Short-term cortical plasticity induced by conditioning pain modulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Egsgaard, Line Lindhardt; Buchgreitz, Line; Wang, Li

2012-01-01

To investigate the effects of homotopic and heterotopic conditioning pain modulation (CPM) on short-term cortical plasticity. Glutamate (tonic pain) or isotonic saline (sham) was injected in the upper trapezius (homotopic) and in the thenar (heterotopic) muscles. Intramuscular electrical stimulat......To investigate the effects of homotopic and heterotopic conditioning pain modulation (CPM) on short-term cortical plasticity. Glutamate (tonic pain) or isotonic saline (sham) was injected in the upper trapezius (homotopic) and in the thenar (heterotopic) muscles. Intramuscular electrical......, and after homotopic and heterotopic CPM versus control. Peak latencies at N100, P200, and P300 were extracted and the location/strength of corresponding dipole current sources and multiple dipoles were estimated. Homotopic CPM caused hypoalgesia (P = 0.032, 30.6% compared to baseline) to electrical...... stimulation. No cortical changes were found for homotopic CPM. A positive correlation at P200 between electrical pain threshold after tonic pain and the z coordinate after tonic pain (P = 0.032) was found for homotopic CPM. For heterotopic CPM, no significant hypoalgesia was found and a dipole shift of the P...

Saving and Re-building Lives: Determinants of Short-term and Long-term Disaster Relief

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Geethanjali SELVARETNAM

2014-11-01

Full Text Available We analyse both theoretically and empirically, the factors that influence the amount of humanitarian aid received by countries which are struck by natural disasters, particularly distinguishing between immediate disaster relief and long term humanitarian aid. The theoretical model is able to make predictions as well as explain some of the peculiarities in the empirical results. We show that both short and long term humanitarian aid increases with number of people killed, financial loss and level of corruption, while GDP per capita had no effect. More populated countries receive more humanitarian aid. Earthquake, tsunami and drought attract more aid.

Examining the side effects of sucrose for pain relief in preterm infants: a case-control study

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M.B.M. Linhares

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Sucrose solution is recommended as relevant pain relief management in neonates during acute painful procedures; however, only a few studies have analyzed the potentially adverse effects of sucrose administration to preterm neonates. The goal of this study was to examine the potential side effects of sucrose for pain relief in preterm infants, assessing feeding and weight gain during hospitalization and their feeding patterns postdischarge. The study sample consisted of 43 preterm neonates divided into two groups: a sucrose group (SG, n=18 and a control group (CG, n=25 in which no sucrose was administered. The SG received 0.5 mL/kg 25% oral sucrose for 2 min prior to all acute painful procedures during three consecutive days. A prospective review of medical charts was performed for all samples. The study was done prior to implementation of the institutional sucrose guidelines as a routine service, and followed all ethical requirements. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in terms of weight gain, length of stay with orogastric tubes, and parenteral feeding. Postdischarge, infant nutritional intake included feeding human milk to 67% of the SG and 74% of the CG. There were no statistically significant differences between groups regarding human milk feeding patterns postdischarge. Neonate feeding patterns and weight gain were unaffected following the short-term use of sucrose for pain relief.

Short-term pre- and post-operative stress prolongs incision-induced pain hypersensitivity without changing basal pain perception

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Cao, Jing; Wang, Po-Kai; Tiwari, Vinod; Liang, Lingli; Lutz, Brianna Marie; Shieh, Kun-Ruey; Zang, Wei-Dong; Kaufman, Andrew G.; Bekker, Alex; Gao, Xiao-Qun; Tao, Yuan-Xiang

2015-01-01

Background Chronic stress has been reported to increase basal pain sensitivity and/or exacerbate existing persistent pain. However, most surgical patients have normal physiological and psychological health status such as normal pain perception before surgery although they do experience short-term stress during pre- and post-operative periods. Whether or not this short-term stress affects persistent postsurgical pain is unclear. Results In this study, we showed that pre- or post-surgical expos...

Reward, motivation and emotion of pain and its relief

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Porreca, Frank; Navratilova, Edita

2016-01-01

The experience of pain depends on interpretation of context and past experience that guide the choice of an immediate behavioral response and influence future decisions of actions to avoid harm. The aversive qualities of pain underlie its physiological role in learning and motivation. In this review, we highlight findings from human and animal investigations that suggest that both pain, and the relief of pain, are complex emotions that are comprised of feelings and their motivational consequences. Relief of aversive states, including pain, is rewarding. How relief of pain aversiveness occurs is not well understood. Termination of aversive states can directly provide relief as well as reinforce behaviors that result in avoidance of pain. Emerging preclinical data also suggests that relief may elicit a positive hedonic value that results from activation of neural cortical and mesolimbic brain circuits that may also motivate behavior. Brain circuits mediating the reward of pain relief, as well as relief-induced motivation are significantly impacted as pain becomes chronic. In chronic pain states, the negative motivational value of nociception may be increased while the value of the reward of pain relief may decrease. As a consequence, the impact of pain on these ancient, and conserved brain limbic circuits suggest a path forward for discovery of new pain therapies. PMID:28106670

Brain Circuits Encoding Reward from Pain Relief.

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Navratilova, Edita; Atcherley, Christopher W; Porreca, Frank

2015-11-01

Relief from pain in humans is rewarding and pleasurable. Primary rewards, or reward-predictive cues, are encoded in brain reward/motivational circuits. While considerable advances have been made in our understanding of reward circuits underlying positive reinforcement, less is known about the circuits underlying the hedonic and reinforcing actions of pain relief. We review findings from electrophysiological, neuroimaging, and behavioral studies supporting the concept that the rewarding effect of pain relief requires opioid signaling in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), activation of midbrain dopamine neurons, and the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Understanding of circuits that govern the reward of pain relief may allow the discovery of more effective and satisfying therapies for patients with acute or chronic pain.

Music for pain relief.

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Cepeda, M S; Carr, D B; Lau, J; Alvarez, H

2006-04-19

The efficacy of music for the treatment of pain has not been established. To evaluate the effect of music on acute, chronic or cancer pain intensity, pain relief, and analgesic requirements. We searched The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, LILACS and the references in retrieved manuscripts. There was no language restriction. We included randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effect of music on any type of pain in children or adults. We excluded trials that reported results of concurrent non-pharmacological therapies. Data was extracted by two independent review authors. We calculated the mean difference in pain intensity levels, percentage of patients with at least 50% pain relief, and opioid requirements. We converted opioid consumption to morphine equivalents. To explore heterogeneity, studies that evaluated adults, children, acute, chronic, malignant, labor, procedural, or experimental pain were evaluated separately, as well as those studies in which patients chose the type of music. Fifty-one studies involving 1867 subjects exposed to music and 1796 controls met inclusion criteria. In the 31 studies evaluating mean pain intensity there was a considerable variation in the effect of music, indicating statistical heterogeneity ( I(2) = 85.3%). After grouping the studies according to the pain model, this heterogeneity remained, with the exception of the studies that evaluated acute postoperative pain. In this last group, patients exposed to music had pain intensity that was 0.5 units lower on a zero to ten scale than unexposed subjects (95% CI: -0.9 to -0.2). Studies that permitted patients to select the music did not reveal a benefit from music; the decline in pain intensity was 0.2 units, 95% CI (-0.7 to 0.2). Four studies reported the proportion of subjects with at least 50% pain relief; subjects exposed to music had a 70% higher likelihood of having pain relief than unexposed subjects (95% CI: 1.21 to 2.37). NNT = 5 (95% CI: 4 to 13). Three

Trajectory of phantom limb pain relief using mirror therapy: Retrospective analysis of two studies.

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Griffin, Sarah C; Curran, Sean; Chan, Annie W Y; Finn, Sacha B; Baker, Chris I; Pasquina, Paul F; Tsao, Jack W

2017-04-01

Research indicates that mirror therapy reduces phantom limb pain (PLP). Objectives were to determine when mirror therapy works in those who respond to treatment, the relevance of baseline PLP to when pain relief occurs, and what pain symptoms respond to mirror therapy. Data from two independent cohorts with unilateral lower limb amputation were analyzed for this study (n=33). Mirror therapy consisted of 15-min sessions in which amputees performed synchronous movements of the phantom and intact legs/feet. PLP was measured using a visual analogue scale and the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire. The severity of PLP at the beginning of treatment predicted when pain relief occurred. Those with low baseline PLP experienced a reduction (ppain relief by session 14 of treatment, and those with high baseline PLP experienced pain relief by session 21 of treatment. Mirror therapy reduced throbbing, shooting, stabbing, sharp, cramping, aching, tender, splitting, tiring/exhausting, and punishing-cruel pain symptoms. The degree of PLP at baseline predicts when mirror therapy relieves pain. This article indicates that the degree of baseline PLP affects when mirror therapy relieves pain: relief occurs by session 7 in patients with low PLP but by session 21 in patients with high PLP. Clinicians should anticipate slower pain relief in patients who begin treatment with high levels of pain. ClinicalTrials.gov numbers:NCT00623818 and NCT00662415. Copyright © 2017 Scandinavian Association for the Study of Pain. All rights reserved.

Pain relief at the end of life: nurses' experiences regarding end-of-life pain relief in patients with dementia.

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Brorson, Hanna; Plymoth, Henrietta; Örmon, Karin; Bolmsjö, Ingrid

2014-03-01

Patients with dementia receive suboptimal palliative care, and this patient group is at risk to have pain at the end of life. Because communicative impairments are common in this patient group, nurses play an important caregiver role in identifying, assessing, and relieving patients' pain. This study aimed to describe nurses' experiences regarding end-of-life pain relief in patients with dementia. This descriptive exploratory qualitative study was based on seven semistructured interviews. Burnard's content analysis inspired the data analysis. Two main categories were identified: (1) nurses' experience of difficulties concerning pain relief and (2) nurses' experience of resources concerning pain relief. Nurses experienced difficulties, such as feeling of powerlessness because of difficulties in obtaining adequate prescriptions for analgesics, ethical dilemmas, feeling of inadequacy because analgesia did not have the desired effect, and a feeling of not being able to connect with the patient. Factors, including knowledge about the patient, professional experience, utilization of pain assessment tools, interpersonal relationships, and interprofessional cooperation, served as resources and enabled end-of-life pain relief. The results of this study highlight the complexity of pain relief in patients with dementia at the end of life from a nursing perspective. The inability of patients with dementia to verbally communicate their pain makes them a vulnerable patient group, dependent on their caregivers. Knowing the life story of the patient, professional experience, teamwork based on good communication, and use of a pain assessment tool were reported by the nurses to improve pain relief at the end of life for patients with dementia. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reward and motivation in pain and pain relief

Science.gov (United States)

Navratilova, Edita; Porreca, Frank

2015-01-01

Pain is fundamentally unpleasant, a feature that protects the organism by promoting motivation and learning. Relief of aversive states, including pain, is rewarding. The aversiveness of pain, as well as the reward from relief of pain, is encoded by brain reward/motivational mesocorticolimbic circuitry. In this Review, we describe current knowledge of the impact of acute and chronic pain on reward/motivation circuits gained from preclinical models and from human neuroimaging. We highlight emerging clinical evidence suggesting that anatomical and functional changes in these circuits contribute to the transition from acute to chronic pain. We propose that assessing activity in these conserved circuits can offer new outcome measures for preclinical evaluation of analgesic efficacy to improve translation and speed drug discovery. We further suggest that targeting reward/motivation circuits may provide a path for normalizing the consequences of chronic pain to the brain, surpassing symptomatic management to promote recovery from chronic pain. PMID:25254980

Long-term follow-up in sacroiliac joint pain patients treated with radiofrequency ablative therapy

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Flávio Ramalho Romero

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Sacroiliac joint (SIJ pain is responsible for up to 40% of all cases of lumbar back pain. Objective Report the long-term efficacy of radiofrequency denervation for sacroiliac joint pain at six, twelve and eighteen months.Method Third-two adults’ patients with sacroiliac join pain diagnosis were included for a prospective study. Primary outcome measure was pain intensity on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS. Secondary outcome measure was Patient Global Impression of Change Scale (PGIC.Results Short-term pain relief was observed, with the mean NRS pain score decreasing from 7.7 ± 1.8 at baseline to 2.8 ± 1.2 at one month and to 3.1 ± 1.9 at six months post-procedure (p < 0.001. Long-term pain relief was sustained at twelve and eighteen months post-procedure, with NRS pain remaining at 3.4 ± 2.1 and 4.0 ± 2.7, respectively.Conclusion Radiofrequency denervation of the SIJ can significantly reduce pain in selected patients with sacroiliac syndrome.

Short-Term Sleep Disturbance-Induced Stress Does not Affect Basal Pain Perception, but Does Delay Postsurgical Pain Recovery.

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Wang, Po-Kai; Cao, Jing; Wang, Hongzhen; Liang, Lingli; Zhang, Jun; Lutz, Brianna Marie; Shieh, Kun-Ruey; Bekker, Alex; Tao, Yuan-Xiang

2015-11-01

Chronic sleep disturbance-induced stress is known to increase basal pain sensitivity. However, most surgical patients frequently report short-term sleep disturbance/deprivation during the pre- and postoperation periods and have normal pain perception presurgery. Whether this short-term sleep disturbance affects postsurgical pain is elusive. Here, we report that pre- or postexposure to rapid eye movement sleep disturbance (REMSD) for 6 hours daily for 3 consecutive days did not alter basal responses to mechanical, heat, and cold stimuli, but did delay recovery in incision-induced reductions in paw withdrawal threshold to mechanical stimulation and paw withdrawal latencies to heat and cold stimuli on the ipsilateral side of male or female rats. This short-term REMSD led to stress shown by an increase in swim immobility time, a decrease in sucrose consumption, and an increase in the level of corticosterone in serum. Blocking this stress via intrathecal RU38486 or bilateral adrenalectomy abolished REMSD-caused delay in recovery of incision-induced reductions in behavioral responses to mechanical, heat, and cold stimuli. Moreover, this short-term REMSD produced significant reductions in the levels of mu opioid receptor and kappa opioid receptor, but not Kv1.2, in the ipsilateral L4/5 spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia on day 9 after incision (but not after sham surgery). Our findings show that short-term sleep disturbance either pre- or postsurgery does not alter basal pain perception, but does exacerbate postsurgical pain hypersensitivity. The latter may be related to the reductions of mu and kappa opioid receptors in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia caused by REMSD plus incision. Prevention of short-term sleep disturbance may help recovery from postsurgical pain in patients. Copyright © 2015 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Limited effect of thoracoscopic splanchnicectomy in the treatment of severe chronic pancreatitis pain: a prospective long-term analysis of 75 cases.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buscher, H.C.J.L.; Schipper, E.; Wilder-Smith, O.H.G.; Jansen, J.B.M.J.; Goor, H. van

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND: Bilateral thoracoscopic splanchnicectomy is a minimally invasive method of treating pain in patients with chronic pancreatitis. It offers good, short-term pain relief, but long-term success is difficult to predict. We analyze long-term results and identify factors predicting success of

Non-Drug Pain Relief: Imagery

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PATIENT EDUCATION patienteducation.osumc.edu Non-Drug Pain Relief: Imagery Relaxation helps lessen tension. One way to help decrease pain is to use imagery. Imagery is using your imagination to create a ...

Short-term sleep disturbance-induced stress does not affect basal pain perception, but does delay postsurgical pain recovery

OpenAIRE

Wang, Po-Kai; Cao, Jing; Wang, Hongzhen; Liang, Lingli; Zhang, Jun; Lutz, Brianna Marie; Shieh, Kun-Ruey; Bekker, Alex; Tao, Yuan-Xiang

2015-01-01

Chronic sleep disturbance-induced stress is known to increase basal pain sensitivity. However, most surgical patients frequently report short-term sleep disturbance/deprivation during pre- and post-operation periods and have normal pain perception pre-surgery. Whether this short-term sleep disturbance affects postsurgical pain is elusive. We here reported that pre- or post-exposure to rapid eye movement sleep disturbance (REMSD) 6 h daily for 3 consecutive days did not alter basal responses t...

Rapid deterioration of pain sensory-discriminative information in short-term memory.

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Rainville, Pierre; Doucet, Jean-Charles; Fortin, Marie-Chantale; Duncan, Gary H

2004-08-01

The assessment of pain and analgesic efficacy sometimes relies on the retrospective evaluation of pain felt in the immediate, recent or distant past, yet we have a very limited understanding of the processes involved in the encoding, maintenance and intentional retrieval of pain. We examine the properties of the short-term memory of thermal and pain sensation intensity with a delayed-discrimination task using pairs of heat pain, warm and cool stimulation in healthy volunteers. Performance decreased as a function of the inter-stimulus interval (ISI), indicating a robust deterioration of sensory information over the test period of 4-14 s. As expected, performance also decreased with smaller temperature differences (Delta-T) and shorter stimulus durations (6-2 s). The relation between performance and Delta-T was adequately described by a power function, the exponent of which increased linearly with longer ISI. Importantly, performance declined steadily with increasing ISI (from 6 to 14 s)--but only for pairs of heat pain stimuli that were relatively difficult to discriminate (Delta-T short-term memory for pain and temperature sensation intensity relies on a transient analog representation that is quickly degraded and transformed into a more resistant but less precise categorical format. This implies that retrospective pain ratings obtained even after very short delays may be rather inaccurate but relatively reliable.

Improved Pain Relief With Burst Spinal Cord Stimulation for Two Weeks in Patients Using Tonic Stimulation: Results From a Small Clinical Study.

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Courtney, Peter; Espinet, Anthony; Mitchell, Bruce; Russo, Marc; Muir, Andrew; Verrills, Paul; Davis, Kristina

2015-07-01

Conventional spinal cord stimulation (SCS) delivers a tonic waveform with consistent stream of pulses; burst delivers groups of pulses separated by short pulse-free periods. The current study compared the short-term safety and efficacy of burst with tonic stimulation in subjects already receiving SCS. At 4 IRB-approved sites, 22 subjects previously implanted with an SCS device for intractable, chronic pain gave informed consent and received burst stimulation for 14 days. Subjects reported average daily Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for overall, trunk, and limb pain using tonic stimulation and after 7 and 14 days of burst stimulation. Thoughts about pain were assessed using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. Areas of paresthesia were assessed during tonic and burst stimulation using body maps. Assessment of patient satisfaction and preferred stimulation occurred after 14 days of burst. Average daily overall VAS reduced 46% from a mean of 53.5 (±20.2) mm during tonic SCS to 28.5 (±18.1) mm during burst (p pain relief was the most common reason cited for preference. A majority of subjects reported improved pain relief using burst compared with tonic stimulation. Most subjects experienced less paresthesia during burst and preferred burst citing better pain relief. © 2015 The Authors. Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Neuromodulation Society.

The control of tonic pain by active relief learning

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Mano, Hiroaki; Lee, Michael; Yoshida, Wako; Kawato, Mitsuo; Robbins, Trevor W

2018-01-01

Tonic pain after injury characterises a behavioural state that prioritises recovery. Although generally suppressing cognition and attention, tonic pain needs to allow effective relief learning to reduce the cause of the pain. Here, we describe a central learning circuit that supports learning of relief and concurrently suppresses the level of ongoing pain. We used computational modelling of behavioural, physiological and neuroimaging data in two experiments in which subjects learned to terminate tonic pain in static and dynamic escape-learning paradigms. In both studies, we show that active relief-seeking involves a reinforcement learning process manifest by error signals observed in the dorsal putamen. Critically, this system uses an uncertainty (‘associability’) signal detected in pregenual anterior cingulate cortex that both controls the relief learning rate, and endogenously and parametrically modulates the level of tonic pain. The results define a self-organising learning circuit that reduces ongoing pain when learning about potential relief. PMID:29482716

The control of tonic pain by active relief learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Suyi; Mano, Hiroaki; Lee, Michael; Yoshida, Wako; Kawato, Mitsuo; Robbins, Trevor W; Seymour, Ben

2018-02-27

Tonic pain after injury characterises a behavioural state that prioritises recovery. Although generally suppressing cognition and attention, tonic pain needs to allow effective relief learning to reduce the cause of the pain. Here, we describe a central learning circuit that supports learning of relief and concurrently suppresses the level of ongoing pain. We used computational modelling of behavioural, physiological and neuroimaging data in two experiments in which subjects learned to terminate tonic pain in static and dynamic escape-learning paradigms. In both studies, we show that active relief-seeking involves a reinforcement learning process manifest by error signals observed in the dorsal putamen. Critically, this system uses an uncertainty ('associability') signal detected in pregenual anterior cingulate cortex that both controls the relief learning rate, and endogenously and parametrically modulates the level of tonic pain. The results define a self-organising learning circuit that reduces ongoing pain when learning about potential relief. © 2018, Zhang et al.

Immediate pain relief by microvascular decompression for idiopathic trigeminal neuralagia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haq, N.U.; Ali, M.; Khan, H.M.; Ishaq, M.; Khattak, M.I.

