; Ostelo, R.W.J.G.; Koes, B.W.; van Tulder, M.W.

Low back pain (LBP) is a common and disabling disorder in western society. The management of LBP comprises a range of different intervention strategies including surgery, drug therapy, and non-medical interventions. The objective of the present study is to determine the effectiveness of physical and

Chronic diseases in the Western world: Increasing incidence or ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

known diagnoses; or 'diagnostic creep' – people now diagnosed with chronic disease who would not have been a decade or so ago. We know that health declines with age, and populations in the developed world are ageing. With advances in healthcare, people are, for example, living through a heart attack that might ...

Altered muscular activation during prone hip extension in women with and without low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Arab, Amir M; Ghamkhar, Leila; Emami, Mahnaz; Nourbakhsh, Mohammad R

2011-08-14

Altered movement pattern has been associated with the development of low back pain (LBP). The purpose of this study was to investigate the activity pattern of the ipsilateral erector spinae (IES) and contralateral erectorspinae (CES), gluteus maximus (GM) and hamstring (HAM) muscles during prone hip extension (PHE) test in women with and without LBP. A cross-sectional non-experimental design was used. Convenience sample of 20 female participated in the study. Subjects were categorized into two groups: with LBP (n = 10) and without LBP (n = 10). The electromyography (EMG) signal amplitude of the tested muscles during PHE (normalized to maximum voluntary electrical activity (MVE)) was measured in the dominant lower extremity in all subjects. Statistical analysis revealed greater normalized EMG signal amplitude in women with LBP compared to non-LBP women. There was significant difference in EMG activity of the IES (P = 0.03) and CES (P = 0.03) between two groups. However, no significant difference was found in EMG signals of the GM (P = 0.11) and HAM (P = 0.14) among two groups. The findings of this study demonstrated altered activation pattern of the lumbo-pelvic muscles during PHE in the women with chronic LBP. This information is important for investigators using PHE as either an evaluation tool or a rehabilitation exercise.

Regional and social inequalities in chronic renal replacement therapy in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hommel, Kristine; Rasmussen, Soren; Kamper, Anne-Lise

2010-01-01

. The importance of diabetic nephropathy and patients aged 70 years or older was also studied. Methods. Incident patients on chronic RRT in the period 1995-2006 were identified in the Danish National Registry on Regular Dialysis and Transplantation. Information on residence, income, educational status and ethnic...... origin was obtained from Statistics Denmark. Rates of incident RRT patients were standardized for regional differences of sex and age as well as income, educational status and ethnic origin. Poisson regression was used when comparing rates. Results. Age- and sex-standardized incident chronic RRT rates...... among individuals with low income or short educational level were higher (P

Incidence of tramadol shopping behavior in a retrospective cohort of chronic non-cancer pain patients in France.

Science.gov (United States)

Chenaf, Chouki; Kabore, Jean-Luc; Delorme, Jessica; Pereira, Bruno; Mulliez, Aurélien; Roche, Lucie; Eschalier, Alain; Delage, Noémie; Authier, Nicolas

2016-09-01

Opioid analgesic use in chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is increasingly prevalent, but the benefits and risks are inadequately understood. In France, tramadol is one of the most used prescription opioids, but studies on its misuse liability in CNCP are still lacking. The aim was to assess the incidence of tramadol shopping behavior in CNCP patients and to identify the associated risk factors. A retrospective cohort of CNCP patients aged 18 years and older treated by tramadol for at least six consecutive months between 2005 and 2013 from a sample of the French Health Insurance database was established. Doctor shopping was defined as at least 1 day of overlapping prescriptions written by two or more different prescribers and filled in at least three different pharmacies. A total of 3505 CNCP patients were included with a majority of women (66.4%) and a mean age of 66.4 ± 14.7 years. The median tramadol treatment duration was 260 [interquartile range: 211-356] days. The 1-year incidence rate of tramadol shopping behavior was 1.0% [95%CI: 0.7-1.5]. On multivariate analysis, risk factors associated with tramadol shopping behavior were age (hazard ratio [HR] = 7.4 [95%CI: 2.8-19.7] for age <40, HR = 2.8 [95%CI: 1.0-7.7] for 40 ≤ age < 50, versus age ≥50), low-income status (HR = 8.5 [95%CI: 3.6-20.5]), and prior use of strong opioids (HR = 5.7 [95%CI: 1.9-17.0]). Tramadol shopping behavior incidence appears low in CNCP patients but may represent a public health concern given the widespread use of tramadol. Education and best monitoring of high-risk patients are needed to reduce doctor shopping. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Soybean polar lipids differently impact adipose tissue inflammation and the endotoxin transporters LBP and sCD14 in flaxseed vs. palm oil-rich diets.

Science.gov (United States)

Lecomte, Manon; Couëdelo, Leslie; Meugnier, Emmanuelle; Loizon, Emmanuelle; Plaisancié, Pascale; Durand, Annie; Géloën, Alain; Joffre, Florent; Vaysse, Carole; Michalski, Marie-Caroline; Laugerette, Fabienne

2017-05-01

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are nutritional pathologies, characterized by a subclinical inflammatory state. Endotoxins are now well recognized as an important factor implicated in the onset and maintain of this inflammatory state during fat digestion in high-fat diet. As a preventive strategy, lipid formulation could be optimized to limit these phenomena, notably regarding fatty acid profile and PL emulsifier content. Little is known about soybean polar lipid (SPL) consumption associated to oils rich in saturated FA vs. anti-inflammatory omega-3 FA such as α-linolenic acid on inflammation and metabolic endotoxemia. We then investigated in mice the effect of different synthetic diets enriched with two different oils, palm oil or flaxseed oil and containing or devoid of SPL on adipose tissue inflammation and endotoxin receptors. In both groups containing SPL, adipose tissue (WAT) increased compared with groups devoid of SPL and an induction of MCP-1 and LBP was observed in WAT. However, only the high-fat diet in which flaxseed oil was associated with SPL resulted in both higher WAT inflammation and higher circulating sCD14 in plasma. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that LPS transporters LBP and sCD14 and adipose tissue inflammation can be modulated by SPL in high fat diets differing in oil composition. Notably high-flaxseed oil diet exerts a beneficial metabolic impact, however blunted by PL addition. Our study suggests that nutritional strategies can be envisaged by optimizing dietary lipid sources in manufactured products, including fats/oils and polar lipid emulsifiers, in order to limit the inflammatory impact of palatable foods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Incident Heart Failure in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khalid, Usman; Egeberg, Alexander; Ahlehoff, Ole

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with a wide range of comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, but its association with heart failure (HF) is not fully clear. We investigated the risk of incident HF in a nationwide cohort of patients with RA...

Responsiveness of Clinical Outcome Measures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauridsen, Henrik Hein

Background The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is one of two standardised functional health measurement scales (HMS) recommended. Despite extensive psychometric testing, little is known about HMS behaviour and the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in subgroups of LBP patients. Moreover...... obtainable by a certain treatment. Chronic LBP patients seem to have a reasonable idea of an acceptable change in pain but overestimate change in functional and psychological /affective domains....

Effects of Pilates and Classical Kinesiotherapy on chronic low back pain: a case study

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Ivanna Avila Ribeiro

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction : Chronic low back pain (LBP is characterized by daily lower back pain lasting more than three consecutive months. It may lead to functional disability and can be treated by several physical therapy techniques, including therapeutic exercise. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pilates and classical kinesiotherapy on the treatment of pain and functional disability in patients with chronic low back pain. Materials and methods : The study sample consisted of five patients with a diagnosis of chronic low back pain and a mean age of 32.4 ± 15.6 years. A Visual Analogue Scale (VAS was used for pain assessment, and the Oswestry Disability Index was used to assess functional disability at the beginning and at the end of the intervention. Patients were divided into two groups and received 20 individual sessions of therapeutic exercise at a frequency of two sessions per week. Group A was treated with classical kinesiotherapy and group B was treated with pilates exercises. Statistical analysis was performed using Wilcoxon's test. The significance level was set at 5%. Results : There was a significant reduction in pain (p = 043 and functional disability (p = 042 in both groups. We found no significant differences between the effects of pilates and classical kinesiotherapy on pain and functional disability. Conclusions : We conclude that, in the population studied here, both pilates and classical kinesiotherapy were effective in treating chronic low back pain symptoms, with no significant difference between them.

Long-term ambient concentrations of total suspended particulates and oxidants as related to incidence of chronic disease in California Seventh-Day Adventists

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abbey, D.E.; Mills, P.K.; Petersen, F.F.; Beeson, W.L. (Loma Linda Univ. School of Medicine, CA (United States))

1991-08-01

Cancer incidence and mortality in a cohort of 6000 nonsmoking California Seventh-Day Adventists were monitored for a 6-year period, and relationships with long-term cumulative air pollution were observed. Total suspended particulates (TSP) and ozone were measured in terms of numbers of hours in excess of several threshold levels corresponding to national standards as well as mean concentration. For all malignant neoplasms among females, risk increased with increasing exceedance frequencies of all thresholds of TSP except the lowest one, and those increased risks were highly statistically significant. For respiratory cancers, increased risk was associated with only one threshold of ozone, and this result was of borderline significance. Respiratory disease symptoms were assessed in 1977 and again in 1987 using the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute respiratory symptoms questionnaire on a subcohort of 3914 individuals. Multivariate analyses which adjusted for past and passive smoking and occupational exposures indicated statistically significantly elevated relative risks ranging up to 1.7 for incidence of asthma, definite symptoms of airway obstructive disease, and chronic bronchitis with TSP in excess of all thresholds except the lowest one but not for any thresholds of ozone. A trend association was noted between the threshold of 10 pphm ozone and incidence of asthma. These results are presented within the context of standards setting for these constituents of air pollution.

Five-Year Incidence of Chronic Kidney Disease (Stage 3-5) and Associated Risk Factors in a Spanish Cohort: The MADIABETES Study

Science.gov (United States)

Salinero-Fort, Miguel A.; San Andrés-Rebollo, Francisco J.; de Burgos-Lunar, Carmen; Gómez-Campelo, Paloma; Chico-Moraleja, Rosa M.; López de Andrés, Ana; Jiménez-García, Rodrigo

2015-01-01

Objective To evaluate the incidence rate of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) stage 3-5 (persistent decreased kidney function under 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2) among patients with type 2 diabetes over five years, to identify the risk factors associated with CKD, and develop a risk table to predict five-year CKD stage 3-5 risk stratification for clinical use. Design The MADIABETES Study is a prospective cohort study of 3,443 outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, sampled from 56 primary health care centers (131 general practitioners) in Madrid (Spain). Results The cumulative incidence of CKD stage 3-5 at five-years was 10.23% (95% CI = 9.12–11.44) and the incidence density was 2.07 (95% CI = 1.83–2.33) cases per 1,000 patient-months or 2.48 (95% CI = 2.19–2.79) cases per 100 patient-years. The highest hazard ratio (HR) for developing CKD stage 3-5 was albuminuria ≥300 mg/g (HR = 4.57; 95% CI= 2.46-8.48). Furthermore, other variables with a high HR were age over 74 years (HR = 3.20; 95% CI = 2.13–4.81), a history of Hypertension (HR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.42–2.89), Myocardial Infarction (HR= 1.72; 95% IC= 1.25–2.37), Dyslipidemia (HR = 1.68; 95% CI 1.30–2.17), duration of diabetes mellitus ≥ 10 years (HR = 1.46; 95% CI = 1.14-1.88) and Systolic Blood Pressure >149 mmHg (HR = 1.52; 95% CI = 1.02–2.24). Conclusions After a five-year follow-up, the cumulative incidence of CKD is concordant with rates described in Spain and other countries. Albuminuria ≥ 300 mg/g and age over 74 years were the risk factors more strongly associated with developing CKD (Stage 3-5). Blood Pressure, lipid and albuminuria control could reduce CKD incidence of CKD in patients with T2DM. PMID:25856231

Five-year incidence of chronic kidney disease (stage 3-5 and associated risk factors in a Spanish cohort: the MADIABETES Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel A Salinero-Fort

Full Text Available To evaluate the incidence rate of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD stage 3-5 (persistent decreased kidney function under 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2 among patients with type 2 diabetes over five years, to identify the risk factors associated with CKD, and develop a risk table to predict five-year CKD stage 3-5 risk stratification for clinical use.The MADIABETES Study is a prospective cohort study of 3,443 outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, sampled from 56 primary health care centers (131 general practitioners in Madrid (Spain.The cumulative incidence of CKD stage 3-5 at five-years was 10.23% (95% CI = 9.12-11.44 and the incidence density was 2.07 (95% CI = 1.83-2.33 cases per 1,000 patient-months or 2.48 (95% CI = 2.19-2.79 cases per 100 patient-years. The highest hazard ratio (HR for developing CKD stage 3-5 was albuminuria ≥ 300 mg/g (HR = 4.57; 95% CI= 2.46-8.48. Furthermore, other variables with a high HR were age over 74 years (HR = 3.20; 95% CI = 2.13-4.81, a history of Hypertension (HR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.42-2.89, Myocardial Infarction (HR= 1.72; 95% IC= 1.25-2.37, Dyslipidemia (HR = 1.68; 95% CI 1.30-2.17, duration of diabetes mellitus ≥ 10 years (HR = 1.46; 95% CI = 1.14-1.88 and Systolic Blood Pressure >149 mmHg (HR = 1.52; 95% CI = 1.02-2.24.After a five-year follow-up, the cumulative incidence of CKD is concordant with rates described in Spain and other countries. Albuminuria ≥ 300 mg/g and age over 74 years were the risk factors more strongly associated with developing CKD (Stage 3-5. Blood Pressure, lipid and albuminuria control could reduce CKD incidence of CKD in patients with T2DM.

Incidence rate of clinical bovine mastitis in selected smallholder ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

were cows with chronic mastitis and the awareness of milkers on segregation of affected cows and use ... Bendictus, G. and Brand, A. 1998. Incidence of clinical ... Small-scale milk marketing and processing in Ethiopia. In: Rangnekar, D. and ...

Application of posterior pelvic tilt taping for the treatment of chronic low back pain with sacroiliac joint dysfunction and increased sacral horizontal angle.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jung-hoon; Yoo, Won-gyu

2012-11-01

Kinesio Taping (KT) is a therapeutic method used by physical therapists and athletic trainers in combination with other treatment techniques for various musculoskeletal and neuromuscular problems. However, no research has evaluated the effect of KT in patients with low back pain (LBP). The purpose of this case was to describe the application of posterior pelvic tilt taping (PPTT) with Kinesio tape as a treatment for chronic LBP and to reduce the anterior pelvic tilt angle. Case report. The patien was a 20-year-old female amateur swimmer with a Cobb's angle (L1-S1) of 68°, a sacral horizontal angle of 45°, and pain in both medial buttock areas and sacroiliac joints. We performed PPTT with Kinesio tape for 2 weeks (six times per week for an average of 9 h each time). The patient’s radiographs showed that the Cobb's angle (L1-S1) had decreased from 68° to 47° and that the sacral horizontal angle had decreased from 45° to 31°. Reductions in hypomobility or motion asymmetry, as assessed by the motion palpation test, and in pain, as measured by the pain-provocation tests, were observed. On palpation for both medial buttock areas in the prone position, the patient felt no pain. The patient experienced no pain or stiffness in the low back area while performing forward flexion in the standing position with knees fully extended when washing dishes in the sink. The case study demonstrated that PPTT intervention favourably affected the pelvic inclination and sacral horizontal angle, leading to beneficial effects on sacroiliac joint dysfunction (SIJD) and medial buttock pain. Additional research on the clinical effects of this taping procedure requires greater numbers of athletes with SIJD or LBP who have inappropriate anterior pelvic tilt angles and hyperlordosis.

Peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) in chronic low back pain: a prospective multicenter study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kloimstein, Herwig; Likar, Rudolf; Kern, Michael; Neuhold, Josef; Cada, Miroslav; Loinig, Nadja; Ilias, Wilfried; Freundl, Brigitta; Binder, Heinrich; Wolf, Andreas; Dorn, Christian; Mozes-Balla, Eva Maria; Stein, Rolf; Lappe, Ivo; Sator-Katzenschlager, Sabine

2014-02-01

The goal of this study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) for chronic low back pain (cLBP). In this prospective, multicenter observational study, 118 patients were admitted to 11 centers throughout Austria and Switzerland. After a screening visit, all patients underwent a trial stimulation period of at least seven days before implantation of the permanent system. Leads were placed in the subcutaneous tissues of the lower back directly in the region of greatest pain. One hundred five patients were implanted with a permanent stimulating system. Patients' evaluation of pain and functional levels were completed before implantation and one, three, and six months after implantation. Adverse events, medication usage, and coverage of the painful area and predictive value of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) were monitored. All pain and quality-of-life measures showed statistically significant improvement during the treatment period. These included the average pain visual analog scale, the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, the Becks Depression Inventory, and the Short Form-12 item Health survey. Additionally, medication usage with opioids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and anti-convulsants showed a highly significant reduction. Complications requiring surgical intervention were reported in 9.6% of the patients. The degree of coverage of painful areas seems to be an important criterion for efficacy of PNFS, whereas TENS is presumably no predictor. This prospective, multicenter study confirms that PNFS is an effective therapy for the management of cLBP. Significant improvements in many aspects of the pain condition were measured, and complications were minimal. © 2013 International Neuromodulation Society.

A systematic review on the effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine for chronic non-specific low-back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubinstein, Sidney M; van Middelkoop, Marienke; Kuijpers, Ton; Ostelo, Raymond; Verhagen, Arianne P; de Boer, Michiel R; Koes, Bart W; van Tulder, Maurits W

2010-08-01

The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the effects of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), acupuncture and herbal medicine for chronic non-specific LBP. A comprehensive search was conducted by an experienced librarian from the Cochrane Back Review Group (CBRG) in multiple databases up to December 22, 2008. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of adults with chronic non-specific LBP, which evaluated at least one clinically relevant, patient-centred outcome measure were included. Two authors working independently from one another assessed the risk of bias using the criteria recommended by the CBRG and extracted the data. The data were pooled when clinically homogeneous and statistically possible or were otherwise qualitatively described. GRADE was used to determine the quality of the evidence. In total, 35 RCTs (8 SMT, 20 acupuncture, 7 herbal medicine), which examined 8,298 patients, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Approximately half of these (2 SMT, 8 acupuncture, 7 herbal medicine) were thought to have a low risk of bias. In general, the pooled effects for the studied interventions demonstrated short-term relief or improvement only. The lack of studies with a low-risk of bias, especially in regard to SMT precludes any strong conclusions; however, the principal findings, which are based upon low- to very-low-quality evidence, suggest that SMT does not provide a more clinically beneficial effect compared with sham, passive modalities or any other intervention for treatment of chronic low-back pain. There is evidence, however, that acupuncture provides a short-term clinically relevant effect when compared with a waiting list control or when acupuncture is added to another intervention. Although there are some good results for individual herbal medicines in short-term individual trials, the lack of homogeneity across studies did not allow for a pooled estimate of the effect. In general, these results are in agreement with other recent systematic reviews on

Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Validity, and Reliability of the Persian Version of the Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Shafeei, Asrin; Mokhtarinia, Hamid Reza; Maleki-Ghahfarokhi, Azam; Piri, Leila

2017-08-01

Observational study. To cross-culturally translate the Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire (OMPQ) into Persian and then evaluate its psychometric properties (reliability, validity, ceiling, and flooring effects). To the authors' knowledge, prior to this study there has been no validated instrument to screen the risk of chronicity in Persian-speaking patients with low back pain (LBP) in Iran. The OMPQ was specifically developed as a self-administered screening tool for assessing the risk of LBP chronicity. The forward-backward translation method was used for the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the original questionnaire. In total, 202 patients with subacute LBP completed the OMPQ and the pain disability questionnaire (PDQ), which was used to assess convergent validity. 62 patients completed the OMPQ a week later as a retest. Slight changes were made to the OMPQ during the translation/cultural adaptation process; face validity of the Persian version was obtained. The Persian OMPQ showed excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.89). Its internal consistency was 0.71, and its convergent validity was confirmed by good correlation coefficient between the OMPQ and PDQ total scores ( r =0.72, p validity, construct validity, reliability, and consistency. It is therefore considered a useful instrument for screening Iranian patients with LBP.

Anticoagulation therapy a risk factor for the development of chronic subdural hematoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aspegren, Oskar P.; Åstrand, Ramona; Lundgren, Maria I.

2013-01-01

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common disease among the elderly and with increasing incidence we have chosen to focus on associations between development and recurrence of CSDH and anticoagulation and/or antiplatelet agent therapy.......Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common disease among the elderly and with increasing incidence we have chosen to focus on associations between development and recurrence of CSDH and anticoagulation and/or antiplatelet agent therapy....

The Global Contribution of Outdoor Air Pollution to the Incidence, Prevalence, Mortality and Hospital Admission for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Qingkun; Christiani, David C.; Wang, Xiaorong; Ren, Jun

2014-01-01

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the quantitative effects of outdoor air pollution, represented by 10 µg/m3 increment of PM10, on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in China, United States and European Union through systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Publications in English and Chinese from PubMed and EMBASE were selected. The Cochrane Review Handbook of Generic Inverse Variance was used to synthesize the pooled effects on incidence, prevalence, mortality and hospital admission. Results: Outdoor air pollution contributed to higher incidence and prevalence of COPD. Short-term exposure was associated with COPD mortality increased by 6%, 1% and 1% in the European Union, the United States and China, respectively (p < 0.05). Chronic PM exposure produced a 10% increase in mortality. In a short-term exposure to 10 µg/m3 PM10 increment COPD mortality was elevated by 1% in China (p < 0.05) and hospital admission enrollment was increased by 1% in China, 2% in United States and 1% in European Union (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Outdoor air pollution contributes to the increasing burdens of COPD.10 µg/m3 increase of PM10 produced significant condition of COPD death and exacerbation in China, United States and European Union. Controlling air pollution will have substantial benefit to COPD morbidity and mortality. PMID:25405599

Towards an ICF Core Set for chronic musculoskeletal conditions: commonalities across ICF Core Sets for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, low back pain and chronic widespread pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwarzkopf, S R; Ewert, T; Dreinhöfer, K E; Cieza, A; Stucki, G

2008-11-01

The objective of the study was to identify commonalities among the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Sets of osteoarthritis (OA), osteoporosis (OP), low back pain (LBP), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and chronic widespread pain (CWP). The aim is to identify relevant categories for the development of a tentative ICF Core Set for musculoskeletal and pain conditions. The ICF categories common to the five musculoskeletal and pain conditions in the Brief and Comprehensive ICF Core Sets were identified in three steps. In a first step, the commonalities across the Brief and Comprehensive ICF Core Sets for these conditions were examined. In a second and third step, we analysed the increase in commonalities when iteratively excluding one or two of the five conditions. In the first step, 29 common categories out of the total number of 120 categories were identified across the Comprehensive ICF Core Sets of all musculoskeletal and pain conditions, primarily in the component activities and participation. In the second and third step, we found that the exclusion of CWP across the Comprehensive ICF Core Sets increased the commonalities of the remaining four musculoskeletal conditions in a maximum of ten additional categories. The Brief ICF Core Sets of all musculoskeletal and pain conditions contain four common categories out of a total number of 62 categories. The iterative exclusion of a singular condition did not significantly increase the commonalities in the remaining. Based on our analysis, it seems possible to develop a tentative Comprehensive ICF Core Set across a number of musculoskeletal conditions including LBP, OA, OP and RA. However, the profile of functioning in people with CWP differs considerably and should not be further considered for a common ICF Core Set.

[Chronic renal disease in Puerto Rico: incidence, prevalence, and mortality in 2000-2008].

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez Ortiz, Ylene D; Miranda, Glenda; Burgos Calderón, Rafael; Depine, Santos; Ojo, Otegbola

2011-01-01

End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is a global public health problem. Although there are strategies for its prevention, the number of cases has increased. In order to understand current situation in Puerto Rico (PR) we review available data, which is presented in a descriptive report of the incidence, prevalence and mortality of ESRD during the period 2000-2008. In addition, we compare the incidence and prevalence rates with regard to other countries. We used 2000-2008 USRDS statistics and the QIRN3 for patients on dialysis. Transplanted patients were excluded. Crude rates of incidence and prevalence in PR were calculated for comparison with the United States and other countries. Percentages were calculated to describe the demographic characteristics and primary diagnosis in 2008. During the period 2000-2008 the incidence rate increased by 21.6 percent; from 286.8 to 348.7 pmp. The prevalence rate increased by 27.3 percent; from 861.2 to 1096.2 pmp. The average annual growth in the incidence and prevalence was 2.4 percent and 3.0 percent respectively. During the same period, diabetes mellitus was the leading cause of ESRD reaching 67.4 percent of total new cases in 2008, while in the U.S. was 44.4 percent. Unadjusted mortality decreased slightly in 2008 to 18.5 percent. PR is the fifth country with the highest incidence of patient on dialysis and the first with ESRD due to diabetes mellitus. ESRD is becoming more common and prevalent in PR. We should be more aggressive in establishing public health strategies to reduce ESRD.

Incidence and mortality trends of leukemia and lymphoma in Croatia, 1988-2009

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, Ina; Jakšić, Ozren; Kuliš, Tomislav; Batinjan, Katarina; Znaor, Ariana

2012-01-01

Aim To investigate the time trends of leukemia and lymphoma in Croatia from 1988-2009, compare them with trends in other populations, and identify possible changes. Methods The data sources were the Croatian National Cancer Registry for incidence data, Croatian Bureau of Statistics for the numbers of deaths, and United Nations population estimates. Joinpoint regression analysis using the age-standardized rates was used to analyze incidence and mortality trends. Results Acute lymphoblastic leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia incidence did not significantly change. Acute myeloid leukemia incidence significantly increased in women, with estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) of 2.6% during the whole period, and in men since 1998, with EAPC of 3.2%. Chronic myeloid leukemia incidence significantly decreased in women (EAPC -3.7%) and remained stable in men. Mortality rates were stable for both lymphoid and myeloid leukemia in both sexes. Hodgkin lymphoma non-significantly increased in incidence and significantly decreased in mortality (EAPCs of -5.6% in men and -3.7% in women). Non-Hodgkin lymphoma significantly increased in incidence in women (EAPC 3.2%) and non-significantly in men and in mortality in both men (EAPC 1.6%) and women (EAPC 1.8%). Conclusion While Croatia had similar leukemia and lymphoma incidence trends as the other countries, the mortality trends were less favorable than in Western Europe. The lack of declines of leukemia incidence and non-Hodgkin lymphoma mortality could be attributed to late introduction of optimal therapies. As currently the most up-to-date diagnostics and treatments are available and covered by health insurance, we expect more favorable trends in the future. PMID:22522989

No difference in incidence of port-site hernia and chronic pain after single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy versus conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christoffersen, Mette W; Brandt, Erik; Oehlenschläger, Jacob

2015-01-01

and matched 1:2 with patients subjected to CLC using pre-defined criteria. Follow-up data were obtained from the Danish National Patient Registry, mailed patient questionnaires, and clinical examination. A port-site hernia was defined as a repair for a port-site hernia or clinical hernia located at one......BACKGROUND: Conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CLC) is regarded as the gold standard for cholecystectomy. However, single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SLC) has been suggested to replace CLC. This study aimed at comparing long-term incidences of port-site hernia and chronic pain...... after SLC versus CLC. METHODS: We conducted a matched cohort study based on prospective data (Jan 1, 2009-June 1, 2011) from the Danish Cholecystectomy Database with perioperative information and clinical follow-up. Consecutive patients undergoing elective SLC during the study period were included...