2016-01-01

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia is a common entity which is managed by neurosurgeons in day to day practice. Up-till now many treatment options have been adopted for it but micro-vascular decompression is much impressive in terms of pain control and recurrence rate in all of them. The objective of study was known the efficacy of micro vascular decompression for idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia by using muscle patch in terms of immediate pain relief. Methods: This descriptive study was carried out in Neurosurgery Department lady reading hospital, Peshawar from January 2010 to December 2012. All patients who underwent micro vascular decompression for idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia were included in the study. Patients were assessed 72 hours after the surgery by borrow neurological institute pain scale (BNIP scale) for pain relief and findings were documented on predesigned proforma. Data was analysed by SPSS-17. Results: Total 52 patients were included in this study. Among these 32 (61.53 percentage) were female and 20 (38.46 percentage) were males having age from 22-76 years (mean 49 years). Right side was involved in 36 (69.23 percentage) and left side in 16 (30.76 percentage) patients. Duration of symptoms ranged from 6 months to 16 years (mean 8 years). History of dental extraction and peripheral neurectomy was present in 20 (38 percentage) and 3(5.76 percentage) patients while V3 was most commonly involved branch with 28(57.69 percentage) frequency and combined V2,V3 involvement was 1 (11.53 percentage). Superior cerebellar artery was most common offending vessel in 46(88.46 percentage) while arachnoid adhesions were in 2(3.84 percentage) patients. We assessed patient immediate postoperatively using BNIP pain scale. Conclusion: Micro-vascular decompression is most effective mode of treatment for trigeminal neuralgia in terms of immediate pain relief. (author)

Medications for Pain Relief during Labor and Delivery

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... FAQ086 LABOR, DELIVERY, AND POSTPARTUM CARE Medications for Pain Relief During Labor and Delivery • What types of medications for pain relief are used during labor and delivery? • What are ...

Optimal Laser Phototherapy Parameters for Pain Relief.

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Kate, Rohit J; Rubatt, Sarah; Enwemeka, Chukuka S; Huddleston, Wendy E

2018-03-27

Studies on laser phototherapy for pain relief have used parameters that vary widely and have reported varying outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal parameter ranges of laser phototherapy for pain relief by analyzing data aggregated from existing primary literature. Original studies were gathered from available sources and were screened to meet the pre-established inclusion criteria. The included articles were then subjected to meta-analysis using Cohen's d statistic for determining treatment effect size. From these studies, ranges of the reported parameters that always resulted into large effect sizes were determined. These optimal ranges were evaluated for their accuracy using leave-one-article-out cross-validation procedure. A total of 96 articles met the inclusion criteria for meta-analysis and yielded 232 effect sizes. The average effect size was highly significant: d = +1.36 (confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.04-1.68). Among all the parameters, total energy was found to have the greatest effect on pain relief and had the most prominent optimal ranges of 120-162 and 15.36-20.16 J, which always resulted in large effect sizes. The cross-validation accuracy of the optimal ranges for total energy was 68.57% (95% CI = 53.19-83.97). Fewer and less-prominent optimal ranges were obtained for the energy density and duration parameters. None of the remaining parameters was found to be independently related to pain relief outcomes. The findings of meta-analysis indicate that laser phototherapy is highly effective for pain relief. Based on the analysis of parameters, total energy can be optimized to yield the largest effect on pain relief.

Does Immediate Pain Relief After an Injection into the Sacroiliac Joint with Anesthetic and Corticosteroid Predict Subsequent Pain Relief?

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Schneider, Byron J; Huynh, Lisa; Levin, Josh; Rinkaekan, Pranathip; Kordi, Ramin; Kennedy, David J

2018-02-01

To determine if immediate pain response following an injection with local anesthetic and corticosteroid predicts subsequent relief. Prospective observational cohort. An institutional review board-approved prospective study from a single academic medical center. Patients with clinical diagnosis of sacroiliac (SIJ) pain and referred for SIJ injection were enrolled; 1 cc of 2% lidocaine and 1 cc of triamcinolone 40 mg/mL were injected into the SIJ. Pain score on 0-10 numeric rating scale (NRS) during provocation maneuvers was recorded immediately before injection, immediately after injection, and at two and four weeks of follow-up. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was also recorded. Various cutoffs were identified to establish positive anesthetic response and successful outcomes at follow-up. These were used to calculated likelihood ratios. Of those with 100% anesthetic response, six of 11 (54.5%, 95% confidence interval [CI]+/-29.4%, +LR 2.6, 95% CI = 1.1-5.9) demonstrated 50% or greater pain relief at follow-up, and four of 11 (36.5%, 95% CI+/-28.4%, +LR 3.00, 95% CI = 1.4-5.1) had 100% relief at two to four weeks. Fourteen of 14 (100%, 95% CI+/-21.5%, -LR 0.0, 95% CI = 0.0-2.1) with an initial negative block failed to achieve 100% relief at follow-up. Patients who fail to achieve initial relief after SIJ injection with anesthetic and steroid are very unlikely to achieve significant pain relief at follow-up; negative likelihood ratios (LR) in this study, based on how success is defined, range between 0 and 0.9. Clinically significant positive likelihood ratios of anesthetic response to SIJ injection are more limited and less robust, but are valuable in predicting 50% relief or 100% relief at two to four weeks. © 2017 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Enhanced short-term sensitization of facial compared with limb heat pain.

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Schmidt, Katharina; Schunke, Odette; Forkmann, Katarina; Bingel, Ulrike

2015-08-01

Habituation and sensitization are important features of individual sensitivity to repetitive noxious stimulation and have been investigated in numerous studies. However, it is unclear whether these phenomena vary depending on the site of stimulation. Here we compared short-term and long-term effects of painful heat stimulation on the forehead and limb using an established longitudinal heat pain paradigm performed over 8 consecutive days in 36 healthy volunteers. Participants were randomized into 2 groups; participants received repetitive heat pain stimulation either on the left volar forearm or on the left side of the forehead. Our data show a comparable degree of habituation over the course of 8 days in both groups. However, participants in the trigeminal stimulation group exhibited stronger within-session sensitization (indexed by a higher within-session increase in pain intensity ratings) than those who received the forearm stimulation. Furthermore, over the course of the experiment we found a correlation between habituation and anxiety, showing less habituation in participants with higher trait anxiety scores. Our findings are in line with somatotopic differences in response to painful stimulation and a higher proneness of trigeminal pain to sensitization processes, which might be explained by the biological relevance of the head and facial area for vital functions. The contribution of this sensitivity to the development and maintenance of clinical facial pain and headache disorders warrants further investigation. This study uses psychophysical methods to evaluate the differences in long-term habituation and short-term sensitization to heat pain between the trigeminal and spinal systems. We found stronger sensitization for trigeminal compared with nociceptive stimuli on the forearm. The contribution of this sensitivity to clinical pain states warrants further investigation. Copyright © 2015 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sudden amnesia resulting in pain relief: the relationship between memory and pain.

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Choi, Daniel S; Choi, Deborah Y; Whittington, Robert A; Nedeljković, Srdjan S

2007-11-01

Nociceptive pain and its emotional component can result in the development of a "chronic pain memory". This report describes two patients who had long histories of chronic pain and opioid dependence. Both patients experienced sudden memory loss that was followed by significant pain reduction and an eradication of their need for opioid management. Neural centers involved in sensory pain, its affective component, opioid dependence, and memory overlap in the brain and share common pathways. The anterior cingulate cortex, the insular cortex, and the amygdala are examples of regions implicated in both pain and memory. One of the patients in the report experienced multiple seizure episodes, which may have contributed to memory loss and pain relief. The role of electroconvulsive therapy as it relates to amnesia and pain is reviewed. Questions are raised regarding whether therapies that address the memory component of pain may have a role in the treatment of long-term chronic pain patients.

Pain relief effect of breast feeding and music therapy during heel lance for healthy-term neonates in China: a randomized controlled trial.

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Zhu, Jiemin; Hong-Gu, He; Zhou, Xiuzhu; Wei, Haixia; Gao, Yaru; Ye, Benlan; Liu, Zuguo; Chan, Sally Wai-Chi

2015-03-01

to test the effectiveness of breast feeding (BF), music therapy (MT), and combined breast feeding and music therapy (BF+MT) on pain relief in healthy-term neonates during heel lance. randomised controlled trial. in the postpartum unit of one university-affiliated hospital in China from August 2013 to February 2014. among 288 healthy-term neonates recruited, 250 completed the trial. All neonates were undergoing heel lancing for metabolic screening, were breast fed, and had not been fed for the previous 30 minutes. all participants were randomly assigned into four groups - BF, MT, BF+MT, and no intervention - with 72 neonates in each group. Neonates in the control group received routine care. Neonates in the other three intervention groups received corresponding interventions five minutes before the heel lancing and throughout the whole procedure. Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS), latency to first cry, and duration of first crying. mean changes in NIPS scores from baseline over time was dependent on the interventions given. Neonates in the BF and combined BF+MT groups had significantly longer latency to first cry, shorter duration of first crying, and lower pain mean score during and one minute after heel lance, compared to the other two groups. No significant difference in pain response was found between BF groups with or without music therapy. The MT group did not achieve a significantly reduced pain response in all outcome measures. BF could significantly reduce pain response in healthy-term neonates during heel lance. MT did not enhance the effect of pain relief of BF. healthy-term neonates should be breast fed to alleviate pain during heel lance. There is no need for the additional input of classical music on breast feeding in clinic to relieve procedural pain. Nurses should encourage breast feeding to relieve pain during heel lance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pain-relevant anxiety affects desire for pain relief, but not pain perception

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana Banozic

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Pain context plays a significant role in the perception of pain. Despite recent interest in vicarious learning and anxiety in pain modulation, there have been no attempts to explore pain modulation by specific environmental cues. Aims: Therefore, the present study evaluated pain responses in the condition that was attributed as either anxiety relevant (AR or anxiety irrelevant. Materials and Methods: Participants were exposed to both conditions through social observational learning. Pain perception was assessed by means of a visual analog scale ranging from 0 = no pain to 10 = maximum imaginable pain. State anxiety, empathy, expectancy, and desire for pain relief were also measured at both neutral and emotionally inducing conditions. Results: No effect of relevancy of anxiety for the pain context on any of the pain-related constructs was found. However, participants in the AR condition reported an increased desire for pain relief. Maximizing similarities between observed and experienced pain context did not enhance observational learning effects in the emotionally inducing condition regardless of its relevance, but significant changes were found in comparison to the affectively neutral group. Conclusions: These results could have potentially significant clinical implications suggesting that even though observing painful procedures does not increase pain it could affect medication usage.

A New Sacroiliac Joint Injection Technique and Its Short-Term Effect on Chronic Sacroiliac Region Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Do, Kyung Hee; Ahn, Sang Ho; Jones, Rodney; Jang, Sung Ho; Son, Su Min; Lee, Dong Gyu; Cho, Hee Kyung; Choi, Gyu Sik; Cho, Yun-Woo

2016-10-01

Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) injections have been used to provide short-term relief of SIJ pain. In this study, the authors investigated a new technique using a superior approach. Twenty four patients with chronic SI joint paint were recruited. Each patient was treated with a single SIJ intra-articular injection plus a periarticular injection of local anesthetic and corticosteroid in one procedure. Technical accuracy of the intra-articular procedure was determined by having 2 independent observers review and rate the quality of arthrograms obtained. Treatment effects were evaluated using a numerical rating scale, the Oswestry disability index (ODI) and global perceived effect (GPE). Both independent observers agreed that satisfactory arthrograms were obtained in all patients. Pain scores and disability were significantly reduced at 2 weeks and 4 weeks after treatment. Nineteen patients (79%) reported satisfaction with treatment. No serious adverse effects were encountered. The superior approach consistently achieves good access to the SI joint, and achieves outcomes that are compatible with those of other techniques. The superior approach constitutes an alternative to other techniques for injections into the SI joint. © 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Pregabalin versus oxcarbazepine in painful diabetic neuropathy in elderly population: Efficacy and safety in terms of pain relief, cognitive function, and overall quality of life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Syed H Amir

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Aims: The treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN in elderly patients is challenging considering the adverse effects associated with long term use of drugs. Pregabalin has been recommended as the first line therapy for relief of neuropathic pain in such patients. However, the occurrence of side effects especially cognitive dysfunction and peripheral edema raised concerns during long term therapy in elderly population. Recently, few studies have highlighted the role of oxcarbazepine, a second generation antiepileptic, in PDN. This prospective, randomized, single-blind, parallel-group study was done to compare pregabaline and oxcarbazepine monotherapy in patients of PDN. Materials and Methods: 150 elderly patients of painful diabetic neuropathy, for at least 6 months of duration with an average baseline pain score ≥ 4 on 11 point numeric rating scale (NRS, were divided into two groups to receive either pregabalin 150 mg/day or oxcarbazepine 600 mg/day. Assessment of pain scores, cognitive functions and quality of life were performed at different time intervals during the course of treatment. Results: Patients in both the study groups showed significant reduction in pain scores from the baseline; however no significant differences in pain scores were noted between the two groups during the course of treatment. The incidence of cognitive dysfunction as measured by BCRS score was significantly more in pregabalin group while no significant changes were noted in oxcarbazepine group. The overall quality of life as demonstrated by SF12 scores was significantly better in both the study groups as compared to baseline. Conclusion: Oxcarbazepine can be used as an alternative to pregabalin in elderly patients with PDN considering the similar degree of pain relief and better cognitive profile.

Relief of depression and pain improves daily functioning and quality of life in patients with major depressive disorder.

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Lin, Ching-Hua; Yen, Yung-Chieh; Chen, Ming-Chao; Chen, Cheng-Chung

2013-12-02

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of depression relief and pain relief on the improvement in daily functioning and quality of life (QOL) for depressed patients receiving a 6-week treatment of fluoxetine. A total of 131 acutely ill inpatients with major depressive disorder (MDD) were enrolled to receive 20mg of fluoxetine daily for 6 weeks. Depression severity, pain severity, daily functioning, and health-related QOL were assessed at baseline and again at week 6. Depression severity, pain severity, and daily functioning were assessed using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) Body Pain Index, and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale. Health-related QOL was assessed by three primary domains of the SF-36, including social functioning, vitality, and general health perceptions. Pearson's correlation and structural equation modeling were used to examine relationships among the study variables. Five models were proposed. In model 1, depression relief alone improved daily functioning and QOL. In model 2, pain relief alone improved daily functioning and QOL. In model 3, depression relief, mediated by pain relief, improved daily functioning and QOL. In model 4, pain relief, mediated by depression relief, improved daily functioning and QOL. In model 5, both depression relief and pain relief improved daily functioning and QOL. One hundred and six patients completed all the measures at baseline and at week 6. Model 5 was the most fitted structural equation model (χ(2) = 8.62, df = 8, p = 0.376, GFI = 0.975, AGFI = 0.935, TLI = 0.992, CFI = 0.996, RMSEA = 0.027). Interventions which relieve depression and pain improve daily functioning and QOL among patients with MDD. The proposed model can provide quantitative estimates of improvement in treating patients with MDD. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 882.5840 - Implanted intracerebral/subcortical stimulator for pain relief.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... pain relief. 882.5840 Section 882.5840 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... Devices § 882.5840 Implanted intracerebral/subcortical stimulator for pain relief. (a) Identification. An implanted intracerebral/subcortical stimulator for pain relief is a device that applies electrical current...

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation once a week induces sustainable long-term relief of central poststroke pain.

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Kobayashi, Masahito; Fujimaki, Takamitsu; Mihara, Ban; Ohira, Takayuki

2015-06-01

Central poststroke pain is a serious problem for some patients after stroke. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been reported to relieve poststroke pain but its efficacy is still controversial. We tested the possibility that rTMS, when applied once a week, would induce sustainable relief of poststroke pain. Eighteen patients with central poststroke pain were included in this study. rTMS (10 trains of 10-sec 5 Hz-rTMS) was delivered over the primary motor cortex on the affected side. The rTMS session was repeated once a week for 12 weeks, and for six patients the intervention was continued for one year. The degree of the pain was assessed before each weekly rTMS session to evaluate sustainable effects. The effects of the rTMS reached a plateau at the eighth week. At the 12th week, the rTMS was effective in 61.1% of the patients; 5 of the 18 patients showed more than 70% reduction based on a visual analog scale, 6 patients showed 40-69% reduction, and 7 remained at a pain reduction level of less than 40%. When patients were divided into two groups with or without severe dysesthesia, it was found that eight patients with severe dysesthesia showed less pain relief than those without. In the six patients who continued rTMS for one year, the pain relief effects also were sustained. Although this was an open-label study without a control group, our findings suggest that rTMS of the primary motor cortex, when maintained once a week, could help to relieve poststroke pain. © 2015 International Neuromodulation Society.

21 CFR 882.5890 - Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator for pain relief.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... pain relief. 882.5890 Section 882.5890 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... Devices § 882.5890 Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator for pain relief. (a) Identification. A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator for pain relief is a device used to apply an electrical current to...

Concordant pressure paresthesia during interlaminar lumbar epidural steroid injections correlates with pain relief in patients with unilateral radicular pain.

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Candido, Kenneth D; Rana, Maunak V; Sauer, Ruben; Chupatanakul, Lalida; Tharian, Antony; Vasic, Vladimir; Knezevic, Nebojsa Nick

2013-01-01

Transforaminal and interlaminar epidural steroid injections are commonly used interventional pain management procedures in the treatment of radicular low back pain. Even though several studies have shown that transforaminal injections provide enhanced short-term outcomes in patients with radicular and low back pain, they have also been associated with a higher incidence of unintentional intravascular injection and often dire consequences than have interlaminar injections. We compared 2 different approaches, midline and lateral parasagittal, of lumbar interlaminar epidural steroid injection (LESI) in patients with unilateral lumbosacral radiculopathic pain. We also tested the role of concordant pressure paresthesia occurring during LESI as a prognostic factor in determining the efficacy of LESI. Prospective, randomized, blinded study. Pain management center, part of a teaching-community hospital in a major metropolitan US city. After Institutional Review Board approval, 106 patients undergoing LESI for radicular low back pain were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups (53 patients each) based on approach: midline interlaminar (MIL) and lateral parasagittal interlaminar (PIL). Patients were asked to grade any pressure paresthesia as occurring ipsilaterally or contralaterally to their "usual and customary pain," or in a distribution atypical of their daily pain. Other variables such as: the Oswestry Disability Index questionnaire, pain scores at rest and during movement, use of pain medications, etc. were recorded 20 minutes before the procedure, and on days 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 60, 120, 180 and 365 after the injection. Results of this study showed statistically and clinically significant pain relief in patients undergoing LESI by both the MIL and PIL approaches. Patients receiving LESI using the lateral parasagittal approach had statistically and clinically longer pain relief then patients receiving LESI via a midline approach. They also had slightly better quality of

21 CFR 882.5880 - Implanted spinal cord stimulator for pain relief.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Implanted spinal cord stimulator for pain relief... Implanted spinal cord stimulator for pain relief. (a) Identification. An implanted spinal cord stimulator for pain relief is a device that is used to stimulate electrically a patient's spinal cord to relieve...

Population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of ketamine-induced pain relief of chronic pain.

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Dahan, Albert; Olofsen, Erik; Sigtermans, Marnix; Noppers, Ingeborg; Niesters, Marieke; Aarts, Leon; Bauer, Martin; Sarton, Elise

2011-03-01

Pharmacological treatment of chronic (neuropathic) pain is often disappointing. In order to enhance our insight in the complex interaction between analgesic drug and chronic pain relief, we performed a pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) modeling study on the effect of S(+)-ketamine on pain scores in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1 (CRPS-1) patients. Sixty CRPS-1 patients were randomly allocated to received a 100-h infusion of S(+)-ketamine or placebo. The drug infusion rate was slowly increased from 5 mg/h (per 70 kg) to 20 mg/h based upon the effect/side effect profile. Pain scores and drug blood samples were obtained during the treatment phase and pain scores were further obtained weekly for another 11 weeks. A population PK-PD model was developed to analyze the S(+)-ketamine-pain data. Plasma concentrations of S(+)-ketamine and its metabolite decreased rapidly upon the termination of S(+)-ketamine infusion. The chance for an analgesic effect from ketamine and placebo treatment was 67±10% and 23±9% (population value±SE), respectively. The pain data were well described by the PK-PD model with parameters C(50)=10.5±4.8 ng/ml (95% ci 4.37-21.2 ng/ml) and t½ for onset/offset=10.9±4.0 days (5.3-20.5 days). Long-term S(+)-ketamine treatment is effective in causing pain relief in CRPS-1 patients with analgesia outlasting the treatment period by 50 days. These data suggest that ketamine initiated a cascade of events, including desensitization of excitatory receptor systems in the central nervous system, which persisted but slowly abated when ketamine molecules were no longer present. Copyright © 2010 European Federation of International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of paracervical block for pain relief in women undergoing hysterosalpingography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shikha Jain

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To evaluate the potential benefit, in terms of pain relief, of the paracervical block with 2% lignocaine in women undergoing hysterosalpingography (HSG. Study Design: This study was a prospective randomized controlled study. Settings: This study was conducted in infertility clinic of a tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and six patients undergoing HSG as a part of infertility evaluation were included in the study. These women were randomized into two groups: Group I received paracervical block with 2% lignocaine at the time of HSG (n = 53 and Group II (n = 53 served as control. Hyoscine (10 mg oral tablet was given to all the patients 30 min before the procedure. Pain perception during the procedure was analyzed by the patient between 0 and 10 on a numeric rating scale, immediately after HSG. Results: The baseline demographic characteristics of participants in two groups were similar. Mean pain score immediately after HSG in the study group and control group was 4.84 ± 2.56 and 5.21 ± 1.89, respectively (P = 0.21. Conclusions : There is no benefit of paracervical block with 2% lignocaine, in terms of pain relief, in women undergoing HSG.

Medicines for back pain

Science.gov (United States)

... You may need to be watched for side effects. NARCOTIC PAIN RELIEVERS Narcotics , also called opioid pain relievers, are used only for pain that is severe and is not helped by other types of painkillers. They work well for short-term relief. Do ...

Percutaneous vertebroplasty in vertebral metastases from breast cancer: interest in terms of pain relief and quality of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Barragán-Campos, Héctor Manuel; Le Faou, Anne-Laurence; Rose, Michèle; Livartowski, Alain; Doz, Marianne; Astagneau, Pascal; Cormier, Evelyne; Chiras, Jacques

2014-10-31

Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) is a therapeutic option in patients with vertebral metastases (VM). However its efficacy in pain relief, improvement in quality of life and safety in patients with VM from breast cancer has not been reported. We present a longitudinal retrospective study of 31 consecutively treated female patients with VM from breast cancer where 88 vertebrae were treated in 44 sessions of PV, in which osteolytic, osteoblastic and mixed lesions were recorded. The visual analogue pain scale (VAS) was used to evaluate pain pre-PV, at one, three, six and 12 months post-PV. The Eastern Cooperative Group (ECOG) performance status scale was used at the same time intervals to measure quality of life: 90.3% pain relief was identified with a VAS reduction from 5.7 ± 2.0 pre-PV to 2.9 ± 2.2 post-PV at one-month follow-up (ppain relief, and improvement of quality of life in patients with diverse types of VM from breast cancer.

The stress response to surgery: release mechanisms and the modifying effect of pain relief

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kehlet, H

1989-01-01

This short review updates information on the release mechanisms of the systemic response to surgical injury and the modifying effect of pain relief. Initiation of the response is primarily due to afferent nerve impulses combined with release of humoral substances (such as prostaglandins, kinins...... in releasing the classical endocrine catabolic response, while humoral factors are important for the hyperthermic response, changes in coagulation and fibrinolysis immunofunction, and capillary permeability. The modifying effect of pain relief on the surgical stress response is dependent upon the technique...... on the stress response. In summary, pain alleviation itself may not necessarily lead to an important modification of the stress response, and a combined approach with inhibition of the neural and humoral release mechanisms is necessary for a pronounced inhibition or prevention of the response to surgical injury....

Imaging pain relief in osteoarthritis (IPRO): protocol of a double-blind randomised controlled mechanistic study assessing pain relief and prediction of duloxetine treatment outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Reckziegel, Diane; Bailey, Helen; Cottam, William J; Tench, Christopher R; Mahajan, Ravi P; Walsh, David A; Knaggs, Roger D; Auer, Dorothee P

2017-06-26

Osteoarthritis (OA) pain is a major cause of long-term disability and chronic pain in the adult population. One in five patients does not receive satisfactory pain relief, which reflects the complexity of chronic pain and the current lack of understanding of mechanisms of chronic pain. Recently, duloxetine has demonstrated clinically relevant pain relief, but only in half of treated patients with OA. Here, the aim is to investigate the neural mechanisms of pain relief and neural signatures that may predict treatment response to duloxetine in chronic knee OA pain. This is an ongoing single-centre randomised placebo-controlled mechanistic study (2:1 (placebo) allocation), using a multimodal neuroimaging approach, together with psychophysiological (quantitative sensory testing), genetics and questionnaire assessments. Eighty-one subjects with chronic knee OA pain are planned to power for between-group comparisons (placebo, duloxetine responder and duloxetine non-responder). Participants have a baseline assessment and, following 6 weeks of duloxetine (30 mg for 2 weeks, then 60 mg for 4 weeks), a follow-up evaluation. Brain imaging is performed at 3T with blood-oxygen-level dependent functional MRI at rest and during pin-prick nociceptive stimulation for main outcome assessment; arterial spin labelling and structural imaging (T1-weighted) for secondary outcome assessment. Questionnaires evaluate pain, negative affect, quality of sleep and cognition. The study has been approved by the East Midlands, Nottingham and is being carried out under the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (64th, 2013) and Good Clinical Practice standards. Results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and at scientific conferences. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02208778).This work was supported by Arthritis Research UK (Grant 18769). © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights

Radiation therapy in the management of symptomatic bone metastases: the effect of total dose and histology on pain relief and response duration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arcangeli, Giorgio; Giovinazzo, Giuseppe; Saracino, Biancamaria; D'Angelo, Luciano; Giannarelli, Diana; Arcangeli, Giancarlo; Micheli, Adriana

1998-01-01

Purpose: In order to better define variables and factors that may influence the pain response to radiation, and to look for a radiation regimen that can assure the highest percentage and the longest duration of pain relief, we performed a prospective, although not randomized, study on patients with bone metastases from various primary sites. Methods and Materials: From December 1988 to March 1994, 205 patients with a total of 255 solitary or multiple bone metastases from several primary tumors were treated in our radiotherapy center with palliative intent. Irradiation fields were treated with three main fractionation schedules: (1) Conventional fractionation: 40-46 Gy/20-23 fractions in 5-5.5 weeks; (2) Short course: 30-36 Gy/10-12 fractions in 2-2.3 weeks; (3) Fast course: 8-28 Gy/1-4 consecutive fractions. Pain intensity was self-assessed by patients using a visual analogic scale graduated from 0 (no pain) to 10 (the strongest pain one can experience). Analgesic requirement was assessed by using a five-point scale, scoring both analgesic strength and frequency (0 = no drug or occasional nonopioids; 1 = Nonopioids once daily; 2 = Nonopioids more than once daily; 3 = Mild opioids (oral codeine, pentazocine, etc.), once daily; 4 = Mild opioids more than once daily; 5 = Strong opioids (morphine, meperidine, etc.). Complete pain relief meant the achievement of a score ≤ 2 in the pain scale or 0 in the analgesic requirement scale. Partial pain relief indicated a score of 3 to 4 or of 1 to 2 on the former and latter scale, respectively. Results: Total pain relief (complete + partial) was observed in 195 (76%) sites, in 158 of which (62%) a complete response was obtained. Metastases from NSC lung tumors appeared to be the least responsive among all primary tumors, with 46% complete pain relief in comparison to 65% and 83% complete relief in breast (p = 0.04) and in prostate metastases (p 0.002), respectively. A significant difference in pain relief was detected among

Paracetamol vs dexketoprofen for perineal pain relief after episiotomy or perineal tear.

Science.gov (United States)

Akil, A; Api, O; Bektas, Y; Yilmaz, A Onan; Yalti, S; Unal, O

2014-01-01

A randomised controlled trial was conducted to investigate efficacy of paracetamol and dexketoprofen trometamol for perineal pain relief after perineal repair. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive two doses of either 50 mg of intravenous dexketoprofen trometamol via slow i.v. infusion (Group I, n = 49) or 1,000 mg of paracetamol via intravenous infusion (Group II, n = 46). The main outcome measure was a VAS (visual analogue scale) for pain recorded at 1 h (VAS 1). A total of 82 patients were included in the final analysis (Group I, n = 41; Group II, n = 41). There was no difference among groups in terms of pain scores at the beginning (VAS 0). The pain was decreased in 70% of the patients in Group I and in 62% of the patients in Group II (p = 0.502). Both paracetamol and dexketoprofen are effective in perineal pain relief after episiotomy or perineal tear repair.

Intra-articular hip injection: does pain relief correlate with radiographic severity of osteoarthritis?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deshmukh, Ajit J.; Rodriguez, Jose A.; Panagopoulos, Georgia; Alizadeh, Ahmadreza; Klein, Devon A.

2011-01-01

Intra-articular injection is being used widely for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in the hip. However, its efficacy is not always predictable in patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the degree of radiographic severity of OA was predictive of the response to intra-articular injection of local anesthetic with corticosteroid and to determine the relationship between immediate pain relief resulting from the anesthetic and delayed pain relief resulting from corticosteroid administration. This retrospective study included 217 patients (220 injections) with diagnosis of hip OA who underwent a fluoroscopically guided therapeutic hip injection of local anesthetic and corticosteroid. Hip radiographs were scored using the Kellgren-Lawrence scale. Immediate and delayed pain relief was documented using a visual analog scale. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate whether age, gender or radiographic severity of OA were independent predictors of pain relief. Degree of agreement between immediate and delayed response was assessed with the kappa coefficient. Immediate pain relief was reported in 68.2% of hips and delayed relief in 71.4% of hips. A high level of agreement was observed between immediate and delayed pain relief (kappa = 0.80, p < 0.001). 94% of patients reporting immediate relief also reported relief 2 weeks later. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that neither gender nor age was related to immediate or delayed pain relief. Only severity of OA (based on radiographic analysis) was observed to be predictive of pain relief. Pain relief following intra-articular hip injection correlated with radiographic severity of OA. This intervention may be of therapeutic and prognostic value in patients awaiting hip arthroplasty. (orig.)

Preoperative pain mechanisms assessed by cuff algometry are associated with chronic postoperative pain relief after total knee replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Kristian Kjær; Graven-Nielsen, Thomas; Simonsen, Ole; Laursen, Mogens Berg; Arendt-Nielsen, Lars

2016-07-01

Chronic postoperative pain after total knee replacement (TKR) in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) implies clinical challenges. Widespread hyperalgesia, facilitated temporal summation of pain (TSP), and impaired conditioned pain modulation (CPM) have been found in painful KOA. This exploratory study investigated postoperative pain relief 12 months after TKR in 4 subgroups of patients preoperatively profiled by mechanistic quantitative sensory testing. In 103 patients with KOA, pressure pain detection threshold (PDT) and tolerance thresholds (PTT) were assessed at the lower leg using cuff algometry. Temporal summation of pain was measured as an increase in pain intensity scores during 10 repeated (2 seconds intervals) painful cuff stimuli. Conditioned pain modulation was calculated as the relative increase in PDT during painful conditioning stimulation. The grand averages of TSP and CPM were calculated and values below or above were used for subgrouping: facilitated TSP/impaired CPM (group A, N = 16), facilitated TSP/normal CPM (group B, N = 15), normal TSP/impaired CPM (group C, N = 44), and normal TSP/normal CPM (group D, N = 28). Clinical VAS pain intensity scores were collected before and 12 months after TKR surgery and the pain relief calculated. Less pain relief was found in group A (52.0% ± 14.0% pain relief) than in group B (81.1% ± 3.5%, P = 0.023) and group C (79.6% ± 4.4%, P = 0.007), but not group D (69.4% ± 7.9%, P = 0.087). Low preoperative PDT was associated with a less postoperative pain relief (R = -0.222, P = 0.034), whereas TSP or CPM alone showed no associations with postoperative pain relief. This explorative study indicated that patients with osteoarthritis with facilitated TSP together with impaired CPM are more vulnerable to experience less pain relief after TKR.

Attitudes of farmers and veterinarians towards pain and the use of pain relief in pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Ison, S H; Rutherford, K M D

2014-12-01

A survey of UK-based pig farmers and veterinarians was conducted, in order to investigate attitudes to pain and the use of pain relief in pigs. Survey respondents were asked to indicate which anti-inflammatory drugs they used or prescribed for pigs, how often these were administered, and the level of pain they associated with particular conditions. The survey found that veterinarians used a range of anti-inflammatory products to treat pigs with lameness. While both farmers and veterinarians gave similar pain scores overall, farmers rated gastrointestinal disease as more painful and conversely veterinarians scored lameness higher. Female and younger respondents gave higher pain scores than males and older respondents. Overall, farmers and veterinarians had a positive attitude towards pain relief in pigs with the majority agreeing that animals recovered more promptly when pain relief was administered. Most farmers agreed that the recognition and management of pain is an important part of pig husbandry, and many expressed an interest in finding out more about identifying pain in this species as well as the treatment options available. The study highlighted potential barriers to the increased application of pain relief in pigs in that almost one-third of veterinarians and two-thirds of farmers did not agree that they discussed pain management with each other, while other respondents indicated that they found it difficult to recognise pain in pigs, and did not know how to treat it appropriately. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of epidural butorphanol versus epidural morphine in postoperative pain relief.

Science.gov (United States)

Parikh, Geeta P; Veena, Shah R; Vora, Kalpana; Parikh, Beena; Joshi, Anish

2014-02-01

Epidural route is preferable for postoperative pain relief in thoraco-abdominal and lower limb surgeries. We aimed to compare epidural butorphanol versus morphine for postoperative analgesia up to 24 hours in open nephrectomy surgery. 80 ASA physical status I and II adult patients were selected for this randomized double blind prospective study. A standard balanced general anesthesia technique was applied for all patients. Epidural catheter was placed in lower thoracic inter-vertebral space before the start of surgery. Injection butorphanol 0.04 mg/kg in group B (n = 40) or morphine 0.06 mg/kg in group M (n = 40) was given in a double blind manner after completion of surgery and before extubation through the epidural catheter. Patients were observed for pain relief by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for the next 24 hours. Dose was repeated when VAS was > 4. The onset and peak effect of pain relief, duration of analgesia of 1st dose, frequency of drug administration and side effects if any were observed. The average onset of analgesia was 26.5 +/- 7.61 minutes with butorphanol and 62.5 +/- 13.4 minutes with morphine group which was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The mean peak effect of pain relief following 1st dose was 173 +/- 51.25 minutes with butorphanol and 251 +/- 52.32 minutes with morphine group. The duration of pain relief after 1st dose was statistically significant and was 339.13 +/- 79.57 minutes in group B and 709.75 +/- 72.12 minutes in group M which was gradually increased on repeated dosing in group B while it was almost same in Group M. Number of doses required in 24 hours was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in butorphanol group than morphine group. Somnolence was the main side effect in group B while pruritus was the main side effect with group M. Epidural butorphanol appears to provide safer and faster postoperative analgesia without much untoward effects but its analgesic action is short so more repeated doses are required than morphine via

Audiovisual distraction for pain relief in paediatric inpatients: A crossover study.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, N C A C; Santos, J L F; Linhares, M B M

2017-01-01

Pain is a stressful experience that can have a negative impact on child development. The aim of this crossover study was to examine the efficacy of audiovisual distraction for acute pain relief in paediatric inpatients. The sample comprised 40 inpatients (6-11 years) who underwent painful puncture procedures. The participants were randomized into two groups, and all children received the intervention and served as their own controls. Stress and pain-catastrophizing assessments were initially performed using the Child Stress Scale and Pain Catastrophizing Scale for Children, with the aim of controlling these variables. The pain assessment was performed using a Visual Analog Scale and the Faces Pain Scale-Revised after the painful procedures. Group 1 received audiovisual distraction before and during the puncture procedure, which was performed again without intervention on another day. The procedure was reversed in Group 2. Audiovisual distraction used animated short films. A 2 × 2 × 2 analysis of variance for 2 × 2 crossover study was performed, with a 5% level of statistical significance. The two groups had similar baseline measures of stress and pain catastrophizing. A significant difference was found between periods with and without distraction in both groups, in which scores on both pain scales were lower during distraction compared with no intervention. The sequence of exposure to the distraction intervention in both groups and first versus second painful procedure during which the distraction was performed also significantly influenced the efficacy of the distraction intervention. Audiovisual distraction effectively reduced the intensity of pain perception in paediatric inpatients. The crossover study design provides a better understanding of the power effects of distraction for acute pain management. Audiovisual distraction was a powerful and effective non-pharmacological intervention for pain relief in paediatric inpatients. The effects were

Prolonged knee pain relief by saphenous block (new technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajeev Harshe

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Pain in the knee joint can be from a variety of reasons. It can be either from the joint itself, it can be myofascial or it can be neuropathy, radicular pain. The myofascial component can be in different forms, namely, collateral ligament pain, bursitis, tendinitis, and so on. This responds well to local injections of steroids. Pain from the joint can be because of osteoarthritis (OA, rheumatoid arthritis or any other variety of arthritis. Among these osteoarthritis is the most common and naturally occurring pain. There are several modalities used for managing pain in the knee joint. They include medicines and physiotherapy, intra-articular steroid injection, intra-articular Hyalgan, Synvisc injection, prolotherapy, genicular nerve block, ablation, intra-articular pulsed radio frequency (PRF ablation, acupuncture, injection of platelet-rich plasma in the joint, total knee replacement, high tibial osteotomy, arthroscopy and lavage, and so on. All these modalities have their pros and cons. Literature and experience state that the pain relief provided may last for a few months with these modalities except in surgical interventions in advanced OA. The saphenous nerve is termination of femoral nerve and it is essentially sensory nerve. It supplies the medial compartment and some part of the anterior compartment of the knee joint. This nerve has been blocked near the knee joint by way of infiltration by surgeons and anesthetists, for relief of pain after knee surgery, with varying pain relief of postoperative pain. When we block the saphenous in the mid thigh in the sartorial canal, the fluid tends to block the medial branch of the anterior femoral cutaneous nerve also. It is hypothesized that this may give complete medial and anterior knee pain relief and as most of the knee OA patients have medial and anterior knee pain, this may prove useful. Use of ultrasonography helps to locate the nerve better, ensuring perfection. An effort has been made to

Barriers to spousal contribution to childbirth pain relief in Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Emelonye, A U; Pitkäaho, T; Aregbesola, A; Vehviläinen-Julkunen, K

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the barriers inhibiting the use of spousal presence for childbirth pain relief in health facilities and recommendations from three perspectives: the midwife, the woman, and the spouse. Spousal presence is a non-invasive, participatory and inexpensive technique used in pain management during childbirth. Although it contributes to a large extent in relieving childbirth pain, it is underutilized in Nigerian hospitals. Overcoming the challenges impeding spousal presence and participation during childbirth will improve maternal outcome, satisfaction and midwifery care practices. A cross-sectional survey conducted in four hospitals in Nigeria involving midwives (n = 100), women (n = 142) and their spouses (n = 142) from June to December 2014 using pretested questionnaires. Five themes were identified: poor infrastructural facility, lack of adequate pain management policy, lack of midwife pain management practices, midwives' attitudes towards spousal presence during childbirth and feelings about spousal presence during childbirth pain relief. Infrastructural defects in the health facilities resulting in the lack of privacy in maternity units for both spouses and partners negatively influence the presence of a spouse during childbirth and pain relief. Adopting effective strategies such as good infrastructural facilities, staff training and spouse-friendly hospital policies will encourage spouses to fully participate in and contribute to childbirth pain relief. This study identified poor staff attitudes towards pain relief and spousal presence during childbirth as barriers. Providing adequate policies on pain management, continuous staff education and orientation on spousal relationship will improve active spousal participation and maternal satisfaction during childbirth. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

Relationship between onset of pain relief and patient satisfaction with fentanyl pectin nasal spray for breakthrough pain in cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, Luis M; Revnic, Julia; Knight, Alastair D; Perelman, Michael

2014-10-01

Satisfaction with pain relief in patients with breakthrough pain in cancer (BTPc) has typically been assessed by overall efficacy without consideration of the rapidity of that response. To determine the relationship between speed of onset of pain relief and patient satisfaction for treated BTPc episodes overall and for individual treatments. Pooled data from two randomized, double-blinded crossover studies. Patients having 1-4 BTPc episodes per day on ≥60 mg/day oral morphine or equivalent. Episodes treated with fentanyl pectin nasal spray (FPNS; 100-800 μg), immediate-release morphine sulfate (IRMS), or placebo. Pain intensity was measured on an 11-point scale (5-60 minutes posttreatment); satisfaction was measured on a 4-point scale (30 and 60 minutes). The primary analysis assessed the overall relationship of time to onset of pain relief (pain intensity difference [PID]≥1) or time to clinically meaningfully reduction in pain (PID≥2) versus patient satisfaction and overall pain intensity (summed pain intensity difference at 30 [SPID30] and 60 minutes [SPID60]) assessed by analysis of variance (ANOVA). A secondary analysis assessed whether satisfaction was different between treatments using a within-patient comparison. Eight hundred thirty-one FPNS-treated, 368 IRMS-treated, and 200 placebo-treated episodes were analyzed. Overall, within the pool there was a statistically significant relationship between time to onset of pain relief (PID≥1 and PID≥2) and patient satisfaction (both speed of relief and overall) at 30 and 60 minutes (ppain intensity reduction. When treatment groups were compared using within-patient data, FPNS provided earlier onset of pain relief than IRMS or placebo (ppain relief resulted in greater patient satisfaction and overall relief of pain; between-treatment comparisons showed that FPNS provided earlier pain relief and greater satisfaction than IRMS or placebo.

Mindfulness meditation-related pain relief: Evidence for unique brain mechanisms in the regulation of pain

Science.gov (United States)

Zeidan, F.; Grant, J.A.; Brown, C.A.; McHaffie, J.G.; Coghill, R.C.