The role of fear avoidance beliefs as a prognostic factor for outcome in patients with nonspecific low back pain: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Wertli, Maria M; Rasmussen-Barr, Eva; Weiser, Sherri; Bachmann, Lucas M; Brunner, Florian

2014-05-01

Psychological factors including fear avoidance beliefs are believed to influence the development of chronic low back pain (LBP). The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic importance of fear avoidance beliefs as assessed by the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) and the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia for clinically relevant outcomes in patients with nonspecific LBP. The design of this study was a systematic review. In October 2011, the following databases were searched: BIOSIS, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, OTSeeker, PeDRO, PsycInfo, PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science. To ensure the completeness of the search, a hand search and a search of bibliographies was conducted and all relevant references included. A total of 2,031 references were retrieved, leaving 566 references after the removal of duplicates. For 53 references, the full-text was assessed and, finally, 21 studies were included in the analysis. The most convincing evidence was found supporting fear avoidance beliefs to be a prognostic factor for work-related outcomes in patients with subacute LBP (ie, 4 weeks-3 months of LBP). Four cohort studies, conducted by disability insurance companies in the United States, Canada, and Belgium, included 258 to 1,068 patients mostly with nonspecific LBP. These researchers found an increased risk for work-related outcomes (not returning to work, sick days) with elevated FABQ scores. The odds ratio (OR) ranged from 1.05 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.09) to 4.64 (95% CI, 1.57-13.71). The highest OR was found when applying a high cutoff for FABQ Work subscale scores. This may indicate that the use of cutoff values increases the likelihood of positive findings. This issue requires further study. Fear avoidance beliefs in very acute LBP (3 months) was mostly not predictive. Evidence suggests that fear avoidance beliefs are prognostic for poor outcome in subacute LBP, and thus early treatment, including interventions to reduce fear

Long-term ambient concentrations of total suspended particulates and oxidants as related to incidence of chronic disease in California Seventh-Day Adventists.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbey, D E; Mills, P K; Petersen, F F; Beeson, W L

1991-08-01

Cancer incidence and mortality in a cohort of 6000 nonsmoking California Seventh-Day Adventists were monitored for a 6-year period, and relationships with long-term cumulative ambient air pollution were observed. Total suspended particulates (TSP) and ozone were measured in terms of numbers of hours in excess of several threshold levels corresponding to national standards as well as mean concentration. For all malignant neoplasms among females, risk increased with increasing exceedance frequencies of all thresholds of TSP except the lowest one, and those increased risks were highly statistically significant. For respiratory cancers, increased risk was associated with only one threshold of ozone, and this result was of borderline significance. Respiratory disease symptoms were assessed in 1977 and again in 1987 using the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute respiratory symptoms questionnaire on a subcohort of 3914 individuals. Multivariate analyses which adjusted for past and passive smoking and occupational exposures indicated statistically significantly (p less than 0.05) elevated relative risks ranging up to 1.7 for incidence of asthma, definite symptoms of airway obstructive disease, and chronic bronchitis with TSP in excess of all thresholds except the lowest one but not for any thresholds of ozone. A trend association (p = 0.056) was noted between the threshold of 10 pphm ozone and incidence of asthma. These results are presented within the context of standards setting for these constituents of air pollution.

Neuromuscular ultrasound imaging in low back pain patients with radiculopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Frost, Lydia R; Brown, Stephen H M

2016-02-01

Patients suffering from chronic low back pain with associated radiculopathy (LBP-R), or sciatica, experience neuromuscular symptoms in the lower back and leg; however, research to date has focussed solely on the lower back. To expand neuromuscular research of LBP-R patients into the lower limb, using ultrasound imaging. Case control study comparing LBP-R patients to matched healthy controls. LBP-R patients with disc bulge or herniation (L3/L4 to L5/S1) resulting in unilateral radiculopathy (n = 17) and healthy matched controls (n = 17) were recruited. High-resolution ultrasound imaging was used to investigate sciatic nerve structure, as well as the quality (relative magnitude of fat/fibrosis infiltration) and contraction (muscle thickening) of associated musculature in the lower back (paraspinals) and lower limb (biceps femoris, gastrocnemius, soleus). LBP-R patients had swollen sciatic nerves (increased cross sectional area), but this was not associated with evidence of reduced lower limb muscle quality. As compared to controls, LBP-R patients demonstrated less soleus muscle thickening during submaximal contraction; however, there were no impairments in the hamstring or lower back musculature. Ultrasound imaging was an effective method to detect sciatic nerve swelling in mild to moderately affected LBP-R patients. Nerve swelling was not associated with poorer muscle quality, nor consistently impaired muscle contraction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Altered muscular activation during prone hip extension in women with and without low back pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arab Amir M

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Altered movement pattern has been associated with the development of low back pain (LBP. The purpose of this study was to investigate the activity pattern of the ipsilateral erector spinae (IES and contralateral erectorspinae (CES, gluteus maximus (GM and hamstring (HAM muscles during prone hip extension (PHE test in women with and without LBP. A cross-sectional non-experimental design was used. Methods Convenience sample of 20 female participated in the study. Subjects were categorized into two groups: with LBP (n = 10 and without LBP (n = 10. The electromyography (EMG signal amplitude of the tested muscles during PHE (normalized to maximum voluntary electrical activity (MVE was measured in the dominant lower extremity in all subjects. Results Statistical analysis revealed greater normalized EMG signal amplitude in women with LBP compared to non-LBP women. There was significant difference in EMG activity of the IES (P = 0.03 and CES (P = 0.03 between two groups. However, no significant difference was found in EMG signals of the GM (P = 0.11 and HAM (P = 0.14 among two groups. Conclusion The findings of this study demonstrated altered activation pattern of the lumbo-pelvic muscles during PHE in the women with chronic LBP. This information is important for investigators using PHE as either an evaluation tool or a rehabilitation exercise.

Chronic comorbidities in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fazelifarsani, Soulmaz; Souverein, Patrick C.; Van Der Vorst, Marja M.J.; Knibbe, Catherijne A.J.; De Boer, Anthonius; Mantel-Teeuwisse, Aukje K.

2014-01-01

Background: Limited quantitative data exist on the burden of chronic comorbidities in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Such knowledge is necessary for the development of guidelines and prevention programs. Objectives: To determine the incidence of chronic comorbidities in

Sequelae of Endoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair : Incidence, evaluation and management

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Burgmans, J.P.J.

2015-01-01

The endoscopic preperitoneal technique (TEP) is an appealing inguinal hernia repair technique, theoretically superior to other approaches. In practice some problems remain unsolved. Real incidences of chronic postoperative inguinal pain (CPIP) and other important sequelae of endoscopic hernia repair

Primary care physicians' attitudes and beliefs towards chronic low back pain: an Asian study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regina W S Sit

Full Text Available Chronic low back pain is a serious global health problem. There is substantial evidence that physicians' attitudes towards and beliefs about chronic low back pain can influence their subsequent management of the condition.(1 to evaluate the attitudes and beliefs towards chronic low back pain among primary care physicians in Asia; (2 to study the cultural differences and other factors that are associated with these attitudes and beliefs.A cross sectional online survey was sent to primary care physicians who are members of the Hong Kong College of Family Physician (HKCFP. The Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapist (PABS-PT was used as the questionnaire to determine the biomedical and biopsychosocial orientation of the participants.The mean Biomedical (BM score was 34.8+/-6.1; the mean biopsychosocial (BPS score was 35.6 (+/- 4.8. Both scores were higher than those of European doctors. Family medicine specialists had a lower biomedical score than General practitioners. Physicians working in the public sector tended to have low BM and low BPS scores; whereas physicians working in private practice tended to have high BM and high BPS scores.The lack of concordance in the pain explanatory models used by private and public sector may have a detrimental effect on patients who are under the care of both parties. The uncertain treatment orientation may have a negative influence on patients' attitudes and beliefs, thus contributing to the tension and, perhaps, even ailing mental state of a person with chronic LBP.

Prevalence of spondylolysis and its relationship with low back pain in selected population.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Sang-Bong; Lee, Sang-Wook

2011-03-01

To determine the prevalence of spondylolysis in a selected population and evaluate the association of spondylolysis with low back pain (LBP). Spondylolysis is widespread in the general population but the prevalence of spondylolysis and its relationship with LBP in the Korean population is controversial. A sample of 855 participants (age, 20 to 86 years) from our medical center who underwent multidetector computed tomography (CT) imaging to assess abdominal and urological lesions were enrolled in this study. The occurrence of LBP requiring medication in the preceding 12 months was evaluated using a self-report questionnaire (a modified Nordic Low Back Pain Questionnaire). The presence of spondylolysis was characterized by CT imaging. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the association between spondylolysis and LBP, while adjusting for gender and age. Seventy-eight study subjects (9%) demonstrated spondylolysis on CT imaging. There was no significant difference between the age groups (p = 0.177). The p-value of gender was 0.033 but this was not significant due to the selected population bias. Three hundred eleven study subjects (36%) had back pain. There was a significant difference between gender (p = 0.001). No significant association was identified between spondylolysis and the occurrence of LBP. The prevalence of LBP was 36.37% and the prevalence of lumbar spondylolysis in a selected population, who visited hospital for abdominal or urological lesions except LBP, was 9.12% based on CT imaging. Males demonstrated a similar presence of LBP to females but a significantly higher incidence of spondylolysis (p = 0.033). The prevalence of spondylolysis was not associated with the presence of LBP and age in adulthood.

Mitigation of chronic unpredictable stress–induced cognitive deficits ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Morphological changes in pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus were studied by Nissl staining. ... mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. [8]. .... LBP increase the percentage of time spent in target quarter in Probe Trials. (d) LBP ...

Low-fat yogurt consumption reduces biomarkers of chronic inflammation and inhibits markers of endotoxin exposure in healthy premenopausal women: a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Pei, Ruisong; DiMarco, Diana M; Putt, Kelley K; Martin, Derek A; Gu, Qinlei; Chitchumroonchokchai, Chureeporn; White, Heather M; Scarlett, Cameron O; Bruno, Richard S; Bolling, Bradley W

2017-12-01

The anti-inflammatory mechanisms of low-fat dairy product consumption are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to determine whether low-fat yogurt reduces biomarkers of chronic inflammation and endotoxin exposure in women. Premenopausal women (BMI 18·5-27 and 30-40 kg/m2) were randomised to consume 339 g of low-fat yogurt (yogurt non-obese (YN); yogurt obese (YO)) or 324 g of soya pudding (control non-obese; control obese (CO)) daily for 9 weeks (n 30/group). Fasting blood samples were analysed for IL-6, TNF-α/soluble TNF II (sTNF-RII), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, 2-arachidonoyl glycerol, anandamide, monocyte gene expression, soluble CD14 (sCD14), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), LPS binding protein (LBP), IgM endotoxin-core antibody (IgM EndoCAb), and zonulin. BMI, waist circumference and blood pressure were also determined. After 9-week yogurt consumption, YO and YN had decreased TNF-α/sTNFR-RII. Yogurt consumption increased plasma IgM EndoCAb regardless of obesity status. sCD14 was not affected by diet, but LBP/sCD14 was lowered by yogurt consumption in both YN and YO. Yogurt intervention increased plasma 2-arachidonoylglycerol in YO but not YN. YO peripheral blood mononuclear cells expression of NF-κB inhibitor α and transforming growth factor β1 increased relative to CO at 9 weeks. Other biomarkers were unchanged by diet. CO and YO gained approximately 0·9 kg in body weight. YO had 3·6 % lower diastolic blood pressure at week 3. Low-fat yogurt for 9 weeks reduced biomarkers of chronic inflammation and endotoxin exposure in premenopausal women compared with a non-dairy control food. This trial was registered as NCT01686204.

Determining the prevalence of patterns of pregnancy-induced pelvic girdle pain and low back pain in urban and rural populations: A cross-sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arati Mahishale

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Biomechanical changes during pregnancy impose postural deviations, leading to various musculoskeletal pain syndromes. Commonly noted pain syndromes are the pelvic girdle pain (PGP and low back pain (LBP, which were experienced by pregnant women globally. There is a prevalence of pregnancy-related PGP (PPGP and pregnancy-related LBP (PLBP in Western population. Data of the same in Indian pregnant population lack evidence. Objective: To find the rates of incidence and prevalence of different patterns of PPGP and PLBP in the urban and rural pregnant women. Materials and Methods: A total of 580 pregnant women were screened for inclusion criteria. Confirmation of diagnosis of PGP and LBP was done for 457 subjects using Modified Oswestry Disability Index (MODI questionnaire and the pelvic girdle questionnaire (PGQ. Once diagnosed, all participants were subjected to nine clinical tests to differentiate the site of pain and to classify them accordingly into three different groups, namely group A (LBP, group B [posterior pelvic pain (PPP], and group C [anterior pelvic pain (APP]. Results: The point prevalence of pain in group A (LBP was 31%, in group B (PPP was 65%, and in group C (APP was 15%. The prevalence of PGP and LBP was 75% in the urban pregnant population and 25% in the rural pregnant population. Conclusion: The prevalence rate of PPP (65% is higher than that of LBP (31% and APP (15%. Also PPP is reported to be highest in primiparous with gestational age of 38 weeks. The urban population showed 75% and rural population showed 25% of PGP and LBP.

Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for subacute low back pain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marin, Teresa J; Van Eerd, Dwayne; Irvin, Emma L.; Couban, Rachel; Koes, Bart W; Malmivaara, Antti; van Tulder, Maurits W; Kamper, Steven J

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Low back pain (LBP) is associated with enormous personal and societal burdens, especially when it reaches the chronic stage of the disorder (pain for a duration of more than three months). Indeed, individuals who reach the chronic stage tend to show a more persistent course, and they

[A retrospective study on the incidence of chronic renal failure in the Department of Internal Medicine and Nephrology at University Hospital of Antananarivo (the capital city of Madagascar)].

Science.gov (United States)

Ramilitiana, Benja; Ranivoharisoa, Eliane Mikkelsen; Dodo, Mihary; Razafimandimby, Evanirina; Randriamarotia, Willy Franck

2016-01-01

Chronic renal failure is a global public health problem. In developed countries, this disease occurs mainly in the elderly, but in Africa it rather affects active young subjects. This disease need for expensive treatments in a low income country, because of its costs. Our aim is to describe the epidemiology of new cases of chronic renal failure in Madagascar. This is a retrospective, descriptive study of 239 patients with chronic renal failure over a 3 year period, starting from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2009, in the Department of Internal Medicine and Nephrology at University Hospital of Antananarivo. The incidence was 8.51% among patients hospitalized in the Department. The average age of patients was 45.4 years with extremes of 16 and 82 years and a sex ratio 1,46. The main antecedent was arterial hypertension (59.8%). Chronic renal failure was terminal in 75.31% of the cases (n=180). The causes of chronic renal failure were dominated by chronic glomerulonephritis (40.1%), nephroangiosclerosis (35.5%). Hemodialysis was performed in 3 patients (1.26%), no patient was scheduled for a renal transplantation. Mortality rate in the Department was 28.87%. Chronic renal failure is a debilitating disease with a dreadful prognosis which affects young patients in Madagascar. Its treatment remains inaccessible to the majority of patients. The focus must be mainly on prevention, especially on early effective management of infections, arterial hypertension and diabetes to reduce its negative impacts on the community and public health. The project on renal transplantation: living donor, effective and less expensive treatment compared to hemodialysis could also be a good solution for these Malagasy young subjects.

Back Schools for chronic non-specific low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Parreira, Patrícia; Heymans, Martijn W; van Tulder, Maurits W; Esmail, Rosmin; Koes, Bart W; Poquet, Nolwenn; Lin, Chung-Wei Christine; Maher, Christopher G

2017-08-03

Many people with low back pain (LBP) become frequent users of healthcare services in their attempt to find treatments that minimise the severity of their symptoms. Back School consists of a therapeutic programme given to groups of people that includes both education and exercise. However, the content of Back School has changed over time and appears to vary widely today. This review is an update of a Cochrane review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effectiveness of Back School. We split the Cochrane review into two reviews, one focusing on acute and subacute LBP, and one on chronic LBP. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the effect of Back School on pain and disability for adults with chronic non-specific LBP; we included adverse events as a secondary outcome. In trials that solely recruited workers, we also examined the effect on work status. We searched for trials in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, two other databases and two trials registers to 15 November 2016. We also searched the reference lists of eligible papers and consulted experts in the field of LBP management to identify any potentially relevant studies we may have missed. We placed no limitations on language or date of publication. We included only RCTs and quasi-RCTs evaluating pain, disability, and/or work status as outcomes. The primary outcomes for this update were pain and disability, and the secondary outcomes were work status and adverse events. Two review authors independently performed the 'Risk of bias' assessment of the included studies using the 'Risk of bias' assessment tool recommended by The Cochrane Collaboration. We summarised the results for the short-, intermediate-, and long-term follow-ups. We evaluated the overall quality of evidence using the GRADE approach. For the outcome pain, at short-term follow-up, we found very low-quality evidence that Back School is more effective than no

Characterization of Low Back Pain in Pilots and Maintenance Technicians on a Commercial Airline.

Science.gov (United States)

Fajardo Rodriguez, Hugo A; Ortiz Mayorga, Viviana A

2016-09-01

Lower back pain (LBP) is the most common complaint worldwide and the leading cause of disability in the workplace. In Colombia there are no epidemiological data on low back pain in aviation. This study aimed to characterize lower back pain in pilots and maintenance technicians in a Colombian commercial airline. Information was collected from the total population in a Colombian commercial airline in Bogota during the period from 2011 to 2013 using a voluntary survey which requested demographics, occupational (LEST survey) factors, back pain, and chronic pain (chronic pain grade scale). The prevalence rate of LBP in pilot respondents was 71% and the factors associated previously have belonged to the military forces: occupational exposure to physical load and work time. Chronic low back pain was at a prevalence of 49%. The prevalence of LBP in maintenance technicians was 65%. Associated factors were again similar to military forces and included mental workload. Chronic pain had a prevalence of 65%. Factors associated with chronic low back pain were the technicians' time in office and physical load. The prevalence of lower back pain in pilots is similar to that presented in the airline world population. In the case of maintenance technicians, the prevalence was higher than those found in other similar groups, but very similar to prevalences presented in different business industries, including the transport sector. Fajardo Rodriguez HA, Ortiz Mayorga VA. Characterization of low back pain in pilots and maintenance technicians on a commercial airline. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(9):795-799.

Protective effect of Lycium Barbarum polysaccharides on dextromethorphan-induced mood impairment and neurogenesis suppression.

Science.gov (United States)

Po, Kevin Kai-Ting; Leung, Joseph Wai-Hin; Chan, Jackie Ngai-Man; Fung, Timothy Kai-Hang; Sánchez-Vidaña, Dalinda Isabel; Sin, Emily Lok-Lam; So, Kwok-Fai; Lau, Benson Wui-Man; Siu, Andrew Man-Hong

2017-09-01

Dextromethorphan (DXM) is one of the common drugs abused by adolescents. It is the active ingredient found in cough medicine which is used for suppressing cough. High dosage of DXM can induce euphoria, dissociative effects and even hallucinations. Chronic use of DXM may also lead to depressive-related symptoms. Lycium barbarum, commonly known as wolfberry, has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of ageing-related neurodegenerative diseases. A recent study has shown the potential beneficial effect of Lycium barbarum to reduce depression-like behavior. In the present study, we investigated the role of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) to alleviate DXM-induced emotional distress. Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups (n=6 per group), including the normal control (vehicles only), DXM-treated group (40 mg/kg DXM), LBP-treated group (1 mg/kg LBP) and DXM+ LBP-treated group (40 mg/kg DXM and 1 mg/kg LBP). After two-week treatment, the DXM-treated group showed increased depression-like and social anxiety-like behaviors in the forced swim test and social interaction test respectively. On the other hand, the adverse behavioral effects induced by DXM were reduced by LBP treatment. Histological results showed that LBP treatment alone did not promote hippocampal neurogenesis when compared to the normal control, but LBP could lessen the suppression of hippocampal neurogenesis induced by DXM. The findings provide insights for the potential use of wolfberry as an adjunct treatment option for alleviating mood disturbances during rehabilitation of cough syrup abusers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Alcoholic Pancreatitis: Pathogenesis, Incidence and Treatment with Special Reference to the Associated Pain

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Antonio M. Morselli-Labate

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Alcoholic pancreatitis continues to stir up controversy. One of the most debated points is whether from onset it is a chronic disease or whether it progresses to a chronic form after repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis. Histological studies on patients with alcoholic pancreatitis have shown that the disease is chronic from onset and that alcoholic acute pancreatitis occurs in a pancreas already damaged by chronic lesions. Genetic factors may also play a role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic disease. The incidence of chronic alcoholic pancreatitis seems to have decreased in the last twenty years. Finally, recent therapeutic studies which have shown medical or surgical approaches capable of reducing the pain episodes in chronic pancreatitis patients will be described.

Potential risk factors of persistent low back pain developing from mild low back pain in urban Japanese workers.

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Ko Matsudaira

Full Text Available STUDY DESIGN: Two-year, prospective cohort data from the Japan epidemiological research of occupation-related back pain study in urban settings were used for this analysis. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between aggravated low back pain and psychosocial factors among Japanese workers with mild low back pain. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Although psychosocial factors are strongly indicated as yellow flags of low back pain (LBP leading to disability, the association between aggravated LBP and psychosocial factors has not been well assessed in Japanese workers. METHODS: At baseline, 5,310 participants responded to a self-administered questionnaire including questions about individual characteristics, ergonomic work demands, and work-related psychosocial factors (response rate: 86.5%, with 3,811 respondents completing the 1-year follow-up questionnaire. The target outcome was aggravation of mild LBP into persistent LBP during the follow-up period. Incidence was calculated for the participants with mild LBP during the past year at baseline. Logistic regression was used to explore risk factors associated with persistent LBP. RESULTS: Of 1,675 participants who had mild LBP during the preceding year, 43 (2.6% developed persistent LBP during the follow-up year. Multivariate analyses adjusted for individual factors and an ergonomic factor found statistically significant or almost significant associations of the following psychosocial factors with persistent LBP: interpersonal stress at work [adjusted odds ratio (OR: 1.96 and 95% confidence interval (95%CI: 1.00-3.82], job satisfaction (OR: 2.34, 95%CI: 1.21-4.54, depression (OR: 1.92, 95%CI: 1.00-3.69, somatic symptoms (OR: 2.78, 95%CI: 1.44-5.40, support from supervisors (OR: 2.01, 95%CI: 1.05-3.85, previous sick-leave due to LBP (OR: 1.94, 95%CI: 0.98-3.86 and family history of LBP with disability (OR: 1.98, 95%CI: 1.04-3.78. CONCLUSIONS: Psychosocial factors are important risk factors for

Advances in surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Qingqiang; Yun, Lin; Roy, Manish; Shang, Dong

2015-02-08

The incidence of chronic pancreatitis (CP) is between 2 and 200 per 100,000 persons and shows an increasing trend year by year. India has the highest incidence of CP in the world at approximately 114 to 200 per 100,000 persons. The incidence of CP in China is approximately 13 per 100,000 persons. The aim of this review is to assist surgeons in managing patients with CP in surgical treatment. We conducted a PubMed search for "chronic pancreatitis" and "surgical treatment" and reviewed relevant articles. On the basis of our review of the literature, we found that CP cannot be completely cured. The purpose of surgical therapy for CP is to relieve symptoms, especially pain; to improve the patient's quality of life; and to treat complications. Decompression (drainage), resection, neuroablation and decompression combined with resection are commonly used methods for the surgical treatment of CP. Before developing a surgical regimen, surgeons should comprehensively evaluate the patient's clinical manifestations, auxiliary examination results and medical history to develop an individualized surgical treatment regimen.

Associations between television viewing and physical activity and low back pain in community-based adults

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, Sultana Monira; Urquhart, Donna M.; Wang, Yuanyuan; Dunstan, David; Shaw, Jonathan E.; Magliano, Dianna J.; Wluka, Anita E.; Cicuttini, Flavia M.

2016-01-01

Abstract Two systematic reviews concluded that there was limited evidence to support an association between physical activity and sedentary behavior and developing low back pain (LBP). The aim of this study was to examine the associations of physical activity and television viewing time with LBP intensity and disability in community-based adults. Five thousand fifty-eight participants (44% men) of the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study had physical activity and television viewing time measured in 1999 to 2000, 2004 to 2005, and 2011 to 2012, and LBP intensity and disability assessed in 2013 to 2014 using the Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to estimate the odds ratio for LBP intensity and disability associated with physical activity and television viewing time. Analyses were adjusted for age, education, smoking, dietary guideline index score, body mass index, and mental component summary score. To test whether associations of physical activity or television viewing time with LBP intensity and disability were modified by sex, obesity, or age, interactions were tested using the likelihood ratio test. As gender modified the associations between physical activity and television viewing time and LBP disability (P = 0.05), men and women were examined separately. A total of 81.7% men and 82.1% women had LBP. Most men (63.6%) and women (60.2%) had low intensity LBP with fewer having high intensity LBP (18.1% men, 21.5% women). Most participants had no LBP disability (74.5% men, 71.8% women) with the remainder reporting low (15.8% men, 15.3% women) or high (9.7% men, 12.9% women) LBP disability. Insufficient physical activity (television viewing time (≥2 hours/day) was associated with greater prevalence of LBP disability in women (low disability OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.04–1.73; high disability OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.01–1.72). Although it needs to be confirmed in RCTs our findings suggest that targeting time spent

Appendiceal diverticulum associated with chronic appendicitis

OpenAIRE

Zubieta-O’Farrill, Gregorio; Guerra-Mora, José Raúl; Gudiño-Chávez, Andrés; Gonzalez-Alvarado, Carlos; Cornejo-López, Gilberto Bernabe; Villanueva-Sáenz, Eduardo

2014-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Appendiceal diverticulosis is a rare entity, with a global incidence between 0.004% and 2.1% of all appendectomies. It has been related with an elevated risk of perforation in comparison to acute appendicitis, as well as an increased risk for synchronic appendicular cancer in 48% of the cases, and colonic cancer in 43%. The incidence of chronic appendicitis has been reported in 1.5% of all appendicitis cases. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We present a 73-year-old female, with no rele...