2013-01-01

The cognitive modulation of pain is influenced by a number of factors ranging from attention, beliefs, conditioning, expectations, mood, and the regulation of emotional responses to noxious sensory events. Recently, mindfulness meditation has been found attenuate pain through some of these mechanisms including enhanced cognitive and emotional control, as well as altering the contextual evaluation of sensory events. This review discusses the brain mechanisms involved in mindfulness meditation-related pain relief across different meditative techniques, expertise and training levels, experimental procedures, and neuroimaging methodologies. Converging lines of neuroimaging evidence reveal that mindfulness meditation-related pain relief is associated with unique appraisal cognitive processes depending on expertise level and meditation tradition. Moreover, it is postulated that mindfulness meditation-related pain relief may share a common final pathway with other cognitive techniques in the modulation of pain. PMID:22487846

Randomised controlled trial evaluating the short-term analgesic effect of topical diclofenac on chronic Achilles tendon pain: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bussin, Erin Rebecca; Cairns, Brian; Bovard, Jim; Scott, Alexander

2017-05-04

To determine if a topically applied non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (diclofenac) can provide short-term pain relief for chronic Achilles tendinopathy (CAT), in order to inform the development of a new rehabilitation protocol. Pilot double-blind, cross-over randomised controlled trial providing participants with tertiary care. The study was conducted at a single research centre in Vancouver, BC. Sixteen adults with unilateral CAT and three adults with bilateral CAT participated. Participants received two successive treatments (10% diclofenac gel or placebo gel) in random order over a 3-day period. There was a 1-week washout period between the treatments. Allocation was by simple randomisation, and the participants as well as the assessing/treating researcher were blinded to treatment allocation. The primary outcome measure was pain level (0-10) during tendon loading (hopping). Secondary outcome measures included pain at rest, pressure pain threshold of the Achilles tendon and symptom improvement. Nineteen adults participated in the study, and all were included in the analysis. Diclofenac gel significantly reduced the average pain during tendon loading (pdiclofenac. Pain at rest was decreased and pressure pain threshold increased with diclofenac treatment, but not with placebo gel. There were no observed or reported side effects of either treatment. In this small, short-term study, diclofenac was able to improve symptoms and reduce pain during tendon loading in participants with CAT, whereas placebo gel was not. A future study of diclofenac as a supplement to rehabilitation, with longer follow-up and powered to detect a difference between diclofenac and placebo, is indicated. ISRCTN60151284, http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN60151284 ETHICS: UBC Clinical Research Ethics Board approval was obtained for this research. The certificate number of the ethics certificate of approval to conduct research is H15-00999. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise

Epidural morphine for postoperative pain relief in children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henneberg, S W; Hole, P; Haas, Inge Madsen De

1993-01-01

Epidural morphine for postoperative pain relief is in general use, and has proved to be very efficient in adults. The epidural technique and the use of epidural morphine are much less frequent in children. For 2 years we have prospectively followed 76 children who had epidural morphine...... for postoperative pain relief after major abdominal surgery. The age distribution was from newborn to 13 years, with a median age of 12 months. It was estimated that 94% of the patients had good analgesia for the first 24 postoperative hours and no other opioids were given. The side effects were few, but one case...... the investigation. We observed a change in the sleeping pattern with an increased number of sleep-induced myoclonia during the administration of epidural morphine. In conclusion, the use of epidural morphine in children for postoperative pain relief is very efficient. The minimal effective dose has not been...

The short-term effects of TENS plus therapeutic ultrasound combinations in chronic neck pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayilir, Selcuk

2018-05-01

To investigate the effects of TENS plus therapeutic ultrasound combinations on symptom relief, physical functionality, perceived stress levels, daytime sleepiness and neck mobility in patients with chronic neck pain (CNP). A total of 64 patients were divided into two groups as the TENS plus ultrasound group (n = 39) and the control CNP group (n = 25). The therapy comprised TENS and therapeutic ultrasound applications for 10 sessions. The control subjects were discouraged from using analgesics but were allowed to use paracetamol daily, if necessary. The Neck Disability Index (NDI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), visual analog scale (VAS) and tragus-wall/chin-manubrium distances were recorded at the baseline and after therapy. Significant improvements were detected in the TENS plus ultrasound group compared to the control CNP subjects in respect of VAS, PSS and NDI scores after the TENS plus therapeutic ultrasound therapies (all p stress levels and improving functionality in the short-term of CNP. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exercise Based- Pain Relief Program

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zadeh, Mahdi Hossein

in the current study was to use exercise induced- muscle damage followed by ECC as an acute pain model and observe its effects on the sensitivity of the nociceptive system and blood supply in healthy subjects. Then, the effect of a repeated bout of the same exercise as a healthy pain relief strategy......Exercise-based pain management programs are suggested for relieving from musculoskeletal pain; however the pain experienced after unaccustomed, especially eccentric exercise (ECC) alters people´s ability to participate in therapeutic exercises. Subsequent muscle pain after ECC has been shown...... to cause localized pressure pain and hyperalgesia. A prior bout of ECC has been repeatedly reported to produce a protective adaptation known as repeated bout effect (RBE). One of the main scopes of the current project was to investigate the adaptations by which the RBE can be resulted from. The approach...

21 CFR 882.5870 - Implanted peripheral nerve stimulator for pain relief.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

....5870 Implanted peripheral nerve stimulator for pain relief. (a) Identification. An implanted peripheral nerve stimulator for pain relief is a device that is used to stimulate electrically a peripheral nerve... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Implanted peripheral nerve stimulator for pain...

Japanese women's experiences of pharmacological pain relief in New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Doering, Keiko; Patterson, Jean; Griffiths, Christine R

2014-06-01

In Japan, most women manage labour pain without pharmacological interventions. However, New Zealand statistics show a high percentage of epidural use amongst Asian women. Entonox (a gas mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen) and pethidine are also available to women in New Zealand. This article investigates how Japanese women in New Zealand respond to the use of pharmacological pain relief in labour. The study was guided by two research questions: (1) How do Japanese women experience and manage labour pain in New Zealand? (2) How do they feel about the use of pharmacological pain relief? Thirteen Japanese women who had given birth in New Zealand were interviewed individually or in a focus group. The conversations were analysed using thematic analysis. Although in Japan very few women use pain relief, nine women received epidural and/or Entonox out of 11 women who experienced labour pain. The contrast between their Japanese cultural expectations and their birth experiences caused some of the women subsequent personal conflict. Japanese women's cultural perspectives and passive attitudes were demonstrated to influence the decision-making process concerning pain relief. It was concluded that understanding Japanese cultural worldviews and approaches to the role of pain in labour would help maternity providers in their provision of appropriate care for Japanese women. Copyright © 2013 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acupuncture as pain relief during delivery: a randomized controlled trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borup, Lissa; Wurlitzer, Winnie; Hedegaard, Morten

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Many women need some kind of analgesic treatment to relieve pain during childbirth. The objective of our study was to compare the effect of acupuncture with transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) and traditional analgesics for pain relief and relaxation during delivery...... with respect to pain intensity, birth experience, and obstetric outcome. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 607 healthy women in labor at term who received acupuncture, TENS, or traditional analgesics. Primary outcomes were the need for pharmacological and invasive methods, level of pain...... with the intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS: Use of pharmacological and invasive methods was significantly lower in the acupuncture group (acupuncture vs traditional, p acupuncture vs TENS, p = 0.031). Pain scores were comparable. Acupuncture did not influence the duration of labor or the use of oxytocin...

Photobiomodulation: Implications for Anesthesia and Pain Relief.

Science.gov (United States)

Chow, Roberta T; Armati, Patricia J

2016-12-01

This review examines the evidence of neural inhibition as a mechanism underlying pain relief and anesthetic effect of photobiomodulation (PBM). PBM for pain relief has also been used for more than 30 years; however, the mechanism of its effectiveness has not been well understood. We review electrophysiological studies in humans and animal models and cell culture studies to examine neural responses to PBM. Evidence shows that PBM can inhibit nerve function in vivo, in situ, ex vivo, and in culture. Animal studies using noxious stimuli indicate nociceptor-specific inhibition with other studies providing direct evidence of local conduction block, leading to inhibited translation of pain centrally. Evidence of PBM-disrupted neuronal physiology affecting axonal flow, cytoskeleton organization, and decreased ATP is also presented. PBM changes are reversible with no side effects or nerve damage. This review provides strong evidence in neuroscience identifying inhibition of neural function as a mechanism for the clinical application of PBM in pain and anesthesia.

The Team Approach to Pain Relief

Science.gov (United States)

... Navigation Bar Home Current Issue Past Issues The Team Approach to Pain Relief Past Issues / Fall 2007 ... Roberts is seen here with some of the team members, (left to right) Dr. Berger, Jacques Bolle, ...

Requests for cesarean deliveries: The politics of labor pain and pain relief in Shanghai, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Eileen

2017-01-01

Cesarean section rates have risen dramatically in China within the past 25 years, particularly driven by non-medical factors and maternal requests. One major reason women request cesareans is the fear of labor pain, in a country where a minority of women are given any form of pain relief during labor. Drawing upon ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews with 26 postpartum women and 8 providers at a Shanghai district hospital in June and July of 2015, this article elucidates how perceptions of labor pain and the environment of pain relief constructs the cesarean on maternal request. In particular, many women feared labor pain and, in a context without effective pharmacological pain relief or social support during labor, they came to view cesarean sections as a way to negotiate their labor pain. In some cases, women would request cesarean sections during labor as an expression of their pain and a call for a response to their suffering. However, physicians, under recent state policy, deny such requests, particularly as they do not view pain as a reasonable indication for a cesarean birth. This disconnect leads to a mismatch in goals for the experience of birth. To reduce unnecessary C-sections, policy makers should instead address the lack of pain relief during childbirth and develop other means of improving the childbirth experience that may relieve maternal anxiety, such as allowing family members to support the laboring woman and integrating a midwifery model for low-risk births within China's maternal-services system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combined approaches for the relief of spinal cord injury-induced neuropathic pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Gwak, Young S; Kim, Hee Young; Lee, Bong Hyo; Yang, Chae Ha

2016-04-01

The adequate treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI)-induced neuropathic pain still remains an unresolved problem. The current medications predominantly used in the SCI-induced neuropathic pain therapy are morphine, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and antiepileptics, which suggests that psychiatric aspects might be important factors in the treatment of neuropathic pain. It is well documented that the modulation of the sensory events is not a unique way for achieving pain relief. In addition, pain patients still express dissatisfaction and complain of unwanted effects of the medications, suggesting that alternative approaches for the treatment of neuropathic pain are essential. In psychiatry, pain relief represents relaxation and a feeling of comfort and satisfaction, which suggests that cognitive and emotional motivations are important factors in the treatment of neuropathic pain. The comorbidity of chronic pain and psychiatric disorders, which is well recognized, suggests that the effective therapeutic relief for neuropathic pain induced by SCI can be achieved in conjunction with the management of the sensory and psychiatric aspects of patient. In this review, we address the feasibility of a combined acupuncture and pharmacotherapy treatment for the relief of neuropathic pain behavior following SCI. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

knowledge, attitude and use of pain relief in labour among women

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2014-07-01

Jul 1, 2014 ... Objective: To find out the knowledge, attitude and practice of pain relief methods during labour among ... all of which could adversely affect uterine blood flow. Pain relief in ... knowledge was low among women who did not use any form of ... Niven et al found that memories of labour pains can evoke intense ...

Oscillatory neural representations in the sensory thalamus predict neuropathic pain relief by deep brain stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yongzhi; Green, Alexander L; Hyam, Jonathan; Fitzgerald, James; Aziz, Tipu Z; Wang, Shouyan

2018-01-01

Understanding the function of sensory thalamic neural activity is essential for developing and improving interventions for neuropathic pain. However, there is a lack of investigation of the relationship between sensory thalamic oscillations and pain relief in patients with neuropathic pain. This study aims to identify the oscillatory neural characteristics correlated with pain relief induced by deep brain stimulation (DBS), and develop a quantitative model to predict pain relief by integrating characteristic measures of the neural oscillations. Measures of sensory thalamic local field potentials (LFPs) in thirteen patients with neuropathic pain were screened in three dimensional feature space according to the rhythm, balancing, and coupling neural behaviours, and correlated with pain relief. An integrated approach based on principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple regression analysis is proposed to integrate the multiple measures and provide a predictive model. This study reveals distinct thalamic rhythms of theta, alpha, high beta and high gamma oscillations correlating with pain relief. The balancing and coupling measures between these neural oscillations were also significantly correlated with pain relief. The study enriches the series research on the function of thalamic neural oscillations in neuropathic pain and relief, and provides a quantitative approach for predicting pain relief by DBS using thalamic neural oscillations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modeling the onset and offset of dental pain relief by ibuprofen.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hanbin; Mandema, Jaap; Wada, Russell; Jayawardena, Shyamalie; Desjardins, Paul; Doyle, Geraldine; Kellstein, David

2012-01-01

Onset and offset of dental pain relief by ibuprofen following third molar extraction were modeled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, 8-hour study of patients receiving either a novel effervescent ibuprofen tablet (400 mg; N = 30), standard ibuprofen tablets (Nurofen(®) 2 × 200 mg; N = 22), or placebo (N = 37). An Emax model was fit to pain relief scores. Linear hazard models were used to analyze the time to first perceptible relief (TFPR), the time to meaningful pain relief (TMPR), and time to remedication (REMD). Nomograms were created to correlate TFPR, TMPR, and REMD with different ibuprofen pharmacokinetic profiles. Effervescent ibuprofen was absorbed rapidly with 95% completion within 15 minutes. Maximum pain relief score by ibuprofen was 1.8 units greater than placebo, with an EC50 (effect-site) for ibuprofen concentration of 10.2 µg·mL(-1). The likelihood to achieve TFPR and TMPR was doubled for every 10 µg·mL(-1) increase in ibuprofen plasma concentration. REMD risk decreased 40-fold as the categorical pain relief score increased from 0 to 3. Rapid absorption of ibuprofen effervescent resulted in an earlier TFPR and TMPR, and a lower REMD rate than standard ibuprofen. The nomograms may be useful in predicting the onset and offset of new faster acting ibuprofen formulations, based on pharmacokinetic profiles.

Evaluating acute pain intensity relief: challenges when using an 11-point numerical rating scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Chauny, Jean-Marc; Paquet, Jean; Lavigne, Gilles; Marquis, Martin; Daoust, Raoul

2016-02-01

Percentage of pain intensity difference (PercentPID) is a recognized way of evaluating pain relief with an 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS) but is not without flaws. A new metric, the slope of relative pain intensity difference (SlopePID), which consists in dividing PercentPID by the time between 2 pain measurements, is proposed. This study aims to validate SlopePID with 3 measures of subjective pain relief: a 5-category relief scale (not, a little, moderate, very, complete), a 2-category relief question ("I'm relieved," "I'm not relieved"), and a single-item question, "Wanting other medication to treat pain?" (Yes/No). This prospective cohort study included 361 patients in the emergency department who had an initial acute pain NRS > 3 and a pain intensity assessment within 90 minutes after analgesic administration. Mean age was 50.2 years (SD = 19.3) and 59% were women. Area under the curves of receiver operating characteristic curves analyses revealed similar discriminative power for PercentPID (0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-0.88) and SlopePID (0.82; 95% CI, 0.77-0.86). Considering the "very" category from the 5-category relief scale as a substantial relief, the average cutoff for substantial relief was a decrease of 64% (95% CI, 59-69) for PercentPID and of 49% per hour (95% CI, 44-54) for SlopePID. However, when a cutoff criterion of 50% was used as a measure of pain relief for an individual patient, PercentPID underestimated pain-relieved patients by 12.1% (P pain intensity at baseline was an odd number compared with an even number (32.9% vs 45.0%, respectively). SlopePID should be used instead of PercentPID as a metric to evaluate acute pain relief on a 0 to 10 NRS.

Spinal Cord Stimulation Provides Pain Relief with Improved Psychosocial Function: Results from EMP3OWER.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenberg, Jason; Fabi, Alain; Candido, Kenneth; Knezevic, Nick; Creamer, Michael; Carayannopoulos, Alexios; Ghodsi, Abdi; Nelson, Christopher; Bennett, Matthew

2016-12-01

The EMP 3 OWER™ study evaluated spinal cord stimulation (SCS) safety and efficacy and the associated changes in psychosocial and functional outcomes. Upon informed consent and IRB approval, 620 eligible subjects were enrolled prior to SCS trial evaluation and were assessed at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months post-implant. Patient-reported pain relief (PRP), numerical rating scale (NRS), satisfaction, quality of life (QOL), and pain disability index (PDI) were assessed at all follow-up visits while the pain catastrophizing scale (PCS), short form-36 (SF-36), short form-McGill pain questionnaire version 2 (SF-MPQ-2), and the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) were assessed at the 6- and 12-month follow-up visits. Device and/or procedure-related adverse events were also recorded and reported. Subjects reporting a PRP ≥ 50% were considered responders. Repeated measures analysis of variance (RMANOVA) examined the changes across time for all continuous measures. A total of 401 (71%) subjects received a permanent implant. Mean (±SD) patient-reported pain relief was 59.3% (±26.2), 59.2% (±28.9), and 58.2% (±32.0) at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. A majority of enrolled subjects were responders at 3 (75.5%), 6 (74.7%), and 12 months (69.7%). RMANOVA revealed a statistically significant change for NRS, PCS, PDI, SF-36, SF-MPQ-2, and STAI scores. At 3 months, the majority of subjects (85.7%) were either very satisfied or satisfied with their device, with similar results at 6 and 12 months. At 3 months, the majority of subjects (73.3%) reported greatly improved or improved QOL with similar results at 6 and 12 months. Spinal cord stimulation provided pain relief and significant improvement of patient psychological and functional outcome measures. © 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Paracetamol for pain relief after surgical removal of lower wisdom teeth

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weil, K.; Hooper, L.; Afzal, Z.; Esposito, M.; Worthington, H.V.; van Wijk, A.J.; Coulthard, P.

2008-01-01

Background: Paracetamol has been commonly used for the relief of postoperative pain following oral surgery. In this review we investigated the optimal dose of paracetamol and the optimal time for drug administration to provide pain relief, taking into account the side effects of different doses of

Comparison of short-term effects of mobilization with movement and Kinesiotaping on pain, function and balance in patellofemoral pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Demirci, Serdar; Kinikli, Gizem Irem; Callaghan, Michael J; Tunay, Volga Bayrakci

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to compare the short-term effects of Mobilization with movement (MWM) and Kinesiotaping (KT) on patients with patellofemoral pain (PFP) respect to pain, function and balance. Thirty-five female patients diagnosed with unilateral PFP were assigned into 2 groups. The first group (n = 18) received two techniques of MWM intervention (Straight Leg-Raise with Traction and Tibial Gliding) while KT was applied to the other group (n = 17). Both groups received 4 sessions of treatment twice a week for a period of 2 weeks with a 6-week-home exercise program. Pain severity, knee range of motion, hamstring flexibility, and physical performance (10-step stair climbing test, timed up and go test), Kujala Patellofemoral Pain Scoring and Y-Balance test were assessed. These outcomes were evaluated before the treatment, 45 min after the initial treatment, at the end of the 4-session-treatment during 2-week period and 6 weeks later in both groups. Both treatment groups had statistically significant improvements on pain, function and balance (p < 0.05). Pain at rest (p = 0.008) and the hamstring muscle flexibility (p = 0.027) were demonstrated significant improvements in favor of MWM group. Our results demonstrated similar results for both treatment techniques in terms of pain, function and balance. The MWM technique with exercise had a short-term favorable effect on pain at rest and hamstring muscle flexibility than the KT technique with exercise in patients with PFP. Level I, therapeutic study. Copyright © 2017 Turkish Association of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Patient expectations predict greater pain relief with joint arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Gandhi, Rajiv; Davey, John Roderick; Mahomed, Nizar

2009-08-01

We examined the relationship between patient expectations of total joint arthroplasty and functional outcomes. We surveyed 1799 patients undergoing primary hip or knee arthroplasty for demographic data and Western Ontario McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index scores at baseline, 3 months, and 1 year of follow-up. Patient expectations were determined with 3 survey questions. The patients with the greatest expectations of surgery were younger, male, and had a lower body mass index. Linear regression modeling showed that a greater expectation of pain relief with surgery independently predicted greater reported pain relief at 1 year of follow-up, adjusted for all relevant covariates (P relief after joint arthroplasty is an important predictor of outcomes at 1 year.

Behavioural treatment for chronic low-back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Henschke, Nicholas; Ostelo, Raymond Wjg; van Tulder, Maurits W; Vlaeyen, Johan Ws; Morley, Stephen; Assendelft, Willem Jj; Main, Chris J

2010-07-07

Behavioural treatment is commonly used in the management of chronic low-back pain (CLBP) to reduce disability through modification of maladaptive pain behaviours and cognitive processes. Three behavioural approaches are generally distinguished: operant, cognitive, and respondent; but are often combined as a treatment package. To determine the effects of behavioural therapy for CLBP and the most effective behavioural approach. The Cochrane Back Review Group Trials Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO were searched up to February 2009. Reference lists and citations of identified trials and relevant systematic reviews were screened. Randomised trials on behavioural treatments for non-specific CLBP were included. Two review authors independently assessed the risk of bias in each study and extracted the data. If sufficient homogeneity existed among studies in the pre-defined comparisons, a meta-analysis was performed. We determined the quality of the evidence for each comparison with the GRADE approach. We included 30 randomised trials (3438 participants) in this review, up 11 from the previous version. Fourteen trials (47%) had low risk of bias. For most comparisons, there was only low or very low quality evidence to support the results. There was moderate quality evidence that:i) operant therapy was more effective than waiting list (SMD -0.43; 95%CI -0.75 to -0.11) for short-term pain relief;ii) little or no difference exists between operant, cognitive, or combined behavioural therapy for short- to intermediate-term pain relief;iii) behavioural treatment was more effective than usual care for short-term pain relief (MD -5.18; 95%CI -9.79 to -0.57), but there were no differences in the intermediate- to long-term, or on functional status;iv) there was little or no difference between behavioural treatment and group exercise for pain relief or depressive symptoms over the intermediate- to long-term;v) adding behavioural therapy to inpatient rehabilitation was

Parents' knowledge, attitudes, use of pain relief methods and satisfaction related to their children's postoperative pain management: a descriptive correlational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chng, Hui Yi; He, Hong-Gu; Chan, Sally Wai-Chi; Liam, Joanne Li Wee; Zhu, Lixia; Cheng, Karis Kin Fong

2015-06-01

To examine parents' knowledge about and attitudes towards pain management, use of pain relief strategies and satisfaction with their children's postoperative pain management, as well as the relationships among these variables. Children's postoperative pain is inadequately managed worldwide. Despite increasing emphasis on parental involvement in children's postoperative pain management, few studies have examined parents' management of their child's postoperative pain in Singapore. A descriptive correlational study. A convenience sample of 60 parents having 6- to 14-year-old children undergoing inpatient elective surgery in a public hospital in Singapore was recruited. Data were collected one day after each child's surgery using the Pain Management Knowledge and Attitudes questionnaire and the Parents' Use of Pain Relief Strategies questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used for data analyses. Parents displayed moderate levels of knowledge, attitudes and use of pain relief methods in relation to their children's postoperative pain and pain management. They were generally satisfied with the management of their child's postoperative pain. There was significant difference in Parents' Use of Pain Relief Strategies scores between parents with and without previous experience of caring for their hospitalised child. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between parents' knowledge and attitude, knowledge and satisfaction, attitude and satisfaction, knowledge and pain relief strategies, as well as attitude and pain relief strategies. This study indicates the need to provide parents with more information regarding their children's postoperative pain management. Future studies are needed to develop educational interventions for parents to improve their knowledge and attitudes, which will eventually improve their use of pain relief strategies for their children. Health

Pain relief and clinical outcome: from opioids to balanced analgesia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kehlet, H

1996-01-01

If it is generally accepted that adequate postoperative pain relief will improve outcome from surgery, several controlled trials demonstrated this only for lower body surgical procedures with epidural and spinal anesthetics. Important effects on outcome were not shown when postoperative opioids...... were administered with patient controlled (PCA) or epidural techniques. However, the most optimal pain relief seems to be best achieved with balanced analgesia techniques using combinations of epidural opioids and local anesthetics and systemic non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs. Future efforts...... should aim at including physical rehabilitation programs in the pain treatment regimen....

Opponent appetitive-aversive neural processes underlie predictive learning of pain relief.

Science.gov (United States)

Seymour, Ben; O'Doherty, John P; Koltzenburg, Martin; Wiech, Katja; Frackowiak, Richard; Friston, Karl; Dolan, Raymond

2005-09-01

Termination of a painful or unpleasant event can be rewarding. However, whether the brain treats relief in a similar way as it treats natural reward is unclear, and the neural processes that underlie its representation as a motivational goal remain poorly understood. We used fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to investigate how humans learn to generate expectations of pain relief. Using a pavlovian conditioning procedure, we show that subjects experiencing prolonged experimentally induced pain can be conditioned to predict pain relief. This proceeds in a manner consistent with contemporary reward-learning theory (average reward/loss reinforcement learning), reflected by neural activity in the amygdala and midbrain. Furthermore, these reward-like learning signals are mirrored by opposite aversion-like signals in lateral orbitofrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex. This dual coding has parallels to 'opponent process' theories in psychology and promotes a formal account of prediction and expectation during pain.

The Application of Electroanalgesia Current for the Relief of Orofacial Pain.

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1981-09-01

A-A124 939 THE APPLICATION OF ELECTRORNALGESIA CURRENT FOR THE i/1 RELIEF OF OROFACIAL PAIN (U) OREGON UNIV HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER PORTLAND BIOPHYSICS...COVERED THE APPLICATION OF ELECTROANALGESIA CURRENT FOR Fnl-Fbur 90 and evelpmen Conand September 198 THE RELIEF OF OROFACIAL PAIN Spebr18 27. PERFORMING...of a suitable animal preparation. An excellent site to initiate orofacial pain is found in the tissue vhich also has o - timal relevance, the tooth

Short-term effects of manipulative treatment versus a therapeutic home exercise protocol for chronic cervical pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Galindez-Ibarbengoetxea, Xabier; Setuain, Igor; Ramírez-Velez, Robinson

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: While both manipulative treatment and physical exercises are used to treat cervical pain, it remains unclear which is most effective. OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term effects of high-velocity, low-amplitude manipulation techniques (MT) with those of home-exercise (HE) with stretch......BACKGROUND: While both manipulative treatment and physical exercises are used to treat cervical pain, it remains unclear which is most effective. OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term effects of high-velocity, low-amplitude manipulation techniques (MT) with those of home-exercise (HE...... scale (VAS); neck disability index (NDI); pressure pain thresholds; cervical spine range of motion and electromyography during the cranio-cervical flexion test was measured before and one week after the intervention. RESULTS: After the intervention, both groups showed improved (P

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)

Somatosensory sensitivity in patients with persistent idiopathic orofacial pain is associated with pain relief from hypnosis and relaxation.

Science.gov (United States)

Baad-Hansen, Lene; Abrahamsen, Randi; Zachariae, Robert; List, Thomas; Svensson, Peter

2013-06-01

In a recent study hypnosis has been found to relieve persistent idiopathic orofacial pain. Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is widely used to evaluate somatosensory sensitivity, which has been suggested as a possible predictor of management outcome. The objectives of this study were to examine: (1) possible associations between clinical pain relief and baseline somatosensory sensitivity and (2) the effect of hypnosis management on QST parameters. Forty-one patients with persistent idiopathic orofacial pain completed this randomized controlled study in 1 of 2 groups: hypnosis (hypnotic analgesia suggestions) or control (relaxation). QST at 2 intraoral (pain region and contralateral mirror image region) and 3 extraoral (hand and both cheeks) sites was performed at baseline and after the hypnosis/control management, together with pressure pain thresholds and pressure pain tolerance thresholds determined bilaterally at the masseter and temporalis muscles, the temporomandibular joints, and the third finger. Degree of pain relief was negatively correlated with a summary statistic of baseline somatosensory sensitivity (summed z-score), that is, high baseline somatosensory sensitivity was associated with low pain relief (r=-0.372, P=0.020). Hypnosis had no major effect on any QST measure compared with relaxation (P>0.063). High pain sensitivity at baseline may predict poor pain management outcome. In addition, despite clear clinical pain relief, hypnosis did not significantly or specifically influence somatosensory sensitivity. Future studies should further explore QST measures as possible predictors of different management response in orofacial pain conditions.

Evaluation of reward from pain relief

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Navratilova, Edita; Xie, Jennifer Yanhua; King, Tamara; Porreca, Frank

2014-01-01

The human experience of pain is multidimensional and comprises sensory, affective, and cognitive dimensions. Preclinical assessment of pain has been largely focused on the sensory features that contribute to nociception. The affective (aversive) qualities of pain are clinically significant but have received relatively less mechanistic investigation in preclinical models. Recently, operant behaviors such as conditioned place preference, avoidance, escape from noxious stimulus, and analgesic drug self-administration have been used in rodents to evaluate affective aspects of pain. An important advance of such operant behaviors is that these approaches may allow the detection and mechanistic investigation of spontaneous neuropathic or ongoing inflammatory/nociceptive (i.e., nonevoked) pain that is otherwise difficult to assess in nonverbal animals. Operant measures may allow the identification of mechanisms that contribute differentially to reflexive hypersensitivity or to pain affect and may inform the decision to progress novel mechanisms to clinical trials for pain therapy. Additionally, operant behaviors may allow investigation of the poorly understood mechanisms and neural circuits underlying motivational aspects of pain and the reward of pain relief. PMID:23496247

Anti-Seizure Medications: Relief from Nerve Pain

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Anti-seizure medications: Relief from nerve pain Anti-seizure drugs often are used to help control the type of ... by damaged nerves. By Mayo Clinic Staff Anti-seizure medications were originally designed to treat people with ...

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for chronic low back pain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

W.T.M. Enthoven (Wendy); P.D.D.M. Roelofs (Pepijn); R.A. Deyo (Richard); M.W. van Tulder (Maurits); B.W. Koes (Bart)

2016-01-01

textabstractBackground: Chronic back pain is an important health problem. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used to treat people with low back pain, especially people with acute back pain. Short term NSAID use is also recommended for pain relief in people with chronic back

Feeling worse to feel better: pain-offset relief simultaneously stimulates positive affect and reduces negative affect.

Science.gov (United States)

Franklin, Joseph C; Lee, Kent M; Hanna, Eleanor K; Prinstein, Mitchell J

2013-04-01

Although pain itself induces negative affect, the removal (or offset) of pain induces a powerful state of relief. Despite being implicated in a wide range of psychological and behavioral phenomena, relief remains a poorly understood emotion. In particular, some theorists associate relief with increased positive affect, whereas others associate relief with diminished negative affect. In the present study, we examined the affective nature of relief in a pain-offset paradigm with psychophysiological measures that were specific to negative valence (startle eyeblink reactivity) and positive valence (startle postauricular reactivity). Results revealed that pain offset simultaneously stimulates positive affect and diminishes negative affect for at least several seconds. Results also indicated that pain intensity differentially affects the positive and negative valence aspects of relief. These findings clarify the affective nature of relief and provide insight into why people engage in both normal and abnormal behaviors associated with relief.

Food-Derived Natural Compounds for Pain Relief in Neuropathic Pain.

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Lim, Eun Yeong; Kim, Yun Tai

2016-01-01

Neuropathic pain, defined as pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system, is characterized by dysesthesia, hyperalgesia, and allodynia. The number of patients with this type of pain has increased rapidly in recent years. Yet, available neuropathic pain medicines have undesired side effects, such as tolerance and physical dependence, and do not fully alleviate the pain. The mechanisms of neuropathic pain are still not fully understood. Injury causes inflammation and immune responses and changed expression and activity of receptors and ion channels in peripheral nerve terminals. Additionally, neuroinflammation is a known factor in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. During neuropathic pain development, the C-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) acts as an important signaling mediator. Traditional plant treatments have been used throughout the world for treating diseases. We and others have identified food-derived compounds that alleviate neuropathic pain. Here, we review the natural compounds for neuropathic pain relief, their mechanisms of action, and the potential benefits of natural compounds with antagonistic effects on GPCRs, especially those containing CCR2, for neuropathic pain treatment.

Between pain and pleasure: Pregnant women's knowledge and preferences for pain relief in labor, a pilot study from Zaria, Northern Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogboli-Nwasor, Elizabeth O; Adaji, Sunday E

2014-11-01

Pain relief in labor remains a hot topic and these debates get louder by the day as more women become aware of their rights to better quality of care in labor. This study was conceived in a background where the practice of pain relief in labor is evolving and where women are seeking to fulfill their need for pain-free labor. To investigate the knowledge, utilization and preferences of methods of pain relief in labor by expectant mothers in order to design a labor analgesia program. A questionnaire-based descriptive study involving 124 antenatal clients in a teaching hospital over a 1 week period. Descriptive statistics were carried out using SPSS for windows version 17. The mean age of clients was 28.8 years (standard deviation = 5.17) with median parity of two and mean gestational age was 31.5 weeks. Majority of the respondents (47.9%) were of Hausa/Fulani ethnicity and 97.6% had primary school level education. Majority (87.3%) had heard about pain relief methods with the hospital being the source in 79% of cases. The most common method ever heard about was epidural analgesia (69.4%). Only 4% (n = 5) of respondents remembered ever using any form of pain relief agent in labor, of which three received parenteral opioids. In their current pregnancies, 45.2% consented to the use of pain relief in labor; of which, epidural analgesia was preferred by 92.9% (n = 52). Fear of adverse effects on self and infants were cited as reasons for non-consent by some respondents while others had no reason. The study reveals a high awareness of pain relief methods which is not matched by utilization and low knowledge about side-effects, although fear of side-effects is a factor for under-utilization. There is a need to educate adequately as well provide high quality pain relief services in labor in order to dispel with myths, misconceptions and fears associated with the use of methods of pain relief in labor.

Assay sensitivity of pain intensity versus pain relief in acute pain clinical trials: ACTTION systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Singla, Neil; Hunsinger, Matthew; Chang, Phoebe D; McDermott, Michael P; Chowdhry, Amit K; Desjardins, Paul J; Turk, Dennis C; Dworkin, Robert H

2015-08-01

The magnitude of the effect size of an analgesic intervention can be influenced by several factors, including research design. A key design component is the choice of the primary endpoint. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare the assay sensitivity of 2 efficacy paradigms: pain intensity (calculated using summed pain intensity difference [SPID]) and pain relief (calculated using total pain relief [TOTPAR]). A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify acute pain studies that calculated both SPIDs and TOTPARs within the same study. Studies were included in this review if they were randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled investigations involving medications for postsurgical acute pain and if enough data were provided to calculate TOTPAR and SPID standardized effect sizes. Based on a meta-analysis of 45 studies, the mean standardized effect size for TOTPAR (1.13) was .11 higher than that for SPID (1.02; P = .01). Mixed-effects meta-regression analyses found no significant associations between the TOTPAR - SPID difference in standardized effect size and trial design characteristics. Results from this review suggest that for acute pain studies, utilizing TOTPAR to assess pain relief may be more sensitive to treatment effects than utilizing SPID to assess pain intensity. The results of this meta-analysis suggest that TOTPAR may be more sensitive to treatment effects than SPIDs are in analgesic trials examining acute pain. We found that standardized effect sizes were higher for TOTPAR compared to SPIDs. Copyright © 2015 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intensive short-term vasodilation effect in the pain area of sciatica patients--case study.

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Skorupska, Elżbieta; Rychlik, Michał; Pawelec, Wiktoria; Bednarek, Agata; Samborski, Włodzimierz

2014-09-09

Varied and complicated etiology of low back pain radiating distally to the extremities is still causing disagreement and controversy around the issue of its diagnosis and treatment. Most clinicians believe that the source of that pain is generally radicular. While some of them postulate the clinical significance of the sacroiliac joint syndrome, others demonstrate that almost one in five people with back pain experience symptoms indicative of the neuropathic pain component. To date, neuropathic involvement has not been completely understood, and different mechanisms are thought to play an important role. It has been established that muscle pain (myofascial pain) e.g. active trigger points from the gluteus minimus, can mimic pain similar to sciatica, especially in the chronic stage. This paper describes patients presenting with radicular sciatica (case one and two) and sciatica-like symptoms (case three). For the first time, intensive short-term vasodilation in the pain area following needle infiltration of the gluteus minimus trigger point was recorded. Three Caucasian, European women suffering from radicular sciatica (case one and two) and sciatica-like symptoms (case three) at the age of 57, 49 and 47 respectively underwent infrared camera observation during needle infiltration of the gluteus minimus trigger point. The patients were diagnosed by a neurologist; they underwent magnetic resonance imaging, electromyography, neurography and blood test analysis. Apart from that, the patients were diagnosed by a clinician specializing in myofascial pain diagnosis. In the examined cases, trigger points-related short-term vasodilation was recorded. Confirmation of these findings in a controlled, blinded study would indicate the existence of a link between the pain of sciatica patients (radicular or sciatica-like pain) and the activity of the autonomic nervous system. Further studies on a bigger group of patients are still needed.

Indomethacin and ethamsylate alone and in combination for the relief of post episiotomy pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, R F; Devitt, M

1992-08-01

In a bid to minimise dosage and possible side-effects when relieving post episiotomy pain, the NSAID Indomethacin was studied in combination with a systemic haemostat Ethamsylate which has been shown to selectively inhibit some prostaglandins. Comparative groups also took Indomethacin alone and placebo in a double blind non-crossover comparison. Efficacy was judged in terms of side-effects and assessments of pain intensity, pain relief and global assessment of pain. There was some evidence of a beneficial interaction between Indomethacin and Ethamsylate when adjustments were made for the patient's age and initial pain score. Side-effects were most common in the combination therapy group.

Pain relief in childbirth: changing historical and feminist perspectives.

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Skowronski, G A

2015-07-01

Pain during human childbirth is ubiquitous and severe. Opium and its derivatives constitute the oldest effective method of pain relief and have been used in childbirth for several thousand years, along with numerous folk medicines and remedies. Interference with childbirth pain has always been criticised by doctors and clergy. The 19th century saw the introduction of three much more effective approaches to childbirth pain; diethyl ether, chloroform and nitrous oxide. Access to pain relief was demanded by the first wave of feminist activists as a woman's right. They popularised the use of 'twilight sleep', a combination of morphine and scopolamine, which fell into disrepute as its adverse effects became known. From the 1960s, as epidural analgesia became more popular, a second wave of feminists took the opposite position, calling for a return to non-medicalised, female-controlled, 'natural' childbirth and, in some cases, valorising the importance of the pain experience as empowering for women. However, from the 1990s, a third wave of feminist thought has begun to emerge, revalidating a woman's right to choose a 'technological', pain-free birth, rather than a 'natural' one, and regarding this as a legitimate feminist position.

Sympathetic Blocks Provided Sustained Pain Relief in a Patient with Refractory Painful Diabetic Neuropathy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianguo Cheng

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The sympathetic nervous system has been implicated in pain associated with painful diabetic neuropathy. However, therapeutic intervention targeted at the sympathetic nervous system has not been established. We thus tested the hypothesis that sympathetic nerve blocks significantly reduce pain in a patient with painful diabetic neuropathy who has failed multiple pharmacological treatments. The diagnosis of small fiber sensory neuropathy was based on clinical presentations and confirmed by skin biopsies. A series of 9 lumbar sympathetic blocks over a 26-month period provided sustained pain relief in his legs. Additional thoracic paravertebral blocks further provided control of the pain in the trunk which can occasionally be seen in severe diabetic neuropathy cases, consequent to extensive involvement of the intercostal nerves. These blocks provided sustained and significant pain relief and improvement of quality of life over a period of more than two years. We thus provided the first clinical evidence supporting the notion that sympathetic nervous system plays a critical role in painful diabetic neuropathy and sympathetic blocks can be an effective management modality of painful diabetic neuropathy. We concluded that the sympathetic nervous system is a valuable therapeutic target of pharmacological and interventional modalities of treatments in painful diabetic neuropathy patients.

Evaluation of radiation therapy for bone metastases: pain relief and quality of life

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilbert, H.A.; Kagan, A.R.; Nussbaum, H.; Rao, A.R.; Satzman, J.; Chan, P.; Allen, B.; Forsythe, A.

1977-01-01

The records of 158 patients irradiated for bone metastases were reviewed to evaluate the effectiveness of pain relief and to judge the effect of treatment on overall quality of life. Within 3 months 73% of the sites treated had pain relief, with 55 to 65% having sustained relief up to 1 year or death. Of patients surviving more than 3 months, 63% maintained a satisfactory quality of life and were able to take care of most personal needs. The median survival of all patients was 1 year from initial treatment for bone metastasis. Radiation dose and the primary tumor site do not seem to be significant prognostic factors for initial pain relief or quality of life

Women's preferences and received pain relief in childbirth - A prospective longitudinal study in a northern region of Sweden.

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Lindholm, Annika; Hildingsson, Ingegerd

2015-06-01

A range of alternatives in pain management during childbirth are available in the western countries. Women's preferences for and use of pain relief methods during labour is not fully investigated. The aim of this study was to describe what pain relief methods pregnant women preferred when asked in late pregnancy and to identify factors associated with preferred and received pain relief methods. A prospective longitudinal study in a northern region of Sweden (n = 936). Data were collected by three questionnaires. Odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval were calculated between preferred and received pain relief methods for several explanatory variables. The most preferred pain relief methods were also the most common received pain relief methods; nitrous oxide, bathing, breathing techniques, epidural analgesia and massage. The strongest factors for using different pain relief methods were primiparity and preferences. Women who used epidural analgesia, regardless of preference, were two to four times more likely to have a less positive birth experience. Women's preferences for a certain pain relief method were largely met. Greater differences were seen between background factors and preferences than the received pain relief methods. Preferences and primiparity were the most important factors for actually using pain relief. Epidural analgesia was associated with a less positive birth experience. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Careful: Acetaminophen in Pain Relief Medicines Can Cause Liver Damage

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... Pain Relievers and Fever Reducers Careful: Acetaminophen in pain relief medicines can cause liver damage Share Tweet Linkedin Pin it More sharing options Linkedin Pin ... ingredient in many over-the-counter and prescription medicines that help relieve pain and reduce fever. More than 600 over-the- ...