Are fear-avoidance beliefs in low back pain patients a risk factor for low physical activity or vice versa? A cross-lagged panel analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Leonhardt, Corinna; Lehr, Dirk; Chenot, Jean-François; Keller, Stefan; Luckmann, Judith; Basler, Heinz-Dieter; Baum, Erika; Donner-Banzhoff, Norbert; Pfingsten, Michael; Hildebrandt, Jan; Kochen, Michael M.; Becker, Annette

2009-01-01

Objective: The assumption that low back pain (LBP) patients suffer from “disuse” as a consequence of high fear-avoidance beliefs is currently under debate. A secondary analysis served to investigate whether fear-avoidance beliefs are associated cross-sectionally and longitudinally with the physical activity level (PAL) in LBP patients. Methods: A total of 787 individuals (57% acute and 43% chronic LBP) were followed up over a period of one year with measurements of fear-avoidance beliefs and physical activity level. Fear-avoidance beliefs concerning physical activity were measured by the physical-activity subscale of the FABQ (Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire), the physical activity level was assessed in weighted metabolic equivalents (MET) hours/week with a German self-report questionnaire. Data were investigated by structural equation modelling in a cross-lagged panel design for the whole sample and separately for acute and chronic LBP. Results: The acute and chronic sub sample increased their total physical activity level significantly after one year. The structural equation modelling results did not support the disuse-aspect inherent in the fear-avoidance belief model. Cross-lagged path coefficients were low (.04 and .05 respectively) and, therefore, did not allow to predict final physical activity by initial fear-avoidance beliefs or vice versa. Discussion: Consequently, due to missing links between fear-avoidance beliefs and physical activity in a longitudinal design, the assumptions of the fear-avoidance belief model have to be questioned. These findings are in line with other investigations published recently. Most probably, “fear-avoidance belief” represents a cognitive scheme that does not limit activity per se, but only is directed to the avoidance of specific movements. PMID:19742047

Incidence of thyroid cancer surrounding Three Mile Island nuclear facility: the 30-year follow-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Roger J; De Simone, Nicole F; Slotkin, Jaime F; Henson, Baker L

2013-08-01

Original data reported a potential increased incidence of thyroid cancer surrounding the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear facility. A causal link to the accident, however, was indeterminate. Our objective was to determine if data 30 years later will change original conclusions, explore thyroid cancer incidence rates near nuclear power plants, and better understand effects of chronic low level radiation. Retrospective cross-sectional study. Retrospective data for specific Pennsylvania counties were provided by the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry Dataset for thyroid cancer using the Epidemiological Query and Mapping System search engine. Our study examines thyroid cancer incidence from 1985 through 2009 analyzed by year, county, and age. Thirty years after the TMI accident, an increased incidence of thyroid cancer is seen in counties south of TMI and in high-risk age groups. The average incidence rates from 1990 through 2009 were greater than expected in York, Lancaster, Adams, and Chester Counties. Thyroid cancer incidence since the TMI accident was greater than expected in the counties analyzed when compared to local and national population growth. This supports a link to chronic low level radiation exposure and thyroid cancer development. Despite these findings, a direct correlation to the accident remains uncertain as incidence rates may coincide with other factors, and original data were limited. © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Management of a patient with low back pain: the problems of efficiency and safety

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P. R. Kamchatnov

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Low back pain (LBP is a common condition occurring in the population in different age groups; it is characterized by a tendency to relapse.Acute pain may transform to chronic pain, causing patient disability. The goal of LBP treatment is to timely relieve painful sensations so that the patient can return to his/her normal life as soon as possible. The patient is required to participate in the therapeutic process. Ketonal that shows high efficacy and good tolerability is widely used to treat patients with LBP. The medication is available in different dosage forms, which makes it possible to individualize the therapeutic process and to reduce drug load due to its possible topical application.

Subclinical carotid atherosclerosis and triglycerides predict the incidence of chronic kidney disease in the Japanese general population: results from the Kyushu and Okinawa Population Study (KOPS).

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Shimizu, Motohiro; Furusyo, Norihiro; Mitsumoto, Fujiko; Takayama, Koji; Ura, Kazuya; Hiramine, Satoshi; Ikezaki, Hiroaki; Ihara, Takeshi; Mukae, Haru; Ogawa, Eiichi; Toyoda, Kazuhiro; Kainuma, Mosaburo; Murata, Masayuki; Hayashi, Jun

2015-02-01

To examine whether or not subclinical atherosclerosis independently predicts the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the Japanese general population. This study is part of the Kyushu and Okinawa Population Study (KOPS), a survey of vascular events associated with lifestyle-related diseases. Participants who attended both baseline (2004-2007) and follow-up (2009-2012) examinations were eligible. The common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was assessed for each participant at baseline. The end point was the incidence of CKD, defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) triglycerides (1.6 ± 0.8 vs. 1.3 ± 0.7 mmol/L, P triglycerides (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.06-1.73, P = 0.015) at baseline were independent predictors for the development of CKD. Higher carotid IMT and hypertriglyceridemia were independently associated with the development of CKD in the population studied. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Australian Mass Shootings: An Analysis of Incidents and Offenders.

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McPhedran, Samara

2017-06-01

Mass shooting events are relatively underresearched, and most study comes from the United States. Despite significant international interest, little is known about other countries' experiences of these events. The current study examines Australian mass shooting incidents and offenders, with emphasis on mental illness, life strains, and offenders' life histories. Australia had 14 mass shootings between 1964 and 2014. Most offenders experienced acute life stressors and/or chronic strains leading up to the event; however, diagnosed mental illness was less commonly documented. These observations provide new information about mass shooting incidents and offenders, and can help to inform international policy development.

A narrative review of massage and spinal manipulation in the treatment of low back pain

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Nurhanisah Sejari

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Low back pain (LBP is one of the most common musculoskeletal problems that affect patients′ daily life. Nowadays, treatment of LBP is very challenging due to the recurrent nature of the problem. This narrative review focuses on massage and spinal manipulation on LBP condition. The other issues consist of epidemiology, etiology, symptoms, and rapport between clinician and patient on treatment were explored. Online electronic search in databases (Ovid TM , Scopus, EMBASE and PubMed was performed using key words such as LBP, massage, and spinal manipulation. Textbooks and web page are additional sources that were used for gathering information. Literature reported that high incidence of LBP in agriculture areas which is farmer, in the urban area mainly office worker and industrial area mainly factory operator. LBP frequently occurs among office workers, pregnant, and obesity due to poor body mechanics. Building a successful rapport is a single most important factor in a relationship between clinician and patient. Understanding patient′s perspective in their illness such as belief about cause, treatment approaches, and quality-of-life will help clinician create plans that are more appropriate to patient′s situation and preferences. Patient′s trust is the easing way for the clinician to provide treatments. Based on current evidence, there are arrays of conservative treatments shown to be effective in treating LBP. However, massage and spinal manipulation are the most popular among LBP patients because it contributes good effect in reducing pain intensity. Massage preferred by certain patient such as traditional Malay massage, Thai massage, Tui Na because it provide a relaxation on the body. In addition, spinal manipulation also showed a positive outcome on pain reduction and joint hypomobility. LBP is a common problem, and various methods could be used as a treatment. However, traditional massage is fast gaining popularity even in the

Pesticides and human chronic diseases: Evidences, mechanisms, and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mostafalou, Sara; Abdollahi, Mohammad

2013-01-01

Along with the wide use of pesticides in the world, the concerns over their health impacts are rapidly growing. There is a huge body of evidence on the relation between exposure to pesticides and elevated rate of chronic diseases such as different types of cancers, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson, Alzheimer, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), birth defects, and reproductive disorders. There is also circumstantial evidence on the association of exposure to pesticides with some other chronic diseases like respiratory problems, particularly asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease such as atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease, chronic nephropathies, autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematous and rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and aging. The common feature of chronic disorders is a disturbance in cellular homeostasis, which can be induced via pesticides' primary action like perturbation of ion channels, enzymes, receptors, etc., or can as well be mediated via pathways other than the main mechanism. In this review, we present the highlighted evidence on the association of pesticide's exposure with the incidence of chronic diseases and introduce genetic damages, epigenetic modifications, endocrine disruption, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress and unfolded protein response (UPR), impairment of ubiquitin proteasome system, and defective autophagy as the effective mechanisms of action. - Highlights: ► There is a link between exposure to pesticides and incidence of chronic diseases. ► Genotoxicity and proteotoxicity are two main involved mechanisms. ► Epigenetic knowledge may help diagnose the relationships. ► Efficient policies on safe use of pesticides should be set up

Pesticides and human chronic diseases: Evidences, mechanisms, and perspectives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mostafalou, Sara; Abdollahi, Mohammad, E-mail: Mohammad.Abdollahi@UToronto.Ca

2013-04-15

Along with the wide use of pesticides in the world, the concerns over their health impacts are rapidly growing. There is a huge body of evidence on the relation between exposure to pesticides and elevated rate of chronic diseases such as different types of cancers, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson, Alzheimer, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), birth defects, and reproductive disorders. There is also circumstantial evidence on the association of exposure to pesticides with some other chronic diseases like respiratory problems, particularly asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease such as atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease, chronic nephropathies, autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematous and rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and aging. The common feature of chronic disorders is a disturbance in cellular homeostasis, which can be induced via pesticides' primary action like perturbation of ion channels, enzymes, receptors, etc., or can as well be mediated via pathways other than the main mechanism. In this review, we present the highlighted evidence on the association of pesticide's exposure with the incidence of chronic diseases and introduce genetic damages, epigenetic modifications, endocrine disruption, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress and unfolded protein response (UPR), impairment of ubiquitin proteasome system, and defective autophagy as the effective mechanisms of action. - Highlights: ► There is a link between exposure to pesticides and incidence of chronic diseases. ► Genotoxicity and proteotoxicity are two main involved mechanisms. ► Epigenetic knowledge may help diagnose the relationships. ► Efficient policies on safe use of pesticides should be set up.

The association between sleep quality, low back pain and disability: A prospective study in routine practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Kovacs, F M; Seco, J; Royuela, A; Betegon, J N; Sánchez-Herráez, S; Meli, M; Martínez Rodríguez, M E; Núñez, M; Álvarez-Galovich, L; Moyá, J; Sánchez, C; Luna, S; Borrego, P; Moix, J; Rodríguez-Pérez, V; Torres-Unda, J; Burgos-Alonso, N; Gago-Fernández, I; González-Rubio, Y; Abraira, V

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to estimate the association between sleep quality (SQ) and improvements in low back pain (LBP) and disability, among patients treated for LBP in routine practice. This prospective cohort study included 461 subacute and chronic LBP patients treated in 11 specialized centres, 14 primary care centres and eight physical therapy practices across 12 Spanish regions. LBP, leg pain, disability, catastrophizing, depression and SQ were assessed through validated questionnaires upon recruitment and 3 months later. Logistic regression models were developed to assess: (1) the association between the baseline score for SQ and improvements in LBP and disability at 3 months, and (2) the association between improvement in SQ and improvements in LBP and disability during the follow-up period. Seventy-three per cent of patients were subacute. Median scores at baseline were four points for both pain and disability, as assessed with a visual analog scale and the Roland-Morris Questionnaire, respectively. Regression models showed (OR [95% CI]) that baseline SQ was not associated with improvements in LBP (0.99 [0.94; 1.06]) or in disability (0.99 [0.93; 1.05]), although associations existed between 'improvement in SQ' and 'improvement in LBP' (4.34 [2.21; 8.51]), and 'improvement in SQ' and 'improvement in disability' (4.60 [2.29; 9.27]). Improvement in SQ is associated with improvements in LBP and in disability at 3-month follow-up, suggesting that they may reflect or be influenced by common factors. However, baseline SQ does not predict improvements in pain or disability. In clinical practice, sleep quality, low back pain and disability are associated. However, sleep quality at baseline does not predict improvement in pain and disability. © 2017 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

Incidence of Renal Failure Requiring Hemodialysis Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Ladia, Vatsal; Panchal, Hemang B; O׳Neil, Terrence J; Sitwala, Puja; Bhatheja, Samit; Patel, Rakeshkumar; Ramu, Vijay; Mukherjee, Debabrata; Mahmud, Ehtisham; Paul, Timir K

2016-09-01

Studies have shown that iodinated radiocontrast use is associated with acute renal failure especially in the presence of chronic kidney disease and multiple factors modulate this risk. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to compare the incidence of renal failure requiring hemodialysis between transfemoral (TF) and transapical (TA) transcatheter aortic valve replacement using the Edwards valve. The PubMed database was searched from January 2000 through December 2014. A total of 10 studies (n = 2,459) comparing TF (n = 1,268) and TA (n = 1,191) TAVR procedures using the Edwards valve were included. Variables of interest were baseline logistic EuroSCORE, prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, peripheral arterial disease, chronic kidney disease and amount of contrast used. The primary endpoint was incidence of renal failure requiring hemodialysis. The odds ratio and 95% CI were computed and P renal failure requiring hemodialysis was higher with the Edwards valve. This suggests that the incidence of renal failure requiring hemodialysis after TAVR is associated with baseline comorbidities in the TA-TAVR group rather than the volume of contrast used. Copyright © 2016 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differences in pain perception, health-related quality of life, disability, mood, and sleep between Brazilian and Spanish people with chronic non-specific low back pain

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Daiana P. Rodrigues-De-Souza

2016-01-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Background Cultural and social factors play an important role in the development and persistence of Low Back Pain (LBP. Nevertheless, there are few studies investigating differences in LBP features between countries. Objective To determine differences in pain perception between individuals with LBP living in Brazil and Spain. Method Thirty Spanish individuals and 30 age- and sex-comparable Brazilian individuals with LBP were recruited from the Public Health Services of both countries. The Numerical Pain Rating Scale and the pain rating index (PRI, the number of words chosen (NWC, and the present pain index (PPI extracted from the McGill Pain Questionnaire were used to assess pain. The Oswestry Disability Index, the Short Form-36, Beck Depression Inventory-II, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were also applied. Differences between countries and the correlation between demographic and clinical variables in each country were assessed with parametric and the nonparametric tests. Results A significant Country by Gender interaction was found for the PRI total score (P=0.038, but not for intensity of pain, disability, PPI, or NWC, in which Spanish women exhibited greater pain ratio than Spanish men (P=0.014, and no gender differences were identified in Brazilians. The Spanish group showed a consistent pattern of correlations for clinical data. Within Brazilian patients, fewer correlations were found and all of the coefficients were lower than those in the Spanish group. Conclusion The pain perception in patients with LBP is different depending on the country. Within Spanish patients, LBP is considered a more global entity affecting multidimensional contexts.