Pain relief and functional improvement in patients with neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury: an exploratory analysis of pregabalin clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadosky, Alesia; Parsons, Bruce; Emir, Birol; Nieshoff, Edward C

2016-01-01

Characterizing relationships between pain relief and function can inform patient management decisions. This analysis explored graphically the relationship between pain relief and functional improvement in patients with neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury in two clinical trials of pregabalin. This was a post hoc analysis of two randomized, double-blind, clinical trials in patients who were treated with pregabalin (n=181) or placebo (n=172) for neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury. The bivariate relationship between percent pain relief and absolute change in the functional outcomes with placebo and pregabalin was evaluated graphically using scatter plots, and loess curves illustrated the extent of the relationship between pain and function. Linear trend analysis evaluated the statistical significance of these relationships using Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (IMMPACT)-based thresholds of pain reduction (Pain Inventory pain interference with function in one of the studies and the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (an 11-point Numeric Rating Scale) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for the pooled studies. Data ellipses showed a shift with pregabalin relative to placebo toward greater improvement with increasing pain relief for all outcome measures except HADS. Loess curves suggested a relationship between increased pain relief and improved function except for HADS, with the clearest relationship observed for sleep. Linear trend analysis showed significant relationships between pain and Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (Ppain and function on the modified Brief Pain Inventory Interference Index and most individual items (Ppain reduction. Pregabalin resulted in shifts from placebo toward greater functional improvement with greater pain relief.

Use, perceived effectiveness, and gender differences of pain relief strategies among the community-dwelling elderly in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Hsing-Yi; Tang, Fu-In; Yeh, Ming-Chen; Kuo, Benjamin Ing-Tiau; Yu, Shu

2011-03-01

Pain is a common problem among the elderly. The entire scope of chronic pain relief strategies used by community elderly is still unclear. A limited number of studies have investigated this issue from diverse culture perspectives. In the present study, we investigated the use and perceived effectiveness of pain relief strategies adopted by the elderly; gender differences between frequently used relief strategies were also explored. Two hundred nineteen participants living in Taiwan City, Taiwan, were recruited by a random sampling method and interviewed face to face. The prevalence of chronic pain among the elderly was 42.0% (n = 92). The elderly tended to adopt multiple strategies (mean ± SD = 9.08 ± 3.56; range = 2-18) to relieve their chronic pain. In three domains of pain relief strategies, conventional medicine was used more frequently than complementary and alternative medicine and psychologic approaches. Most pain relief strategies were ineffective. Among the 22 strategies used, no strategy was reported as "much improved" by a majority of users. The top five pain relief strategies used by men and women were the same. Elderly women tended to adopt more psychologic approaches, such as acceptance and ignoring to relieve pain, than men. The findings suggest that nurses should pay more attention to the issue of chronic pain relief and provide the elderly with more effective pain relief strategies. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of the World Health Organization cancer pain relief guidelines: an integrative review

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Carlson, Cathy L

2016-01-01

Inadequate cancer pain relief has been documented extensively across historical records. In response, in 1986, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed guidelines for cancer pain treatment. The purpose of this paper is to disseminate the results of a comprehensive, integrative review of studies that evaluate the effectiveness of the WHO guidelines. Studies were included if they: 1) identified patients treated with the guidelines, 2) evaluated self-reported pain, 3) identified instruments used, 4) provided data documenting pain relief, and 5) were written in English. Studies were coded for duration of treatment, definition of pain relief, instruments used, findings related to pain intensity or relief, and whether measures were used other than the WHO analgesic ladder. Twenty-five studies published since 1987 met the inclusion criteria. Evidence indicates 20%–100% of patients with cancer pain can be provided pain relief with the use of the WHO guidelines – while considering their status of treatment or end-of-life care. Due to multiple limitations in included studies, analysis was limited to descriptions. Future research to examine the effectiveness of the WHO guidelines needs to consider recommendations to facilitate study comparisons by standardizing outcome measures. Recent studies have reported that patients with cancer experience pain at moderate or greater levels. The WHO guidelines reflect the knowledge and effectual methods to relieve most cancer pain, but the guidelines are not being adequately employed. Part of the explanation for the lack of adoption of the WHO guidelines is that they may be considered outdated by many because they are not specific to the pharmacological and interventional options used in contemporary pain management practices. The conundrum of updating the WHO guidelines is to encompass the latest pharmacological and interventional innovations while maintaining its original simplicity. PMID:27524918

Open-label study on the long-term efficacy, safety, and impact on quality of life of OROS hydromorphone ER in patients with chronic low back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Mark; Thipphawong, John

2010-10-01

To investigate the efficacy, safety, and impact on quality of life of long-term administration of OROS hydromorphone ER (8-128mg) in patients with chronic low back pain. A total of 113 adults with chronic low back pain who completed a 6-week open-label study were enrolled in this 6-month extension study. The primary end point was the daily pain relief rating obtained during monthly study visits. Secondary end points included Investigator and Patient Global Evaluations, Brief Pain Inventory scores obtained at monthly study visits, and quality-of-life measures (Medical Outcomes Study Questionnaire and 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey score) obtained at monthly intervals. Mean±SD change from baseline in pain relief with OROS hydromorphone ER for the Month 6 visit was 0.9±2.55 (P=0.0007) and for the last assessment of the extension study was 0.9±2.53 (P=0.0002). At the Month 6 visit, 81.3% of investigators and 71.0% of patients rated their satisfaction of pain relief with OROS hydromorphone ER treatment as good, very good, or excellent. Changes on the 36-item Short Form Health Survey, a quality-of-life measure, were statistically significant for the physical composite scores for all extension phase time points, including Month 6 (2.1±5.34; Psleep disturbances. Adverse events included gastrointestinal and central nervous system symptoms. The results support the long-term use of OROS hydromorphone ER in managing chronic moderate to severe low back pain. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Increased joint loads during walking--a consequence of pain relief in knee osteoarthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Marius; Simonsen, Erik B; Alkjaer, T

2006-01-01

Joint pain is a primary symptom in knee osteoarthritis (OA), but the effect of pain and pain relief on the knee joint mechanics of walking is not clear. In this study, the effects of local knee joint analgesia on knee joint loads during walking were studied in a group of knee osteoarthritis....... Although the patients walked with less compressive knee joint forces compared to the reference group, the effects of pain relief may accelerate the degenerative changes....

Satisfaction with pain relief after operative treatment of an ankle fracture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Helmerhorst, Gijs T. T.; Lindenhovius, Anneluuk L. C.; Vrahas, Mark; Ring, David; Kloen, Peter

2012-01-01

Background: American patients are prescribed more opioid pain medication than Dutch patients after operative treatment of an ankle fracture, but it is possible that pain is undertreated in Dutch patients. This study tests if there is a difference in pain and satisfaction with pain relief between

Endogenous Opioid Inhibition of Chronic Low Back Pain Influences Degree of Back Pain Relief Following Morphine Administration

Science.gov (United States)

Bruehl, Stephen; Burns, John W.; Gupta, Rajnish; Buvanendran, Asokumar; Chont, Melissa; Schuster, Erik; France, Christopher R.

2014-01-01

Background and Objectives Factors underlying differential responsiveness to opioid analgesic medications used in chronic pain management are poorly understood. We tested whether individual differences in endogenous opioid inhibition of chronic low back pain were associated with magnitude of acute reductions in back pain ratings following morphine administration. Methods In randomized, counterbalanced order over three sessions, 50 chronic low back pain patients received intravenous naloxone (8mg), morphine (0.08 mg/kg), or placebo. Back pain intensity was rated pre-drug and again after peak drug activity was achieved using the McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form (Sensory and Affective subscales, VAS intensity measure). Opioid blockade effect measures to index degree of endogenous opioid inhibition of back pain intensity were derived as the difference between pre-to post-drug changes in pain intensity across placebo and naloxone conditions, with similar morphine responsiveness measures derived across placebo and morphine conditions. Results Morphine significantly reduced back pain compared to placebo (MPQ-Sensory, VAS; P effects of opioid blockade on back pain intensity. However, individual differences in opioid blockade effects were significantly associated with degree of acute morphine-related reductions in back pain on all measures, even after controlling for effects of age, sex, and chronic pain duration (P morphine. Conclusions Morphine appears to provide better acute relief of chronic back pain in individuals with lower natural opioidergic inhibition of chronic pain intensity. Possible implications for personalized medicine are discussed. PMID:24553304

How does pain experience relate to the need for pain relief? A secondary exploratory analysis in a large sample of cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnsen, Anna Thit; Petersen, Morten A; Snyder, Claire F; Pedersen, Lise; Groenvold, Mogens

2016-10-01

To explore (1) the information obtained from related but conceptually different approaches to pain assessment and (2) the extent to which the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) can be used as a screening tool to predict patient-reported need for pain relief. Cancer patients randomly sampled from 56 hospital departments were included. Questionnaire items assessed patients' (a) pain experience using the EORTC QLQ-C30 pain scale and its two pain items separately (pain intensity and pain interference) and (b) pain burden and (c) need for pain relief using the Three-Levels-of-Needs Questionnaire (3LNQ). Of the 2364 patients contacted by mail, 1447 (61 %) completed the questionnaires. Among these, 51 % reported at least "a little" pain on the pain intensity item. The number of patients reporting pain to be a burden was similar, and pain experience and pain burden were highly correlated (correlation coefficients ranged from 0.85 to 0.91). Pain experience and pain burden were moderately correlated with the need for pain relief. A receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the EORTC QLQ-C30 discriminated between patients with and without a need for pain relief to an acceptable degree (area under the curve (AUC) 0.73-0.77). The cut-point a little gave a sensitivity of 84 % and specificity of 59 % for the item "Have you had pain?" and a sensitivity of 72 % and a specificity of 72 % for the pain scale. The majority of patients who experienced pain felt it to be a problem. Pain experience and pain burden were substantially related to need for pain relief, and the latter could be predicted from the EORTC QLQ-C30.

Pain relief and functional improvement in patients with neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury: an exploratory analysis of pregabalin clinical trials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sadosky A

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Alesia Sadosky,1 Bruce Parsons,1 Birol Emir,1 Edward C Nieshoff2 1Pfizer Inc., New York, NY, 2Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, Detroit, MI, USA Background: Characterizing relationships between pain relief and function can inform patient management decisions. This analysis explored graphically the relationship between pain relief and functional improvement in patients with neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury in two clinical trials of pregabalin. Methods: This was a post hoc analysis of two randomized, double-blind, clinical trials in patients who were treated with pregabalin (n=181 or placebo (n=172 for neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury. The bivariate relationship between percent pain relief and absolute change in the functional outcomes with placebo and pregabalin was evaluated graphically using scatter plots, and loess curves illustrated the extent of the relationship between pain and function. Linear trend analysis evaluated the statistical significance of these relationships using Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (IMMPACT-based thresholds of pain reduction (<15%, 15% <30%, 30% to <50%, and ≥50%. Outcome measures included modified Brief Pain Inventory pain interference with function in one of the studies and the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (an 11-point Numeric Rating Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS for the pooled studies. Results: Data ellipses showed a shift with pregabalin relative to placebo toward greater improvement with increasing pain relief for all outcome measures except HADS. Loess curves suggested a relationship between increased pain relief and improved function except for HADS, with the clearest relationship observed for sleep. Linear trend analysis showed significant relationships between pain and Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (P<0.0001 and between pain and function on the modified Brief Pain Inventory

Comparison of short-term effects of mobilization with movement and Kinesiotaping on pain, function and balance in patellofemoral pain

OpenAIRE

Serdar Demirci; Gizem Irem Kinikli; Michael J. Callaghan; Volga Bayrakci Tunay

2017-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the short-term effects of Mobilization with movement (MWM) and Kinesiotaping (KT) on patients with patellofemoral pain (PFP) respect to pain, function and balance. Methods: Thirty-five female patients diagnosed with unilateral PFP were assigned into 2 groups. The first group (n = 18) received two techniques of MWM intervention (Straight Leg-Raise with Traction and Tibial Gliding) while KT was applied to the other group (n = 17). Both groups r...

Ear Acupuncture versus  local anaestethic for pain relief during perineal repair - a randomised controlled trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kindberg, Sara

2007-01-01

ACUPUNCTURE OR LOCAL ANAESTETICS FOR PAIN RELIEF DURING PERINEAL REPAIR AFTER VAGINAL DELIVERY: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL.   By:  Sara Kindberg. Midwife and PhD student, Sønderborg Hospital, Denmark. Objective: To evaluate acupuncture as a new method of pain relief for postpartum perineal...... as photos of the acupuncture points. Perspectives:  Basic midwifery services such as providing sufficient pain relief during perineal repair still need improvement. Clinical practice should be improved continuously and thus produce reliable evidence on different pain relief methods. Website:        http...

Patient Preference Before and After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: Which Is More Important, Pain Relief or Strength Return?

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Virk, Mandeep S; Levy, David M; Kuhns, Benjamin D; Krecher, James S; Parsley, Billy K; Burkhart, Stephen S; Romeo, Anthony A; Verma, Nikhil N; Cole, Brian J

Our understanding of patients' desired outcomes and expectations of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) is limited, particularly regarding the importance of pain relief and strength return relative to each other. We conducted a study of patient's ratings of the importance of pain relief and strength return after ARCR. Before undergoing surgery, 60 patients completed a shoulder questionnaire on which they assessed severity of symptoms and rated, on a 10-point scale, the importance of postoperative improvements in pain relief and strength return. After surgery, they completed the same questionnaire, again rating the importance of pain relief and strength return. About 50% of the patients valued pain relief and strength return equally before and after ARCR. However, overall patient ratings were higher for strength return over pain relief, both before surgery, mean (SD), 9.2 (2.1) vs 8.6 (2.3) (P = .02), and afterward, at a follow-up of 5.2 (0.2) years, 8.9 (1.9) vs 8.2 (3.1) (P = .03). This significant preference for strength return held irrespective of sex, age, active sports involvement, preoperative self-assessed pain score, and subjective shoulder weakness. Before surgery, increasing age was associated with a stronger preference for pain relief (r = 0.33, P = .01), and retirees preferred pain relief over strength return. These results show the patterns of patient preference for pain relief and strength return after ARCR. Improved understanding of these patients' expectations will allow meaningful changes in patient satisfaction.

Pain relief in labor: a survey of awareness, attitude, and practice of health care providers in Zaria, Nigeria

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Ogboli-Nwasor E

2011-08-01

Full Text Available E Ogboli-Nwasor1, SE Adaji2, SB Bature2, OS Shittu21Department of Anesthesia, 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, NigeriaBackground: The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes of maternal health care providers to pain relief during labor in Zaria, Nigeria.Methods: This was a multicenter, collaborative, cross-sectional pilot study of provider perspectives concerning pain relief during labor. A structured, self-administered, questionnaire was completed by 95 consenting maternal health care providers at three high-volume facilities in Zaria, an ancient northern Nigerian city. Descriptive statistics was performed on the data.Results: Most respondents (94.8% agreed that pain relief is needed during labor. Only 2.1% of respondents were undecided about the provision of pain relief during labor and 3.2% were of the opinion that pain relief was not necessary during labor. Most respondents (93.7% had attended a woman in labor in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. Of these, 56.8% had counseled a parturient in labor. Most of the counseling (42.1% took place during labor. Less than half of the respondents (48.4% had administered pain relief in labor in the preceding 4 weeks and systemic opioids was the most commonly form of pain relief. Among the respondents who did not offer pain relief agents in labor, the majority (54.5% had no reason for not offering it. Unavailability of methods, inability to afford the cost of pain relief, lack of knowledge and skills, as well as lack of essential equipment to provide the procedure were also given by respondents as reasons for not offering pain relief.Conclusion: Even though maternal health care providers in this environment have a positive attitude to pain relief in labor, most women go through labor without the benefit of analgesia. There exists a gap between provider attitudes to pain relief in labor and practice of the same, with many providers

Immediate pain relief effect of low level laser therapy for sports injuries: Randomized, double-blind placebo clinical trial.

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Takenori, A; Ikuhiro, M; Shogo, U; Hiroe, K; Junji, S; Yasutaka, T; Hiroya, K; Miki, N

2016-12-01

To determine the immediate pain relief effect of low-level laser therapy on sports injuries in athletes and degree of pain relief by the therapy. Double-blind, randomized, comparative clinical study. Participants were 32 college athletes with motion pain at a defined site. Participants were randomized into two groups in which the tested or placebo laser therapy was administered to determine pain intensity from painful action before and after laser irradiation, using the Modified Numerical Rating Scale. The post-therapeutic Modified Numerical Rating Scale score was subtracted from the pre-therapeutic Modified Numerical Rating Scale score to determine pain intensity difference, and the rate of pain intensity difference to pre-therapeutic Modified Numerical Rating Scale was calculated as pain relief rate. Low-level laser therapy was effective in 75% of the laser group, whereas it was not effective in the placebo group, indicating a significant difference in favor of the laser group (p<0.001). Pain relief rate was significantly higher in the laser group than in the placebo group (36.94% vs. 8.20%, respectively, p<0.001), with the difference in pain relief rate being 28.74%. Low-level laser therapy provided an immediate pain relief effect, reducing pain by 28.74%. It was effective for pain relief in 75% of participants. Copyright © 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Targinact--opioid pain relief without constipation?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-01

Targinact (Napp Pharmaceuticals Ltd) is a modified-release combination product containing the strong opioid oxycodone plus the opioid antagonist naloxone. It is licensed for "severe pain, which can be adequately managed only with opioid analgesics".1 The summary of product characteristics (SPC) states that "naloxone is added to counteract opioid-induced constipation by blocking the action of oxycodone at opioid receptors locally in the gut". Advertising for the product claims "better pain relief", "superior GI [gastrointestinal] tolerability" and "improved quality of life" "compared to previous treatment in a clinical practice study (n=7836)". Here we consider whether Targinact offers advantages over using strong opioids plus laxatives where required.

Modified dorsal root entry zone lesioning for intractable pain relief in patients with root avulsion injury.

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Takai, Keisuke; Taniguchi, Makoto

2017-08-01

OBJECTIVE Dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) lesioning has been the most effective surgical treatment for the relief of intractable pain due to root avulsion injury, but residual pain and a decrease in pain relief in the follow-up period have been reported in 23%-70% of patients. Based on pain topography in the most recent studies on neuropathic pain, the authors modified the conventional DREZ lesioning procedure to improve clinical outcomes. The presumed rationale for this procedure is to eliminate the spontaneous discharges of neurons in the superficial spinal dorsal horn as well as wide dynamic range neurons in the deep spinal dorsal horn. METHODS Ten patients with avulsion-related pain underwent surgery between 2011 and 2015. The surgical procedure was described and postoperative pain relief was assessed as follows: excellent (residual pain never exceeded 3 on the visual analog scale [VAS] without medication), good (residual pain never exceeded 5 on the VAS with medication), and poor (residual pain was greater than 5 with medication). Specific perioperative complications were assessed. RESULTS The aim of this surgical procedure was to destroy the deeper layers of the posterior horn of spinal gray matter, which was in contrast to the procedures of Nashold and Sindou, which were to destroy the superficial layers. All patients achieved excellent (n = 7, pain relief without medication) or good (n = 3, pain relief with medication) pain relief postoperatively, and the recurrence of pain was not reported in any patients (median 29 months after surgery, range 12-64 months). Nine patients (90%) achieved complete pain relief (a score of 0 or 1 on the VAS) with or without medication. No surgical site complications such as infection or CSF leakage were noted. No motor deficit was observed in any patient. A sensory deficit was observed in 2 patients and disappeared within 1 month in 1 patient. New pain at the adjacent level of DREZ lesioning was observed in 3 patients and

Prescription opioid use among addictions treatment patients: nonmedical use for pain relief vs. other forms of nonmedical use.

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Bohnert, Amy S B; Eisenberg, Anna; Whiteside, Lauren; Price, Amanda; McCabe, Sean Esteban; Ilgen, Mark A

2013-03-01

Differences between those who engage in nonmedical prescription opioid use for reasons other than pain relief and those who engage in nonmedical use for reasons related to pain only are not well understood. Adults in a residential treatment program participated in a cross-sectional self-report survey. Participants reported whether they used opioids for reasons other than pain relief (e.g., help sleep, improve mood, or relieve stress). Within those with past-month nonmedical opioid use (n=238), logistic regression tested differences between those who reported use for reasons other than pain relief and those who did not. Nonmedical use of opioids for reasons other than pain relief was more common (66%) than nonmedical use for pain relief only (34%), and those who used for reasons other than pain relief were more likely to report heavy use (43% vs. 11%). Nonmedical use for reasons other than pain relief was associated with having a prior overdose (odds ratio [OR]=2.54, 95% CI: 1.36-4.74) and use of heroin (OR=4.08, 95% CI: 1.89-8.79), barbiturates (OR=6.44, 95% CI: 1.47, 28.11), and other sedatives (OR=5.80, 95% CI: 2.61, 12.87). Individuals who reported nonmedical use for reasons other than pain relief had greater depressive symptoms (13.1 vs. 10.5) and greater pain medication expectancies across all three domains (pleasure/social enhancement, pain reduction, negative experience reduction). Among patients in addictions treatment, individuals who report nonmedical use of prescription opioids for reasons other than pain relief represent an important clinical sub-group with greater substance use severity and poorer mental health functioning. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

[Everything is valid in chronic pain: Interventions by older adults for pain relief].

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Alvarado-García, Alejandra María; Salazar-Maya, Ángela María

To describe interventions used by older adults with benign chronic pain. Qualitative study with 25 older adults with benign chronic pain, inhabitants of the cities of Medellín and Bogotá. The technique used to collect information was in-depth interview. The analysis was made using the tools of the theory based on the guidelines of Strauss and Corbin. Using open, axial and selective coding, the constant comparison method allowed the identification of categories and subcategories and simultaneously memos and diagrams were made to reach theoretical saturation. A number of categories were found in this study, suggesting interventions used by the elderly to address chronic pain. They started looking at a number of options such as: taking medication, self-prescribing, feeling fear of taking pills, identifying the damage caused by drugs, using hot water, staying still, taking right postures, walking and exercising, using attachments that help them and making home remedies; all of them become alternatives that can cause pain relief. The study allowed describing interventions that older adults use to mitigate their pain. This ranged from pharmacological to non-pharmacological interventions, as simple as posture, cold, heat, massage or distractions among others, which play an important role in pain relief. Knowing these interventions helps healthcare professionals consider care options different to medication intake, proposing strategies that are easily accessible and can operate at the time to address a patient with chronic pain. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Pain relief by touch: a quantitative approach.

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Mancini, Flavia; Nash, Thomas; Iannetti, Gian Domenico; Haggard, Patrick

2014-03-01

Pain relief by touch has been studied for decades in pain neuroscience. Human perceptual studies revealed analgesic effects of segmental tactile stimulation, as compared to extrasegmental touch. However, the spatial organisation of touch-pain interactions within a single human dermatome has not been investigated yet. In 2 experiments we tested whether, how, and where within a dermatome touch modulates the perception of laser-evoked pain. We measured pain perception using intensity ratings, qualitative descriptors, and signal detection measures of sensitivity and response bias. Touch concurrent with laser pulses produced a significant analgesia, and reduced the sensitivity in detecting the energy of laser stimulation, implying a functional loss of information within the ascending Aδ pathway. Touch also produced a bias to judge laser stimuli as less painful. This bias decreased linearly when the distance between the laser and tactile stimuli increased. Thus, our study provides evidence for a spatial organisation of intrasegmental touch-pain interactions. Copyright © 2013 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A clinical trial comparing Lanconone® with ibuprofen for rapid relief in acute joint pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Girandola, Robert N; Srivastava, Shalini; Loullis, Costas C

2016-04-06

To study the effect of Lanconone® (1000 mg) on acute pain on exertion as compared to the standard of care, Ibuprofen (400 mg). The study recruited 72 subjects diagnosed with mild to moderate knee joint pain on exertion. Subjects with Pain Visual Analogue Scale of more than 40 mm were included. Uphill walking was provided as the stressor using Naughton's protocol on a treadmill. The subjects walked for 10 minutes continuously followed by a rest period and baseline pain score for index knee joint was recorded. Subjects were administered a single dose of Lanconone® (1000 mg)/Ibuprofen (400 mg). Thereafter the same stressor was provided at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 hours, subsequently, pain scores were recorded on a visual analogue scale. Double stopwatch method was used to evaluate the onset of pain relief and time taken to meaningful pain relief. Both Lanconone® and Ibuprofen showed the first perceived pain relief at 65.31 ± 35.57 mins as compared to 60.82 ± 32.56 mins respectively. The mean time taken to experience meaningful pain relief in Lanconone® group was 196.59 ± 70.85 mins compared to 167.13 ± 71.41 mins amongst Ibuprofen group. The meaningful pain relief continued for 6 hours. The current study successfully demonstrated rapid pain-relieving potential of Lanconone® which was comparable to Ibuprofen. No adverse event related to the interventions was reported in the study. Clinical trials.gov NCT02417506 . 21 January 2015.

OnabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) nerve blocks provide durable pain relief for men with chronic scrotal pain: a pilot open-label trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Khambati, Aziz; Lau, Susan; Gordon, Allan; Jarvi, Keith A

2014-12-01

Chronic scrotal pain (CSP) is a common, often debilitating, condition affecting approximately 4.75% of men. While nerve blocks using local anesthetics usually provide temporary pain relief, there are no publications on the use of longer acting nerve blocks to provide more durable pain relief for men with CSP. The aim of this study was to determine if onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) cord blocks provide durable pain relief for men with CSP. In this pilot open-label study, men with CSP who had failed medical management but experienced temporary pain relief from a standard cord block underwent a cord block with 100U Botox. The outcomes measured were changes 1, 3, and 6 months post-Botox injection in (i) a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS) pain score; (ii) scrotal tenderness on a three-point scale as rated by physical examination; and (iii) the Chronic Epididymitis Symptom Index (CESI) to measure the severity and impact of scrotal pain on men. Paired t-tests were used to compare groups. Eighteen patients with CSP seen between April and September 2013 had Botox injected as a cord block. At the 1-month follow-up, pain reduction was reported by 72% of patients (mean VAS score: 7.36 vs. 5.61, P pain reduction and reduced tenderness based on the VAS score (mean: 7.36 vs. 6.02, P pain and tenderness. Our pilot study found that Botox cord blocks provide pain reduction for 3 months or more for most men with CSP. © 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

The role of hydromorphone and OPRM1 in postoperative pain relief with hydrocodone.

Science.gov (United States)

Boswell, Mark V; Stauble, M Elaine; Loyd, Gary E; Langman, Loralie; Ramey-Hartung, Bronwyn; Baumgartner, Richard N; Tucker, William W; Jortani, Saeed A

2013-01-01

Postoperative pain management remains a challenge for clinicians due to unpredictable patient responses to opioid therapy. Some of this variability may result from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the human opioid mu-1 receptor (OPRM1) that modify receptor binding or signal transduction. The OPRM1 variant with the highest frequency is the A118G SNP. However, previous studies have produced inconsistent results regarding the clinical effects of A118G on opioid response. We hypothesized that measurement of serum opioid concentrations, in addition to determining total opioid consumption, may provide a more precise method of assessing the effects of A118G on analgesic response. The current study evaluated the relationship of analgesia, side effects, total hydrocodone consumption, quantitative serum hydrocodone and hydromorphone concentrations, and A118G SNP in postoperative patients following Cesarean section. 158 women scheduled for Cesarean section were enrolled prospectively in the study. The patients had bupivacaine spinal anesthesia for surgery and received intrathcal morphine with the spinal anesthetic or parenteral morphine for the first 24 hours after surgery. Thereafter, patients received hydrocodone/acetaminophen for postoperative pain control. On postoperative day 3, venous blood samples were obtained for OPRM1 A118G genotyping and serum opioid concentrations. 131 (82.9%) of the subjects were homozygous for the 118A allele of OPRM1 (AA) and 27 (17.1%) carried the G allele (AG/GG). By regression analysis, pain relief was significantly associated with total hydrocodone dose in the AA group (P = 0.01), but not in the AG/GG group (P = 0.554). In contrast, there was no association between pain relief and serum hydrocodone concentration in either group. However, pain relief was significantly associated with serum hydromorphone concentration (a metabolite of hydrocodone) in the AA group (P = 0.004), but not in the AG/GG group (P = 0.724). Conversely, side

Evaluating the Efficacy of Levonorgestrel Intrauterine System and Danazol for Relief of Postoperative Pain in Endometriosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Taneja, Ashima; Kaur, Satinder; Soni, R K; Bhanupriya; Kaur, Jaspreet; Singla, Laveen

2017-07-01

Endometriosis is an oestrogen-dependent disorder, manifests during reproductive years and is associated with pain and infertility. There is considerable debate about the effectiveness of various interventions for pain relief. To evaluate the efficacy of Levonorgestrel Intrauterine System (LNG-IUS) and Danazol in postoperative pain relief for patients with endometriosis. Hundred patients with diagnosis of endometriosis, who were treated laparoscopically, entered the study to receive either danazol (600 mg once daily) or LNG-IUS (inserted during immediate post operative period) postsurgery, for pain relief. Patients were analysed for pain relief according to VAS score and recurrence of disease using ultrasonography at third and sixth months of follow up. There were 50% patients in stage IV of endometriosis. Majority of them presented with complaint of infertility (49%) and pelvic pain (43%). It was observed that LNG-IUS was significantly more effective in relieving pain compared to danazol (65.2% vs 38.0%, ppain compared to danazol.

Short-Term Effect of Laser Acupuncture on Lower Back Pain: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jae-Young Shin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. This trial was performed to investigate the efficacy of laser acupuncture for the alleviation of lower back pain. Methods. This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. Fifty-six participants were randomly assigned to either the laser acupuncture group (n=28 or the sham laser acupuncture group (n=28. Participants in both groups received three treatment sessions over the course of one week. Thirteen acupuncture points were selected. The visual analogue scale for pain, pressure pain threshold, Patient Global Impression of Change, and Euro-Quality-of-Life Five Dimensions questionnaire (Korean version were used to evaluate the effect of laser acupuncture treatment on lower back pain. Results. There were no significant differences in any outcome between the two groups, although the participants in both groups showed a significant improvement in each assessed parameter relative to the baseline values. Conclusion. Although there was no significant difference in outcomes between the two groups, the results suggest that laser acupuncture can provide effective pain alleviation and can be considered an option for relief from lower back pain. Further studies using long-term intervention, a larger sample size, and rigorous methodology are required to clarify the effect of laser acupuncture on lower back pain.

Evaluation of pain relief sufficiency using the Cumulative Analgesic Consumption Score (CACS) and its modification (MACS).

Science.gov (United States)

Frank, Alexander Harald Ralf; Groene, Philipp; von Ehrlich-Treuenstätt, Viktor; Heiliger, Christian; Werner, Jens; Karcz, Konrad

2017-12-01

Postoperative pain is one of the major complications in general and bariatric surgery, associated with ongoing problems such as ileus, pneumonia and prolonged mobilization. In this study, patients undergoing bariatric surgery were analyzed according to their postoperative pain relief regime. In one group patients were treated with a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device, while the other group was treated with oral and intravenous analgesic medication. The aim of this study was to analyze which postoperative pain relief therapy would be more appropriate. We chose the Cumulative Analgesic Consumption Score (CACS) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain measurement. For better comparison, we performed a modification of CACS according to PCA treatment. We observed better pain relief in the PCA group. Furthermore, we observed an advantage of treatment with laxatives in patients treated with PCA. In conclusion, PCA devices are appropriate instruments for postoperative pain relief in bariatric patients. CACS is a practical tool for postoperative pain measurement, describing individual pain sensation more objectively, although holding further potential in modification.

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND USE OF PAIN RELIEF IN LABOUR AMONG WOMEN ATTENDING ANTE-NATAL CLINIC AT SHALOM COMMUNITY HOSPITAL, ATHI RIVER.

Science.gov (United States)

Njiru, J N; Esiromo, M A; Omari, H O

2014-07-01

To find out the knowledge, attitude and practice of pain relief methods during labour among mothers attending antenatal clinics at Shalom Community Hospital, Athi River, Kenya. Cross Sectional study. Shalom Community Hospital, Athi River, Kenya. Two hundred and seven participants attending antenatal clinics at the facility were recruited. The median age of the participants was 28 years and a median parity of one. Most of the study participants, 89.4%, were not aware of any pain relief method during labour. Among the 10.6% patients that were of a pain relief method, 54% had gotten the knowledge from the doctors. All the patients had experienced pain in labour with 72% rating the pain as severe pain. Only 37% of the patients were offered a pain relief method and the intramuscular injectable was offered to all. Majority (88%) of those offered a form of pain relief rated the pain relief method as ineffective. A majority of the women 93% would use a pain relief method in the next labour with epidural method being the most preferred method. The level of knowledge of pain relief methods among mothers islow. There is need to integrate information on pain relief options in labour as part of antenatal services offered routinely. Epidural analgesia services should be enhanced.

Electric Stimulation for Pain Relief in Patients with Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Salazar, Ana Paula de Silva; Stein, Cinara; Marchese, Ritchele Redivo; Plentz, Rodrigo Della Mea; Pagnussat, Aline De Souza

2017-02-01

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a syndrome whose primary symptoms include chronic widespread muscle pain and fatigue. The treatment of patients with FM aims to provide symptomatic relief and improvement in physical capacities to perform daily tasks and quality of life. Invasive or non-invasive electric stimulation (ES) is used for pain relief in patients with FM. This systematic review aimed to assess the effects of treatment with ES, combined or not combined with other types of therapy, for pain relief in patients with FM. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Electronic search was conducted on databases (from the inception to April 2016): MEDLINE (accessed by PubMed), EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane CENTRAL), and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro). Two independent reviewers assessed the eligibility of studies based on the inclusion criteria: randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of ES combined or not with other types of treatment for pain relief in patients with FM (according to the American College of Rheumatology), regardless of the ES dosages. The primary outcome was pain, assessed by the visual analogue scale (VAS). The secondary outcomes extracted were quality of life, assessed by short form-36 health survey (SF- 36), and fatigue, assessed by VAS. Nine studies were included, with 301 patients. The meta-analysis for pain showed positive effect of ES treatment versus control [-1.24 (95% CI: -2.39 to -0.08; I²: 87%, P = 0.04) n = 8 RCTs]. The sensitivity analysis for pain showed significant results for invasive ES, combined or not with other types of therapy [-0.94 (95% CI, -1.50 to -0.38; I² 0%, P = 0.001) n = 3 RCTs]. No significant improvement was found regarding quality of life [-3.48 (95% CI: -12.58 to 5.62; I²: 0%, P = 0.45), n = 2 RCTs] or fatigue [-0.57 (95% CI, -1.25 to 0.11; I² 34%, P = 0.100; n = 4 RCTs]. This systematic review included a small number of studies and reduced number of participants in

Bilateral CT-guided percutaneous cordotomy for cancer pain relief

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Yegul, I. E-mail: iyegul@med.ege.edu.tr; Erhan, E. E-mail: elvanerhan@yahoo.com

2003-11-01

AIM: CT-guided percutaneous cordotomy is a useful procedure for treating unilateral cancer pain, however, bilateral cordotomy can be required on some occasions. We evaluated the effectiveness and complications of bilateral cordotomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and thirty-four patients who suffered from unilateral cancer pain underwent CT-guided percutaneous cordotomy. The procedure was repeated in 22 patients, and nine patients had bilateral cordotomy. Effectiveness and complications were recorded after each procedure. RESULTS: Of nine patents (three women and six men) having bilateral percutaneous cordotomy in our study, four patients had mirror pain after the first procedure. In the remaining five patients the contralateral pain was due to new pain sites. The pain scores before and after the first procedure were 9.3 (range 7-10) and 1.2 (range 0-3), respectively. After the first procedure complete or satisfactory pain relief was achieved in all patients. The duration between the two procedures ranged from 7-243 days (mean 59.8 days). The pain scores before and after the second procedure were 8.4 (range 5-10) and 1.6 (range 0-4), respectively. After the second procedure complete or satisfactory pain relief was reported in all patients. There were no complications in four patients. One patient developed transient motor deficit after the first procedure. Other complications (nausea/vomiting, headache, ipsilateral neck pain, postcordotomy dysesthesia) were mild and transient. CONCLUSION: CT-guided percutaneous cordotomy is a useful procedure for the treatment of severe unilateral cancer pain syndromes. The procedure can be repeated on the other side at least 1 week later. These results show that the success on the second side appears to be similar to the first side with low complication rate for both procedures.

Bilateral CT-guided percutaneous cordotomy for cancer pain relief

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yegul, I.; Erhan, E.

2003-01-01

AIM: CT-guided percutaneous cordotomy is a useful procedure for treating unilateral cancer pain, however, bilateral cordotomy can be required on some occasions. We evaluated the effectiveness and complications of bilateral cordotomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and thirty-four patients who suffered from unilateral cancer pain underwent CT-guided percutaneous cordotomy. The procedure was repeated in 22 patients, and nine patients had bilateral cordotomy. Effectiveness and complications were recorded after each procedure. RESULTS: Of nine patents (three women and six men) having bilateral percutaneous cordotomy in our study, four patients had mirror pain after the first procedure. In the remaining five patients the contralateral pain was due to new pain sites. The pain scores before and after the first procedure were 9.3 (range 7-10) and 1.2 (range 0-3), respectively. After the first procedure complete or satisfactory pain relief was achieved in all patients. The duration between the two procedures ranged from 7-243 days (mean 59.8 days). The pain scores before and after the second procedure were 8.4 (range 5-10) and 1.6 (range 0-4), respectively. After the second procedure complete or satisfactory pain relief was reported in all patients. There were no complications in four patients. One patient developed transient motor deficit after the first procedure. Other complications (nausea/vomiting, headache, ipsilateral neck pain, postcordotomy dysesthesia) were mild and transient. CONCLUSION: CT-guided percutaneous cordotomy is a useful procedure for the treatment of severe unilateral cancer pain syndromes. The procedure can be repeated on the other side at least 1 week later. These results show that the success on the second side appears to be similar to the first side with low complication rate for both procedures

Ibuprofen is superior to paracetamol for pain relief following third molar removal.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferraiolo, Debra M; Veitz-Keenan, Analia

2014-12-01

The Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medline, Embase and the metaRegister of Controlled Trials were searched with no language restrictions. Randomised controlled double-blinded clinical trials using the third molar model were included. Two review authors independently and in duplicate extracted data. The proportion of patients with at least 50% pain relief (based on total pain relief (TOTPAR) and summed pain intensity difference (SPID) data) was calculated for all three drugs at both two and six hours post-dosing and meta-analysed for comparison. Seven studies involving 2241 patients were included. Two studies were considered to be at low risk of bias, three at high risk and two unclear risk of bias. Ibuprofen was found to be a superior analgesic to paracetamol at several doses, with high quality evidence suggesting that ibuprofen 400 mg is superior to 1000 mg paracetamol based on pain relief (estimated from TOTPAR data) and the use of rescue medication meta-analyses. Risk ratio (RR) for at least 50% pain relief (based on TOTPAR) at six hours was 1.47 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28 to 1.69; five trials) favouring 400 mg ibuprofen over 1000 mg paracetamol, RR for not using rescue medication (also favouring ibuprofen) was 1.50 (95% CI 1.25 to 1.79; four trials). For combined drug RR for at least 50% of the maximum pain relief over six hours of 1.77 (95% CI 1.32 to 2.39) (paracetamol 1000 mg and ibuprofen 400 mg) (one trial; moderate quality evidence). RR not using rescue medication 1.60 (95% CI 1.36 to 1.88) (two trials; moderate quality evidence). Adverse events were comparable between the treatment groups, but no formal analysis could be undertaken. There is high quality evidence that ibuprofen is superior to paracetamol at doses of 200 mg to 512 mg and 600 mg to 1000 mg respectively based on pain relief and use of rescue medication data collected at six hours postoperatively. The

Efficacy and speed of onset of pain relief of fast-dissolving paracetamol on postsurgical dental pain: two randomized, single-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Yong; Collaku, Agron; Brown, Jean; Buchanan, William L; Reed, Kenneth; Cooper, Stephen A; Otto, James

2013-09-01

Paracetamol (APAP), also known as acetaminophen, is the most commonly used over-the-counter analgesic for the treatment of mild-to-moderate pain. However, the speed of onset of pain relief is limited mainly to the standard, immediate-release formulation. Efficacy and speed of onset of pain relief are critical in acute pain situations such as postsurgical dental pain, because reducing pain can improve clinical outcome and reduce the risk of transition from acute pain to more chronic pain. Efficacy and rapid onset also reduce the risk of excessive dosing with the analgesic. We sought to investigate the dose-response efficacy and speed of onset of pain relief of a fast-dissolving APAP formulation compared with lower doses of APAP and placebo in dental patients after impacted third molar extraction. Two single-center, single-dose, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group studies (Study I and Study II) were conducted to evaluate the efficacy and speed of onset of pain relief of different doses of a fast-dissolving APAP tablet (FD-APAP), standard APAP, and placebo in patients with postsurgical dental pain following third molar extraction. In Study I, a single dose of FD-APAP 1000 mg, FD-APAP 500 mg, or placebo was given to 300 patients; in Study II, a single dose of FD-APAP 1000 mg, standard APAP 650 mg, or placebo was given to 401 patients. All 701 patients from both studies were included in the analysis and safety assessment. FD-APAP 1000 mg demonstrated significantly greater effect compared with FD-APAP 500 mg, APAP 650 mg, and placebo for all efficacy measurements, including sum of pain relief and pain intensity difference, total pain relief, sum of pain intensity difference, pain intensity difference, and pain relief score during 6 hours after the dose. Onset of confirmed first perceptible relief in subjects treated with FD-APAP 1000 mg was 15 minutes, which was 32% and 25% significantly shorter than onset of pain relief of FD

Epidural morphine for postoperative pain relief in children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henneberg, S W; Hole, P; Haas, Inge Madsen De

1993-01-01

the investigation. We observed a change in the sleeping pattern with an increased number of sleep-induced myoclonia during the administration of epidural morphine. In conclusion, the use of epidural morphine in children for postoperative pain relief is very efficient. The minimal effective dose has not been...