Estimating cardiovascular disease incidence from prevalence: a spreadsheet based model

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Xue Feng Hu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Disease incidence and prevalence are both core indicators of population health. Incidence is generally not as readily accessible as prevalence. Cohort studies and electronic health record systems are two major way to estimate disease incidence. The former is time-consuming and expensive; the latter is not available in most developing countries. Alternatively, mathematical models could be used to estimate disease incidence from prevalence. Methods We proposed and validated a method to estimate the age-standardized incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD, with prevalence data from successive surveys and mortality data from empirical studies. Hallett’s method designed for estimating HIV infections in Africa was modified to estimate the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI in the U.S. population and incidence of heart disease in the Canadian population. Results Model-derived estimates were in close agreement with observed incidence from cohort studies and population surveillance systems. This method correctly captured the trend in incidence given sufficient waves of cross-sectional surveys. The estimated MI declining rate in the U.S. population was in accordance with the literature. This method was superior to closed cohort, in terms of the estimating trend of population cardiovascular disease incidence. Conclusion It is possible to estimate CVD incidence accurately at the population level from cross-sectional prevalence data. This method has the potential to be used for age- and sex- specific incidence estimates, or to be expanded to other chronic conditions.

The challenges of chronic kidney disease in Nigeria and the way ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD), is a worldwidehealth problem with a great burden and high cost of care mostly in developing countries like Nigeria. Chronic kidney disease is increasingworldwide at an annual incidence of 8%1. Amid rapid urbanization and adoption of western lifestyles, increasing rates of ...

Evidence-based classification of low back pain in the general population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leboeuf-Yde, Charlotte; Lemeunier, Nadège; Wedderkopp, Niels

2013-01-01

in the general population is a rather stable condition, characterized as either being present or absent. However, only one of the reviewed studies had used frequent data collection, which would be necessary when studying detailed course patterns over time. It was the purpose of this study to see......, if it was possible to identify whether LBP, when present, is rather episodic or chronic/persistent. Further, we wanted to see if it was possible to describe any specific course profiles of LBP in the general population....

Effects of Puerariae Radix Extract on Endotoxin Receptors and TNF-α Expression Induced by Gut-Derived Endotoxin in Chronic Alcoholic Liver Injury

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Jing-Hua Peng

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Kudzu (Pueraria lobata is one of the earliest medicinal plants used to treat alcohol abuse in traditional Chinese medicine for more than a millennium. However, little is known about its effects on chronic alcoholic liver injury. Therefore, the present study observed the effects of puerariae radix extract (RPE on chronic alcoholic liver injury as well as Kupffer cells (KCs activation to release tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α induced by gut-derived endotoxin in rats and macrophage cell line. RPE was observed to alleviate the pathological changes and lipids deposition in liver tissues as well as the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT, aspartate aminotransferase (AST, and hepatic gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT activity. Meanwhile, RPE inhibited KCs activation and subsequent hepatic TNF-α expression and downregulated the protein expression of endotoxin receptors, lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP, CD14, Toll-like receptor (TLR 2, and TLR4 in chronic alcohol intake rats. Furthermore, an in vitro study showed that RPE inhibited the expression of TNF-α and endotoxin receptors, CD14 and TLR4, induced by LPS in RAW264.7 cells. In summary, this study demonstrated that RPE mitigated liver damage and lipid deposition induced by chronic alcohol intake in rats, as well as TNF-α release, protein expression of endotoxin receptors in vivo or in vitro.

The association between changes in lifestyle behaviors and the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in middle-aged and older men.

Science.gov (United States)

Michishita, Ryoma; Matsuda, Takuro; Kawakami, Shotaro; Tanaka, Satoshi; Kiyonaga, Akira; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Morito, Natsumi; Higaki, Yasuki

2017-08-01

This study was designed to evaluate whether changes in lifestyle behaviors are correlated with the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The subjects consisted of 316 men without a history of cardiovascular disease, stroke, or renal dysfunction or dialysis treatment. The following lifestyle behaviors were evaluated using a standardized self-administered questionnaire: habitual moderate exercise, daily physical activity, walking speed, eating speed, late-night dinner, bedtime snacking, skipping breakfast, and drinking and smoking habits. The subjects were divided into four categories according to the change in each lifestyle behavior from baseline to the end of follow-up (healthy-healthy, unhealthy-healthy, healthy-unhealthy and unhealthy-unhealthy). A multivariate analysis showed that, with respect to habitual moderate exercise and late-night dinner, maintaining an unhealthy lifestyle resulted in a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) for the incidence of CKD than maintaining a lifestyle (OR 8.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-15.40 for habitual moderate exercise and OR 4.00; 95% CI, 1.38-11.57 for late-night dinner). In addition, with respect to bedtime snacking, the change from a healthy to an unhealthy lifestyle and maintaining an unhealthy lifestyle resulted in significantly higher OR for incidence of CKD than maintaining a healthy lifestyle (OR 4.44; 95% CI, 1.05-13.93 for healthy-unhealthy group and OR 11.02; 95% CI, 2.83-26.69 for unhealthy-unhealthy group). The results of the present study suggest that the lack of habitual moderate exercise, late-night dinner, and bedtime snacking may increase the risk of CKD. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pulsatile dry cupping in chronic low back pain - a randomized three-armed controlled clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Teut, M; Ullmann, A; Ortiz, M; Rotter, G; Binting, S; Cree, M; Lotz, F; Roll, S; Brinkhaus, B

2018-04-02

We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of two different forms of dry pulsatile cupping in patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) compared to medication on demand only in a three-armed randomized trial. 110 cLBP patients were randomized to regular pulsatile cupping with 8 treatments plus paracetamol on demand (n = 37), minimal cupping with 8 treatments plus paracetamol on demand (n = 36) or the control group with paracetamol on demand only (n = 37). Primary outcome was the pain intensity on a visual analogue scale (VAS, 0-100 mm) after 4 weeks, secondary outcome parameter included VAS pain intensity after 12 weeks, back function as measured with the 'Funktionsfragebogen Hannover Rücken' (FFbH-R) and health related quality of life questionnaire Short form 36 (SF-36) after 4 and 12 weeks. The mean baseline-adjusted VAS after 4 weeks was 34.9 mm (95% CI: 28.7; 41.2) for pulsatile cupping, 40.4 (34.2; 46.7) for minimal cupping and 56.1 (49.8; 62.4) for control group, resulting in statistically significant differences between pulsatile cupping vs. control (21.2 (12.2; 30.1); p back function after 4 weeks, but not after 12 weeks (- 5.4 (- 11.7;0.8); p = 0.088), pulsatile cupping also showed better improvements on SF-36 physical component scale compared to control at 4 and 12 weeks (- 5.6 (- 9.3;-2.0); p = 0.003; - 6.1 (- 9.9;-2.4); p = 0.002). For back function and quality of life minimal cupping group was not statistically different to control after 4 and 12 weeks. Paracetamol intake did not differ between the groups (cupping vs. control (7.3 (- 0.4;15.0); p = 0.063); minimal cupping vs. control (6.3 (- 2.0;14.5); p = 0.133). Both forms of cupping were effective in cLBP without showing significant differences in direct comparison after four weeks, only pulsatile cupping showed effects compared to control after 12 weeks. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT02090686 ).

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy and Chronic Kidney Disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sairam, Krish; Scoffone, Cesare M; Alken, Peter

2012-01-01

by glomerular filtration rate, including chronic kidney disease stages 0/I/II-greater than 60, stage III-30 to 59 and stages IV/V-less than 30 ml/minute/1.73 m(2). Patient characteristics, operative characteristics, outcomes and morbidity were assessed. RESULTS: Estimated glomerular filtration rate data were...... available on 5,644 patients, including 4,436 with chronic kidney disease stages 0/I/II, 994 with stage III and 214 with stages IV/V. A clinically significant minority of patients with nephrolithiasis presented with severe chronic kidney disease. A greater number of patients with stages IV/V previously...... underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy, ureteroscopy or nephrostomy and had positive urine cultures than less severely affected patients, consistent with the higher incidence of staghorn stones in these patients. Patients with chronic kidney disease stages IV/V had statistically significantly worse...

Approach to lower back pain

African Journals Online (AJOL)

skeletal problem seen by general practitioners and remains the most ... The physical examination of the patient with LBP is important .... Compensable cause of injury ... biopsychosocial model to change a patient's beliefs around chronic.

Inclusion of methods for early detection of chronic kidney disease in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background The burden and magnitude of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are enormous. The incidence and prevalence of chronic kidney disease are rising all over the world. Thus, there is the urgent and pressing need for methods of early detection of CKD, to be included in guidelines for management of noncommunicable ...

Long-term trajectories of patients with neck pain and low back pain presenting to chiropractic care: A latent class growth analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ailliet, L; Rubinstein, S M; Hoekstra, T; van Tulder, M W; de Vet, H C W

2018-01-01

Information on the course of neck pain (NP) and low back pain (LBP) typically relies on data collected at few time intervals during a period of up to 1 year. In this prospective, multicentre practice-based cohort study, patients consulting a chiropractor responded weekly for 52 weeks to text messages on their cell phones. Data from 448 patients (153 NP, 295 LBP) who had returned at least one set of answers in the first 26 weeks were used. Outcome measures were pain intensity (VAS) and functional outcome, assessed using four different questions: pain intensity, limitation in activities of daily living (ADL), number of days with pain in the previous week and number of days limited in ADL. Distinct patterns of pain were analysed with quadratic latent class growth analysis. The final model was a 4-class model for NP and LBP. The 'recovering from mild baseline pain' is most common (76.3% of NP patients/58.3% of LBP patients) followed by the 'recovering from severe baseline pain' class (16.3% NP/29.8% LBP). They follow similar trajectories when considered over a period of 6 months. Pain at baseline, duration of complaints, functional status, limitations in ADL and the score on psychosocial scales were the variables that most contributed to distinguish between groups. Most patients with NP or LBP presenting in chiropractic care show a trajectory of symptoms characterized by persistent or fluctuating pain of low or medium intensity. Only a minority either experience a rapid complete recovery or develop chronic severe pain. Ninety percentage of patients with neck pain or low back pain presenting to chiropractors have a 30% improvement within 6 weeks and then show a trajectory of symptoms characterized by persistent or fluctuating pain of low or medium intensity. Only a minority either experience a rapid complete recovery or develop chronic severe pain. © 2017 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

[Occurrence of associated tumours in chronic lymphocytic leukemia].

Science.gov (United States)

Szerafin, László; Jakó, János; Varju, Lóránt

2016-10-01

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is one of the most common hematologic malignancy. The aim of the authors was to investigate the characteristics of malignancies associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in patients diagnozed between 2000 and 2015. Data of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who had other associated tumours were analysed using the Leukemia/Lymphoma Registry of the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County, Hungary and patient records. Between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2015, 526 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia were diagnosed. 95 patients of the 526 patients (18.06%) were diagnosed as having associated other tumours. In 48/95 patients (50.5%) the first diagnosed tumour was chronic lymphocytic leukemia, in 23/95 patients (24.2%) the first recognized malignancy was the associated tumour, whereas in 24/95 patients (25.3%) synchron tumours were diagnosed. The number of patients with more than one associated tumour was 10/95 (10.5%). The total number of tumours was 107. The incidence of chronic lymphoid leukemia increased in the period between 2000 and 2015 as compared to the period between 1983 and 1999 (3.19 vs 5.65/100 000 person/year). The occurrence of associated malignancies increased as well (8.06% vs 18.06%). In addition to the most common tumours (colorectal, breast, lung, prostate), skin squamous cell carcinoma (17/95 patients; 17.9%) and melanoma (6/95 patients; 6.3%) also frequently occurred. The second malignancies were most frequently discovered after the diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and synchron tumours accounting for 78.5% (84/107) of all associated tumours. The incidence of second malignancies decreased 10 years after the diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The possible reasons for the high frequency of other tumours associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia are elderly age of patients, immunsuppressed state and, presumably, chemotherapy of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. During the follow up

[Recipients adverse reactions in the Ibn Sina Hospital of Rabat: State 1999-2013].

Science.gov (United States)

Ouadghiri, S; Brick, C; Benseffaj, N; Atouf, O; Essakalli, M

2017-02-01

The declaration of the recipients adverse reactions (RAR) is one of the field haemovigilance activities. It provides an evaluation of transfusion side effects and thus prevents their appearance. The aim of this study is to analyze, over 14 years, the RAR supports reported in Rabat Ibn Sina hospital. All of the RAR supports sending to the blood transfusion service were analyzed. The data collected from these supports are: clinical characteristics of the patient, type of incident observed and type of labile blood products (LBP) transfused. A total of 353 RAR were declared with a mean cumulative incidence of 1.7/1000 LBP delivered. Febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reactions represent 72.8% of the RAR declared. The RAR were classified as grade 1 in 87.1% of cases and were secondary to a transfusion of the red cell concentrates in 81.9%. ABO incompatibility was found in four cases (0.02/1000 LBP delivered). The number of RAR reported by Rabat Ibn Sina hospital remains underestimated. Management and traceability RAR and rigorous investigation, under the responsibility of the corresponding haemovigilance contribute to the improvement of transfusion safety. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

[Chronic disease, mortality and disability in an elderly Spanish population: the FRADEA study].

Science.gov (United States)

Alfonso Silguero, Sergio A; Martínez-Reig, Marta; Gómez Arnedo, Llanos; Juncos Martínez, Gema; Romero Rizos, Luis; Abizanda Soler, Pedro

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to analyse the relationships between the major chronic diseases and multiple morbidity, with mortality, incident disability in basic activities of daily living, and loss of mobility in the elderly. A total of 943 participants were selected from the FRADEA Study, using available baseline data of chronic diseases, and at the follow-up visit of mortality, incident disability, and loss of mobility. The analysis was made of the unadjusted and adjusted association between the number of chronic diseases, the number of 14 pre-selected diseases, and the presence of two or more chronic diseases (multiple morbidity) with adverse health events recorded. Participants with a higher number of diseases (OR 1.11; 95% CI: 1.02-1.22), and 14 pre-selected diseases (OR 1.19; 95% CI: 1.03-1.38) had a higher adjusted mortality risk, but not a higher incident disease or mobility loss risk. Subjects with multiple morbidity had a higher non-significant mortality risk (HR 1.45; 95% CI: 0.87-2.43), than those without multiple morbidity. Disability-free mean time in participants with and without multiple morbidity was 846±34 and 731±17 days, respectively (Log-rank χ(2) 7.45. P=.006), and with our without mobility loss was 818±32 and 696±13 days, respectively (Log rank χ(2) 10.99. P=.001). Multiple morbidity was not associated with mortality, incident disability in ADL, or mobility loss in adults older than 70 years, although if mortality is taken into account, the number of chronic diseases is linear. Copyright © 2013 SEGG. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Chronic urticaria in children: Etiologies, Clinical Manifestations, Diagnosis and Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javad Ghaffari

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Chronic urticaria is defined as a skin disease with central induration (wheal and erythema formation around it (flare that appears at least twice a week and remains at least for 6 weeks continually. The incidence of urticaria in children is about 0.1-3%. Most cases of chronic urticaria occur in children between 6-11 years. Autoimmune and allergy immaturity is one of the reasons of lower incidence of chronic urticaria in younger children. Quality of life impairment in children with urticaria has been known to be similar to diseases with severe atopic dermatitis, epilepsy, diabetes mellitus and asthma. There are several causes for chronic urticaria in children in different reports. In most of cases the known etiologic agents are varies from 21 to 83%. Overall, infectious causes of chronic urticaria in children are more common and obvious than other in adults .In most cases, the cause of chronic urticaria are idiopathic or autoimmune. Urticaria severity divided to mild, moderate and severe was based on the number of wheals and severity of pruritus. Diagnosis of chronic urticaria is based on a good history and physical examination. The treatment of chronic urticaria is a patient education that is to remove the triggering and aggravating agents, resolving and treating of the known disease and the use of various medicines based on the history and clinical findings. The first medical therapeutics lines in children are anti-histamines, beta-blocker H1 and new generation of non-sedating agents.

Association Between Facility-Level Utilization of Non-pharmacologic Chronic Pain Treatment and Subsequent Initiation of Long-Term Opioid Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, Evan P; Nolan, Charlotte; Kerns, Robert D; Ho, P Michael; Frank, Joseph W

2018-05-01

Expert guidelines recommend non-pharmacologic treatments and non-opioid medications for chronic pain and recommend against initiating long-term opioid therapy (LTOT). We examined whether veterans with incident chronic pain receiving care at facilities with greater utilization of non-pharmacologic treatments and non-opioid medications are less likely to initiate LTOT. Retrospective cohort study PARTICIPANTS: Veterans receiving primary care from a Veterans Health Administration facility with incident chronic pain between 1/1/2010 and 12/31/2015 based on either of 2 criteria: (1) persistent moderate-to-severe patient-reported pain and (2) diagnoses "likely to represent" chronic pain. The independent variable was facility-level utilization of pain-related treatment modalities (non-pharmacologic, non-opioid medications, LTOT) in the prior calendar year. The dependent variable was patient-level initiation of LTOT (≥ 90 days within 365 days) in the subsequent year, adjusting for patient characteristics. Among 1,094,569 veterans with incident chronic pain from 2010 to 2015, there was wide facility-level variation in utilization of 10 pain-related treatment modalities, including initiation of LTOT (median, 16%; range, 5-32%). Veterans receiving care at facilities with greater utilization of non-pharmacologic treatments were less likely to initiate LTOT in the year following incident chronic pain. Conversely, veterans receiving care at facilities with greater non-opioid and opioid medication utilization were more likely to initiate LTOT; this association was strongest for past year facility-level LTOT initiation (adjusted rate ratio, 2.10; 95% confidence interval, 2.06-2.15, top vs. bottom quartile of facility-level LTOT initiation in prior calendar year). Facility-level utilization patterns of non-pharmacologic, non-opioid, and opioid treatments for chronic pain are associated with subsequent patient-level initiation of LTOT among veterans with incident chronic pain

The joint impact of habitual exercise and glycemic control on the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in middle-aged and older males.

Science.gov (United States)

Michishita, Ryoma; Matsuda, Takuro; Kawakami, Shotaro; Tanaka, Satoshi; Kiyonaga, Akira; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Morito, Natsumi; Higaki, Yasuki

2017-11-06

This retrospective study evaluated the influence of the joint impact of habitual exercise and glycemic control on the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) during a 6-year follow-up period in middle-aged and older males. The study population included 303 males without a history of cardiovascular disease, stroke, renal dysfunction, or dialysis treatment. Their lifestyle behaviors regarding exercise and physical activity were evaluated using a standardized self-administered questionnaire. The participants were divided into four categories according to the performance or non-performance of habitual exercise and the presence or absence of hyperglycemia. After 6 years, 32 subjects (10.6%) developed CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate exercise and hyperglycemic subjects (log-rank test: p exercise (HR = 2.82, 95% confidence of interval (CI) = 1.07-7.36, p = 0.034) and that in hyperglycemic subjects who did not perform habitual exercise (HR = 5.89, 95% CI = 1.87-16.63, p = 0.003) were significantly higher in comparison to the subjects with a NGT who performed habitual exercise. These results suggest that the habitual exercise and good glycemic control and their combination were associated with the incidence of CKD.

Muscle Control and Non-specific Chronic Low Back Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, Marc; Deckers, Kristiaan; Eldabe, Sam; Kiesel, Kyle; Gilligan, Chris; Vieceli, John; Crosby, Peter

2018-01-01

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is the most prevalent of the painful musculoskeletal conditions. CLBP is a heterogeneous condition with many causes and diagnoses, but there are few established therapies with strong evidence of effectiveness (or cost effectiveness). CLBP for which it is not possible to identify any specific cause is often referred to as non-specific chronic LBP (NSCLBP). One type of NSCLBP is continuing and recurrent primarily nociceptive CLBP due to vertebral joint overload subsequent to functional instability of the lumbar spine. This condition may occur due to disruption of the motor control system to the key stabilizing muscles in the lumbar spine, particularly the lumbar multifidus muscle (MF). This review presents the evidence for MF involvement in CLBP, mechanisms of action of disruption of control of the MF, and options for restoring control of the MF as a treatment for NSCLBP. Imaging assessment of motor control dysfunction of the MF in individual patients is fraught with difficulty. MRI or ultrasound imaging techniques, while reliable, have limited diagnostic or predictive utility. For some patients, restoration of motor control to the MF with specific exercises can be effective, but population results are not persuasive since most patients are unable to voluntarily contract the MF and may be inhibited from doing so due to arthrogenic muscle inhibition. Targeting MF control with restorative neurostimulation promises a new treatment option. © 2017 The Authors. Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Neuromodulation Society.

Epidemiology, etiology, and treatment of chronic leg ulcer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Chronic leg ulcer (CLU) is reported to have an impact on virtually all ... Conclusion: Most patients benefited from debridement with or without split thickness skin graft or flap. .... low incidence of arterial and venous diseases in.

Efficacy of tramadol-acetaminophen tablets in low back pain patients with depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Tetsunaga, Tomoko; Tetsunaga, Tomonori; Tanaka, Masato; Ozaki, Toshifumi

2015-03-01

Tramadol-acetaminophen tablets are currently used to treat pain, including that of degenerative lumbar disease. Although there are many reports on tramadol-acetaminophen tablets, treatment outcomes in low back pain (LBP) patients with depression remain uncertain. This study investigated the outcomes of LBP patients with depression treated with tramadol-acetaminophen tablets. Of 95 patients with chronic LBP, 70 (26 men, 44 women; mean age 64 years) who were judged as having depression by the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were included in this study. In this trial, patients received one of two randomly assigned 8-week treatment regimes: tramadol-acetaminophen (Tramadol group, n = 35) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (NSAID group, n = 35). In addition to completing self-report questionnaires, patients provided demographic and clinical information. All patients were assessed using a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Pain Disability Assessment Scale (PDAS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), SDS, and Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). After 8 weeks' treatment, the NRS and SDS scores were lower in the Tramadol group than in the NSAID group (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the ODI, PDAS, and PCS scores between the groups (p = 0.47, 0.09, 0.47). Although there was no difference in the anxiety component of the HADS between the groups (p = 0.36), the depression component was lower in the Tramadol group than in the NSAID group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between groups in the percentage of patients with treatment-associated adverse events. This investigation found that tramadol-acetaminophen is effective for reducing LBP and provided a prophylactic antidepressant effect in chronic LBP patients with depression.

The Oswestry Disability Index, the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, and the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale: translation and validation studies of the Iranian versions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mousavi, Sayed Javad; Parnianpour, Mohamad; Mehdian, Hossein; Montazeri, Ali; Mobini, Bahram

2006-06-15

Cross-cultural translation and psychometric testing were performed. To cross-culturally translate the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ), and Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QDS) into Persian, and then investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian versions produced. To the authors' knowledge, there is no validated instrument to measure functional status in Persian-speaking patients with low back pain (LBP) in Iran. To our knowledge, the widely used back-specific measures, the ODI, RDQ, and QDS, have not been translated and validated for Persian-speaking patients with LBP. The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the original questionnaires were performed in accordance with published guidelines. A total of 100 patients with chronic LBP were asked to complete a questionnaire booklet (the Persian versions of the ODI, RDQ, QDS, Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and visual analog scale measure of pain). There were 31 randomly select patients with chronic LBP asked to complete the second questionnaire booklet 24 hours later. The Cronbach-alpha for the ODI, RDQ, and QDS was 0.75, 0.83, and 0.92, respectively. The ODI, RDQ, and QDS showed excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.91, 0.86, and 0.86, respectively) (P < 0.01). The correlation among the ODI, RDQ, QDS and physical functioning scales of the SF-36 was -0.66, -0.62, and -0.69, respectively (P < 0.001). The correlation among the ODI, RDQ, and QDS and visual analog scale was 0.54, 0.36, and 0.46, respectively (P < 0.001). The Persian versions of the ODI, RDQ, and QDS are reliable and valid instruments to measure functional status in Persian-speaking patients with LBP. They are simple and fast scales, and the use of them can be recommended in a clinical setting and future outcome studies in Iran.

Effects of chronic vs. intermittent calorie restriction on mammary tumor incidence and serum adiponectin and leptin levels in MMTV-TGF-α mice at different ages

Science.gov (United States)

DOGAN, SONER; ROGOZINA, OLGA P.; LOKSHIN, ANNA E.; GRANDE, JOSEPH P.; CLEARY, MARGOT P.

2010-01-01

Calorie restriction prevents mammary tumor (MT) development in rodents. Usually, chronic calorie restriction (CCR) has been implemented. In contrast, intermittent calorie restriction (ICR) has been less frequently used. Recent studies indicate that when a direct comparison of the same degree of CCR vs. ICR was made using MMTV-TGF-α mice which develop MTs in the second year of life, ICR provided greater protection than CCR in delaying MT detection and reducing tumor incidence. Adiponectin and leptin are two adipocytokines secreted from adipose tissue which have opposite effects on many physiological functions, including proliferation of human breast cancer cells. A recent study indicated that a low adiponectin/leptin ratio was associated with breast cancer. We evaluated the relationship of adiponectin and leptin to MT development in MMTV-TGF-α calorie-restricted mice at several ages. Mice were enrolled at 10 weeks of age and subjected to 25% caloric reduction implemented either chronically or intermittently. Mice were euthanized at designated time points up to 74 weeks of age. Serum samples were collected to measure adiponectin and leptin concentrations. Both CCR and ICR mice had significantly reduced MT incidence. For the groups studied, serum leptin increased over time, while there was a trend for an increase in serum adiponectin levels in ad libitum and ICR mice, with no change in CCR mice between 10 and 74 weeks of age. The adiponectin/leptin ratio was significantly reduced as mice aged, but this ratio in ICR mice was significantly higher than that for ad libitum and CCR mice. No correlation was noted between serum adiponectin and leptin. These findings demonstrate that intermittent calorie restriction delays the early development of MTs. This delay was associated with reduced serum leptin levels following the restriction phases of the protocol. Additionally, serum leptin levels correlated with body weight and body fat in the groups studied. PMID:22966277

Predictors of low back pain in nursing home workers after implementation of a safe resident handling programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, Judith E; Punnett, Laura; Gore, Rebecca J

2017-06-01

Healthcare workers have high rates of low back pain (LBP) related to handling patients. A large chain of nursing homes experienced reduced biomechanical load, compensation claims and costs following implementation of a safe resident handling programme (SRHP). The aim of this study was to examine whether LBP similarly declined and whether it was associated with relevant self-reported occupational exposures or personal health factors. Worker surveys were conducted on multiple occasions beginning with the week of first SRHP introduction (baseline). In each survey, the outcome was LBP during the prior 3 months with at least mild severity during the past week. Robust Poisson multivariable regression models were constructed to examine correlates of LBP cross-sectionally at 2 years (F3) and longitudinally at 5-6 years (F5) post-SRHP implementation among workers also in at least one prior survey. LBP prevalence declined minimally between baseline and F3. The prevalence was 37% at F3 and cumulative incidence to F5 was 22%. LBP prevalence at F3 was positively associated with combined physical exposures, psychological job demands and prior back injury, while frequent lift device usage and 'intense' aerobic exercise frequency were protective. At F5, the multivariable model included frequent lift usage at F3 (relative risk (RR) 0.39 (0.18 to 0.84)) and F5 work-family imbalance (RR=1.82 (1.12 to 2.98)). In this observational study, resident lifting device usage predicted reduced LBP in nursing home workers. Other physical and psychosocial demands of nursing home work also contributed, while frequent intense aerobic exercise appeared to reduce LBP risk. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Analysis of lower back pain disorder using deep learning

Science.gov (United States)

Ritwik Kulkarni, K.; Gaonkar, Abhijitsingh; Vijayarajan, V.; Manikandan, K.

2017-11-01

Lower back pain (LBP) is caused because of assorted reasons involving body parts such as the interconnected network of spinal cord, nerves, bones, discs or tendons in the lumbar spine. LBP is pain, muscle pressure, or stiffness localized underneath the costal edge or more the substandard gluteal folds, with or without leg torment for the most part sciatica, and is characterized as endless when it holds on for 12 weeks or more then again, non-particular LBP is torment not credited to an unmistakable pathology such as infection, tumour, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, fracture, or inflammation. Over 70% of people usually suffer from such backpain disorder at some time. But recovery is not always favorable, 82% of non-recent-onset patients still experience pain 1 year later. Even though not having any history of lower back pain, many patients suffering from this disorder spend months or years healing from it. Hence aiming to look for preventive measure rather than curative, this study suggests a classification methodology for Chronic LBP disorder using Deep Learning techniques.

Effect of electrocardiographic contamination on surface electromyography assessment of back muscles.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yong; Mak, Joseph N F; Luk, Keith D K

2009-02-01

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the relative effect of electrocardiography (ECG) on back muscle surface electromyography (SEMG) parameters and their corresponding sensitivity in low back pain (LBP) assessment. Back muscle SEMG activities were recorded from 17 healthy subjects and 18 chronic LBP patients under static postures (straight sitting and upright standing), and dynamic action (flexion-extension). ECG cancellation based on independent component analysis (ICA) method was performed. Root mean square (RMS) and median frequency (MF) of raw and denoised SEMG data were computed respectively. Multiple comparisons were then performed. A consistent trend of change (increased MF and decreased RMS) followed ECG removal was noticed. In particular, in SEMG measurements under static postures, a significant decrease in RMS (pcorruption by ECG artifacts on SEMG measurements was found to be more serious and prominent in static postures than that in dynamic action. After ECG removal, significant improvements in the ability of SEMG to discriminate LBP patients from healthy subjects were seen in RMS amplitude recorded while standing (peffect of ECG contamination on back muscles SEMG parameters and LBP assessment.

Low back pain in physically active young adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maja Bučar Pajek

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Research of low back pain (LBP has been recently directed towards the younger age groups due to high predictive value for later life. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors for LBP in the Slovene population of young adults, which are yet unknown. Methods: In this cross sectional study firstgrade students at the Faculty of Sport (FS and the Faculty of Chemistry (FC, University of Ljubljana, in 2009 were included. The Slovene translation of Chronic Pain Grade questionnaire was implemented. In the FS subgroup the associations between questionnaire results and results of the entrance examination were analyzed and a follow-up questionnaire survey was done after the 1st semesterResults: The questionnaire was returned by 283 students. Average age was 19.9 (2.3 years. Lifelong and 6-month LBP prevalences were 87.3 % (83.1–90.9 % and 63 % (57.4–68.6 %, respectively. Average LBP intensity was 36.6 (16.9 (range 0–90 out of 100 points, average disability was 18 (18.7 (range 0–83 out of 100 points. Females had higher intensity and disability scores. Competitors had higher pain disability scores than students engaging in sports at recreational level. Gender and level of physical activity were significant independent predictors of intensity and disability scores at multivariate linear regression. LBP was not associated with entrance test results and there were no important changes in the follow- up after the 1st semester in the FS students. Conclusions: We found high LBP prevalence, which was of moderate intensity and caused minor disability. LBP was more severe in females and associated with the level of physical activity. Information about LBP and preventive workout programs should be incorporated into study programs.

The relationships between measures of stature recovery, muscle activity and psychological factors in patients with chronic low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Sandra; Holmes, Paul; Woby, Steve; Hindle, Jackie; Fowler, Neil

2012-02-01

Individuals with low back pain (LBP) often exhibit elevated paraspinal muscle activity compared to asymptomatic controls during static postures such as standing. This hyperactivity has been associated with a delayed rate of stature recovery in individuals with mild LBP. This study aimed to explore this association further in a more clinically relevant population of NHS patients with LBP and to investigate if relationships exist with a number of psychological factors. Forty seven patients were recruited from waiting lists for physiotherapist-led rehabilitation programmes. Paraspinal muscle activity while standing was assessed via surface electromyogram (EMG) and stature recovery over a 40-min unloading period was measured on a precision stadiometer. Self-report of pain, disability, anxiety, depression, pain-related anxiety, fear of movement, self-efficacy and catastrophising were recorded. Correlations were found between muscle activity and both pain (r=0.48) and disability (r=0.43). Muscle activity was also correlated with self-efficacy (r=-0.45), depression (r=0.33), anxiety (r=0.31), pain-related anxiety (r=0.29) and catastrophising (r=0.29) and was a mediator between self-efficacy and pain. Pain was a mediator in the relationship between muscle activity and disability. Stature recovery was not found to be related to pain, disability, muscle activity or any of the psychological factors. The findings confirm the importance of muscle activity within LBP, in particular as a pathway by which psychological factors may impact on clinical outcome. The mediating role of muscle activity between psychological factors and pain suggests that interventions that are able to reduce muscle tension may be of particular benefit to patients demonstrating such characteristics, which may help in the targeting of treatment for LBP. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

chronic sleep deprevation and ventricular arrhythmias: effect of symphatic nervous system

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Samira Choopani

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: We assessed the effect of chronic sleep deprivation on incidence of ischemia/reperfusion-induced ventricular arrhythmias (ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation and the role of the sympathetic nervous system in this respect. Material and methods: Rats were randomly divided into four groups; 1 ischemia/reperfusion group (IR: 30 minutes ischemia followed by 60 minutes reperfusion was induced, 2 control group (CON: rats has been placed in large multiple platforms for 72h prior to ischemia and reperfusion, 3 Chronic sleep deprivation group( SD: 72h sleep deprivation was induced by using small  multiple platform prior to ischemia and reperfusion, 4 Sympathectomy group (SYM: chemical sympathectomy was done 24h before to chronic sleep deprivation and then underwent ischemia and reperfusion. The heart isolated and perfused by langendorff apparatus. After thoracotomy and aorta cannulation, the hearts perfused in the langendorff apparatus using krebs-Henseleit buffer. Hearts were allowed to recovery for 15 min. After recovery period, 15 minutes was considered as baseline prior to 30 minutes ischemia followed by 60 minutes reperfusion.Tow thin stainless stell electrodes fixed on the ventricular apex and right atrium for recording the lead II of electrocardiogram (ECG.Results: There were no significant differences between heart rates between groups, and ventricular tachycardia significantly increased in chronic sleep deprivation group As compared with IR group in ischemia period. Sympathectomy significantly reduced ventricular tachycardia incidence when compared with SD. There is no difference in incidence of ventricular tachycardia between control group and IR group. The incidence of ventricular fibrillation during early reperfusion was significantly augmented (P<0.05 in sleep deprivation group as compared with IR group and Sympathectomy significantly could reverse ventricular fibrillation incidence to IR group level as

The Evaluation of Pelvic Cross Syndrome in Patients with Non-specific Chronic Low Back Pain

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Amir Masoud A'rab

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of this study was the investigation of relationship between muscle imbalance syndrome in the lumbo-pelvic area (Pelvic Cross Syndrome which includes the combination of weakness of phasic muscles and tightness of postural muscles, lordosis and chronic low back pain. Materials & Methods: This study was a comparative - cross-sectional and case – control research. A convenience sample of 600 subjects participated in this study. The size of lordosis, strength of abdominal and gluteal muscles and the extensibility of iliopsoas and back extensor muscles were measured in each group. The best cut-off values obtained from Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC curve analysis were used to categorize subjects as having weak or tight muscles in accordance with the assumptions. The lumbar lordosis in subjects with and without patterns of muscle impairments, and the association between lordosis and low back pain was assessed. Data were analyzed by using statistical methods such as: ICC, Kolmogroff – Smirnoff, Independent T test and ANOVA. Results: The Findings of this study showed no significant difference in the degree of lordosis in subjects with and without patterns of muscle impairment in pelvic cross syndrome (P=0.38 and no significant difference in the lordosis between subjects with and without low back pain among those with specific patterns of muscle impairment in pelvic cross syndrome (P=0.62. Data also showed no significant association between degree of lordosis and low back pain (P=0.25. Conclusion: The findings of this study did not support the Pelvic Cross Syndrome theory, which indicates certain patterns of muscle impairment would lead to exaggerated LL and LBP. Our data show a relationship between muscle impairment and occurrence of LBP, but probably not via changing the degree of lumbar lordosis as it has been proposed in PCS theory.

Chronic comorbidities in children with type 1 diabetes : a population-based cohort study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fazelifarsani, Soulmaz; Souverein, Patrick C|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/243074948; van der Vorst, Marja M J; Knibbe, Catherijne A J; de Boer, Anthonius|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/075097346; Mantel-Teeuwisse, Aukje K|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/266775098

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of chronic comorbidities among children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and to compare incidences with a group of children without diabetes. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. SETTING: Dutch PHARMO database (1998-2010). PATIENTS: All patients (<19 years old) with

Incidence of Osteoporosis in Patients Admitted to our Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Outpatient Clinics

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Berat Meryem Alkan

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Aim: Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease characterized with decreased bone mass and microarchtitectural deterioration of bone tissue which increases bone fragility and fracture risk. Osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures constitute an important health problem in general population. This study aimed to determine the incidence of osteoporosis, chronic diseases accompanying osteoporosis and incidence of falls in male and female patients admitted to our out patient clinics retrospectively. Material and Methods: Patient records of the 11624 patients admitted to Ankara Atatürk Education and Research Hospital Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Outpatient clinics between January 2010 and July 2010 were retrospectively reviewed and 644 patients diagnosed as osteoporosis according to femoral neck and/or lumbar dual energy x ray absoptiometry measurements were included in the study. Ages of the patients, sexes, chronic ilnesses, musculoskeletal sytem complaints and fall histories were also recorded. Results: The incidence of osteoporosis was found to be 7.61% in female patients and it was determined that incidence was 5-fold increased in women than in men. Besides, chronic ilnesses and fall history were accompanying in higher ratios in osteoporotic patients. Conclusion: Heart diseases, hypertension, diabetes, neurological diseases leading to impairment in balance and musculoskelatal system complaints were quite frequent in patients with osteoporosis and these diseases should be taken seriously since they increase the risk of falling. It is important to avoid using drugs which lead to balance impairment, to use walk aids like canes or walkers, to perform exercises including balance and coordination training and endurance exercises in order to prevent falls. (Turkish Journal of Osteoporosis 2011;17:10-3

Features of the clinical course of comorbid gastroesophageal reflux disease and chronic gastroduodenitis in children

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N.V. Kirianchuk

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background. The incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD in children varies from 2–4 to 9–49 % according to different authors, and comorbid lesions of the upper digestive tract — from 15 to 38 %. The improvement of non-invasive diagnosis of these conditions in children is relevant. To study the clinical features of GERD and chronic gastroduodenitis (CGD in children was the purpose of our study. Materials and methods. We have examined 71 patients aged from 10 to 18 years. Group I included 33 children with comorbid GERD and chronic gastroduodenitis, group II consisted of 16 individuals with GERD, and group III — of 22 children with chronic gastroduodenitis. Diagnoses of GERD and chronic gastroduodenitis were made according to International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, on the basis of the complaints and medical histories, as well as objective examination, and verified by endoscopic examination. Analysis of the obtained results was performed using non-parametric methods of chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test. Results. We compared the incidence of the main clinical symptoms in the study groups. The incidence of heartburn, sour taste in the mouth, nausea was not statistically different in children of different groups. The incidence of abdominal pain was not different in groups with comorbid GERD and CGD, but it was significantly less common in children with GERD. It was also found that non-esophageal symptoms (pathological changes of the tongue, carious teeth, signs of chronic pharyngitis, cardialgia, palpitations were significantly more common in children with comorbid GERD and chronic gastroduodenitis compared with a group of children with CGD. Conclusions. The obtained results can be used to develop algorithms for the diagnosis of comorbid GERD and CGD.