'Birthgasm': A Literary Review of Orgasm as an Alternative Mode of Pain Relief in Childbirth.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayberry, Lorel; Daniel, Jacqueline

2016-12-01

Childbirth is a fundamental component of a woman's sexual cycle. The sexuality of childbirth is not well recognized in Western society despite research showing that some women experience orgasm(s) during labor and childbirth. Current thinking supports the view that labor and childbirth are perceived to be physically painful events, and more women are relying on medical interventions for pain relief in labor. This review explores the potential of orgasm as a mode of pain relief in childbirth and outlines the physiological explanations for its occurrence. Potential barriers to sexual expression during childbirth and labor, including the influence of deeply held cultural beliefs about sexuality, the importance of privacy and intimacy in facilitating orgasmic birth experiences, and the value of including prospective fathers in the birthing experience, are discussed. The role of midwives and their perceptions of the use of complementary and alternative therapies for pain relief in labor are examined. While there are indications of widespread use of complementary and alternative therapies such as hydrotherapy, herbal remedies, and breathing techniques for pain relief in childbirth, orgasm was not among those mentioned. Lack of recognition of the sexuality of childbirth, despite findings that orgasm can attenuate the effects of labor pain, suggests the need for greater awareness among expectant parents, educators, and health professionals of the potential of orgasm as a means of pain relief in childbirth. © The Author(s) 2015.

Drugs for relief of pain in patients with sciatica: systematic review and meta-analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Maher, Chris G; Ferreira, Manuela L; Ferreira, Paulo H; Hancock, Mark; Oliveira, Vinicius C; McLachlan, Andrew J; Koes, Bart

2012-01-01

Objective To investigate the efficacy and tolerability of analgesic and adjuvant pain drugs typically administered in primary care for the management of patients with sciatica. Design Systematic review. Data source International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, PsycINFO, Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials (CENTRAL), CINAHL, and LILACS. Study selection Randomised controlled trials assessing the efficacy and tolerability of drugs versus placebo or other treatment for sciatica. Data extraction Two independent reviewers extracted data and assessed methodological quality using the PEDro scale. Pain and disability outcomes were converted to a common 0 to 100 scale. Data were pooled with a random effects model, and the GRADE approach was used in summary conclusions. Results Twenty three published reports met the inclusion criteria. The evidence to judge the efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants, and opioid analgesics ranged from moderate to low quality. Most of the pooled estimates did not favour the active treatment over placebo. The pooled results of two trials of corticosteroids (mean difference in overall and leg pain −12.2, 95% confidence interval −20.9 to −3.4) and a single trial of the anticonvulsant gabapentin for chronic sciatica (mean difference in overall pain relief −26.6, −38.3 to −14.9) showed some benefits but only in the short term. The median rate of adverse events was 17% (interquartile range 10-30%) for the active drugs and 11% (3-23%) for placebo. Trial limitations included failure to use validated outcome measures, lack of long term follow-up, and small sample size. Conclusions As the existing evidence from clinical trials is of low quality, the efficacy and tolerability of drugs commonly prescribed for the management of sciatica in primary care is unclear. PMID:22331277

The effect of short-term upper thoracic self-mobilization using a Kaltenborn wedge on pain and cervical dysfunction in patients with neck pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Hyung-Taek; Hwangbo, Gak

2018-04-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to determine the effect of short-term self-joint mobilization of the upper spine using a Kaltenborn wedge on the pain and cervical dysfunction of patients with neck pain. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-seven patients with neck pain were divided into two groups; the self-mobilization group (SMG, n=13) and the self-stretching group (SSG, n=14). The SMG performed upper thoracic self-mobilization and the SSG performed self-stretching exercises as a short-term intervention for a week. To assess the degree of neck pain, the visual analog scale (VAS) was utilized, and to measure the joint range of motion at the flexion-extension, it was compared and analyzed by using the goniometer. [Results] Both SMG and SSG show a significant decrease in the visual analog scale and a significant increase in joint range of motion within the group. In the comparison of groups, there was no significant difference, but it indicated effects on improving the range of motion of extension in SMG. [Conclusion] Self-mobilization of the upper spine, using a Kaltenborn wedge, was useful in alleviating pain in and dysfunction of the cervical spine, and in particular, in improving cervical spine extension in this study.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty in the management of vertebral osteoporotic fractures. Short-term, mid-term and long-term follow-up of 285 patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masala, Salvatore; Mammucari, Matteo; Angelopoulos, Georgios; Fiori, Roberto; Massari, Francesco; Simonetti, Giovanni; Faria, Skerdilajd

2009-01-01

To evaluate the short-term, mid-term and long-term follow-up of 285 patients who had undergone percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (VCF) in our department from 2003 to 2006, and, particularly, to analyse our data on the safety and the usefulness of PVP for durable pain reduction, mobility improvement and the need for analgesic drugs. Follow-up analysis was made through a questionnaire completed by the patients before and after PVP (1 week, 1 year and 3 years). The results are reported by subdivision of patients into groups (by gender, age and number of treated vertebrae), with special reference to pain management, drug administration and quality of life. All patients (285) were followed up for 1 week, 186 for 12 months, and 68 patients were followed up for 3 years. One week after PVP all patients reported normal ambulation (with or without pain), and more than 95% were able to perform activities of daily living (ADL) either without pain or with mild pain. There was no difference in pain relief between the genders after 1 week's follow up, but after 3 years better analgesia results were observed in women. There was no statistically significant difference in the visual analogue scale (VAS) values before PVP between age groups (P = 0.7) and gender (P = 0.4); Patients younger than 75 years had better outcomes than did older ones (>75 years) at 1 week and 1 year follow up. Patients also reported significant reduction in drug therapy for pain. PVP is a safe and useful procedure for the treatment of vertebral osteoporotic fractures. It produces enduring pain reduction, improves patients' mobility and decreases the need for analgesic drugs. (orig.)

Automated discovery of safety and efficacy concerns for joint & muscle pain relief treatments from online reviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, David Z; Gruss, Richard; Abrahams, Alan S

2017-04-01

Product issues can cost companies millions in lawsuits and have devastating effects on a firm's sales, image and goodwill, especially in the era of social media. The ability for a system to detect the presence of safety and efficacy (S&E) concerns early on could not only protect consumers from injuries due to safety hazards, but could also mitigate financial damage to the manufacturer. Prior studies in the field of automated defect discovery have found industry-specific techniques appropriate to the automotive, consumer electronics, home appliance, and toy industries, but have not investigated pain relief medicines and medical devices. In this study, we focus specifically on automated discovery of S&E concerns in over-the-counter (OTC) joint and muscle pain relief remedies and devices. We select a dataset of over 32,000 records for three categories of Joint & Muscle Pain Relief treatments from Amazon's online product reviews, and train "smoke word" dictionaries which we use to score holdout reviews, for the presence of safety and efficacy issues. We also score using conventional sentiment analysis techniques. Compared to traditional sentiment analysis techniques, we found that smoke term dictionaries were better suited to detect product concerns from online consumer reviews, and significantly outperformed the sentiment analysis techniques in uncovering both efficacy and safety concerns, across all product subcategories. Our research can be applied to the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry in order to detect safety and efficacy concerns, reducing risks that consumers face using these products. These findings can be highly beneficial to improving quality assurance and management in joint and muscle pain relief. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anaesthetic injection versus ischemic compression for the pain relief of abdominal wall trigger points in women with chronic pelvic pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Montenegro, Mary L L S; Braz, Carolina A; Rosa-e-Silva, Julio C; Candido-dos-Reis, Francisco J; Nogueira, Antonio A; Poli-Neto, Omero B

2015-12-01

Chronic pelvic pain is a common condition among women, and 10 to 30 % of causes originate from the abdominal wall, and are associated with trigger points. Although little is known about their pathophysiology, variable methods have been practiced clinically. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of local anaesthetic injections versus ischemic compression via physical therapy for pain relief of abdominal wall trigger points in women with chronic pelvic pain. We conducted a parallel group randomized trial including 30 women with chronic pelvic pain with abdominal wall trigger points. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups. One group received an injection of 2 mL 0.5 % lidocaine without a vasoconstrictor into a trigger point. In the other group, ischemic compression via physical therapy was administered at the trigger points three times, with each session lasting for 60 s, and a rest period of 30 s between applications. Both treatments were administered during one weekly session for four weeks. Our primary outcomes were satisfactory clinical response rates and percentages of pain relief. Our secondary outcomes are pain threshold and tolerance at the trigger points. All subjects were evaluated at baseline and 1, 4, and 12 weeks after the interventions. The study was conducted at a tertiary hospital that was associated with a university providing assistance predominantly to working class women who were treated by the public health system. Clinical response rates and pain relief were significantly better at 1, 4, and 12 weeks for those receiving local anaesthetic injections than ischemic compression via physical therapy. The pain relief of women treated with local anaesthetic injections progressively improved at 1, 4, and 12 weeks after intervention. In contrast, women treated with ischemic compression did not show considerable changes in pain relief after intervention. In the local anaesthetic injection group, pain threshold

The importance of context: When relative relief renders pain pleasant

Science.gov (United States)

Leknes, Siri; Berna, Chantal; Lee, Michael C.; Snyder, Gregory D.; Biele, Guido; Tracey, Irene

2013-01-01

Context can influence the experience of any event. For instance, the thought that “it could be worse” can improve feelings towards a present misfortune. In this study we measured hedonic feelings, skin conductance, and brain activation patterns in 16 healthy volunteers who experienced moderate pain in two different contexts. In the “relative relief context,” moderate pain represented the best outcome, since the alternative outcome was intense pain. However, in the control context, moderate pain represented the worst outcome and elicited negative hedonic feelings. The context manipulation resulted in a “hedonic flip,” such that moderate pain elicited positive hedonics in the relative relief context. Somewhat surprisingly, moderate pain was even rated as pleasant in this context, despite being reported as painful in the control context. This “hedonic flip” was corroborated by physiological and functional neuroimaging data. When moderate pain was perceived as pleasant, skin conductance and activity in insula and dorsal anterior cingulate were significantly attenuated relative to the control moderate stimulus. “Pleasant pain” also increased activity in reward and valuation circuitry, including the medial orbitofrontal and ventromedial prefrontal cortices. Furthermore, the change in outcome hedonics correlated with activity in the periacqueductal grey (PAG) of the descending pain modulatory system (DPMS). The context manipulation also significantly increased functional connectivity between reward circuitry and the PAG, consistent with a functional change of the DPMS due to the altered motivational state. The findings of this study point to a role for brainstem and reward circuitry in a context-induced “hedonic flip” of pain. PMID:23352758

Anticipation and choice heuristics in the dynamic consumption of pain relief.

Science.gov (United States)

Story, Giles W; Vlaev, Ivo; Dayan, Peter; Seymour, Ben; Darzi, Ara; Dolan, Raymond J

2015-03-01

Humans frequently need to allocate resources across multiple time-steps. Economic theory proposes that subjects do so according to a stable set of intertemporal preferences, but the computational demands of such decisions encourage the use of formally less competent heuristics. Few empirical studies have examined dynamic resource allocation decisions systematically. Here we conducted an experiment involving the dynamic consumption over approximately 15 minutes of a limited budget of relief from moderately painful stimuli. We had previously elicited the participants' time preferences for the same painful stimuli in one-off choices, allowing us to assess self-consistency. Participants exhibited three characteristic behaviors: saving relief until the end, spreading relief across time, and early spending, of which the last was markedly less prominent. The likelihood that behavior was heuristic rather than normative is suggested by the weak correspondence between one-off and dynamic choices. We show that the consumption choices are consistent with a combination of simple heuristics involving early-spending, spreading or saving of relief until the end, with subjects predominantly exhibiting the last two.

Anticipation and Choice Heuristics in the Dynamic Consumption of Pain Relief

Science.gov (United States)

Story, Giles W.; Vlaev, Ivo; Dayan, Peter; Seymour, Ben; Darzi, Ara; Dolan, Raymond J.

2015-01-01

Humans frequently need to allocate resources across multiple time-steps. Economic theory proposes that subjects do so according to a stable set of intertemporal preferences, but the computational demands of such decisions encourage the use of formally less competent heuristics. Few empirical studies have examined dynamic resource allocation decisions systematically. Here we conducted an experiment involving the dynamic consumption over approximately 15 minutes of a limited budget of relief from moderately painful stimuli. We had previously elicited the participants’ time preferences for the same painful stimuli in one-off choices, allowing us to assess self-consistency. Participants exhibited three characteristic behaviors: saving relief until the end, spreading relief across time, and early spending, of which the last was markedly less prominent. The likelihood that behavior was heuristic rather than normative is suggested by the weak correspondence between one-off and dynamic choices. We show that the consumption choices are consistent with a combination of simple heuristics involving early-spending, spreading or saving of relief until the end, with subjects predominantly exhibiting the last two. PMID:25793302

Osteopathic manipulative treatment results in sustained relief from spinal pain in older patients: A pilot crossover study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pannunzio A

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment is commonly used to complement conventional treatment of back pain. The present study verified whether OMT, associated with training program, reduces spinal pain in older. A pilot randomized, double-blind crossover study was conducted at Sport Association of Milan, Italy. We recruited 19 subjects above 60 years old, with presence of SP for more than 3 weeks and with intensity score higher than 3 (NRS score. All patients underwent a multi-component group exercise program for older adults and were randomized in two groups: in the study group (SG OMT was added, while the control group (CG continued with the exercise only. After 6 weeks a crossover was applied to the 2 groups and OMT was added to CG, while SG continued with the exercise only. Self-reported measures: the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS was used at each time to evaluate treatment outcomes. At pre-crossover, SG had a significant improvement in pain perception (p<0.05, while CG had a not significate improvement in pain perception (p=0.33.At post-crossover, the SG remains relatively stable (p=0.37, while CG after OMT addition have a significant benefit on pain perception (p=0.001. At follow-up, pain improvement is sustained (p=0.32. OMT associated to exercise reduce spinal pain in older patients. Our study suggests that OMT associated to exercise leads to significant improvement on pain relief in patients with chronic SP in a short term and the exercise allows to maintain these improvements for several months

The simple query "Do you want more pain medication?" is not a reliable way to assess acute pain relief in patients in the emergency department.

Science.gov (United States)

Chauny, Jean-Marc; Marquis, Martin; Paquet, Jean; Lavigne, Gilles; Cournoyer, Alexis; Manzini, Christiane; Daoust, Raoul

2018-01-01

The management of acute pain constitutes an essential skill of emergency department (ED) physicians. However, the accurate assessment of pain intensity and relief represents a clinically challenging undertaking. Some studies have proposed to define effective pain relief as the patient's refusal for additional analgesic administration. The aim of this study was to verify whether such a refusal is effectively indicative of pain relief. This prospective cohort study included ED patients who received single or multiple doses of pain medication for an acute pain problem. Patients were evaluated for pain relief using one Likert scale and two dichotomous questions: Is your pain relieved? and Do you want more analgesics? Non-relieved patients were further analysed using a checklist as to the reasons behind their refusal for supplemental pain medication. We have recruited 378 adult patients with a mean age of 50.3 years (±19.1); 60% were women and had an initial mean pain level of 7.3 (±2.0) out of 10. We observed that 68 out of 244 patients who were adequately relieved from pain asked for more analgesics (28%), whereas 51 out of 134 patients who were not relieved from pain refused supplemental drugs (38%). Reasons for refusal included wanting to avoid side effects, feeling sufficiently relieved, and disliking the medication's effects. Over a third of ED patients in acute pain were not relieved but refused supplemental pain medication. Patients have reported legitimate reasons to decline further analgesics, and this refusal cannot be used as an indication of pain relief.

The prevalence and characterization of self-medication for obtaining pain relief among undergraduate nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Layz Alves Ferreira; da Silva, Camila Damázio; Ferraz, Gisely Carvalho; Sousa, Fátima Aparecida Emm Faleiros; Pereira, Lílian Varanda

2011-01-01

This study investigates the prevalence of self-medication among undergraduate nursing students seeking to relieve pain and characterizes the pain and relief obtained through the used medication. This epidemiological and cross-sectional study was carried out with 211 nursing students from a public university in Goiás, GO, Brazil. A numerical scale (0-10) measured pain intensity and relief. The prevalence of self-medication was 38.8%. The source and main determining factor of this practice were the student him/herself (54.1%) and lack of time to go to a doctor (50%), respectively. The most frequently used analgesic was dipyrone (59.8%) and pain relief was classified as good (Md=8.5;Max=10;Min=0). The prevalence of self-medication was higher than that observed in similar studies. Many students reported that relief obtained through self-medication was good, a fact that can delay the clarification of a diagnosis and its appropriate treatment.

The search for pain relief in people with chronic fatigue syndrome: a descriptive study.

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Rebecca; Paul, Lorna; Wood, Les

2011-07-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use and perceived benefit of complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) and physiotherapy treatments tried by people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) to ease painful symptoms. This study used a descriptive, cross-sectional design. People with CFS who experienced pain were recruited to this study. Participants were asked during a semistructured interview about the treatments they had tried to relieve their pain. Each interview was conducted in the home of the participant. Fifty participants were recruited, of which, 10 participants were severely disabled by CFS. Eighteen participants were trying different forms of CAM treatment for pain relief at the time of assessment. Three participants were currently receiving physiotherapy. Throughout the duration of their illness 45 participants reported trying 19 different CAM treatments in the search for pain relief. Acupuncture was reported to provide the most pain relief (n=16). Twenty-seven participants reported a total of 16 different interventions prescribed by their physiotherapist. The results of this study suggest some physiotherapy and CAM treatments may help people manage painful CFS symptoms. Future research should be directed to evaluating the effectiveness of interventions such as acupuncture or gentle soft tissue therapies to reduce pain in people with CFS.

Phototherapy — a treatment modality for wound healing and pain relief

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Phototherapy — a treatment modality for wound healing and pain relief. D Hawkins, H Abrahamse. Abstract. When applied properly, phototherapy or Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) has proved to be very efficient in relieving pain and improving wound healing. However, until recently there has been a lack of scientific

Predictors of Post-Operative Pain Relief in Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis Undergoing the Frey or Whipple Procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, Amitasha; Patel, Yuval A; Cruise, Michael; Matsukuma, Karen; Zaheer, Atif; Afghani, Elham; Yadav, Dhiraj; Makary, Martin A; Hirose, Kenzo; Andersen, Dana K; Singh, Vikesh K

2016-04-01

Post-operative pain relief in chronic pancreatitis (CP) is variable. Our objective was to determine clinical imaging or histopathologic predictor(s) of post-operative pain relief in CP patients undergoing the Whipple or Frey procedure. All patients who underwent a Whipple (n = 30) or Frey procedure (n = 30) for painful CP between January 2003 and September 2013 were evaluated. A toxic etiology was defined as a history of alcohol use and/or smoking. The pre-operative abdominal CT was evaluated for calcification(s) and main pancreatic duct (MPD) dilation (≥5 mm). The post-operative histopathology was evaluated for severe fibrosis. Clinical imaging and histopathologic features were evaluated as predictors of post-operative pain relief using univariable and multivariable regression analysis. A total of 60 patients (age 51.6 years, 53% males) were included in our study, of whom 42 (70%) reported post-operative pain relief over a mean follow-up of 1.1 years. There were 37 (62%) patients with toxic etiology, 36 (60%) each with calcification(s) and MPD dilation. A toxic etiology, calcifications, and severe fibrosis were associated with post-operative pain relief on univariable analysis (all p Whipple or Frey procedure.

Survey of plants popularly used for pain relief in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eveline D. Stolz

Full Text Available Ethnobotanical data can be an important tool in the search for new drugs. The Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency accepts the registration of herbal medicines based on ethnopharmacological and ethnobotanical studies. With the purpose of increasing the knowledge of potentially useful plants for the treatment of painful conditions, we analyzed the ethnobotanical studies carried out in Rio Grande do Sul state (RS-Southern Brazil; we had access to nineteen studies.To our knowledge, this is the first compilation of ethnobotanical studies that focus on pain relief carried out in RS. The species native to RS cited in at least nine (about 50% of these studies were selected. The search retrieved 28 native species cited as used to alleviate painful conditions, which are distributed in eighteen botanical families, being Asteraceae the most mentioned. The species more frequently cited for pain relief were Achyrocline satureioides, Baccharis articulata, Baccharis crispa, Lepidium didymum, Eugenia uniflora and Maytenus ilicifolia. The only species not reported in any pre-clinical study associated with pain relief was B. articulata. Among the six species cited, no studies on clinical efficacy were found. In conclusion, the folk use of native plants with therapeutic purposes is widespread in RS State (Brazil, being pain relief an important property.

Music therapy in relief of pain in oncology patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariana Franco

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the perception of oncology patients with chronic pain as to the effects of music in alleviating pain, to identify if there are changes in the vital signs of these patients before and after the musicotherapy session, and to identify whether the intensity of pain is diminished after the music session as per an analogic scale of pain. Methods: This level II, descriptive-exploratory and cross-sectional study used a quantitative and qualitative approach. The sample consisted of ten oncology patients with chronic pain. Rresults: There was a reduction in vital signs and in intensity of pain in ten patients of the sample; after the music sessions, the patients reported a sensation of relief of pain, relaxation, and a belief in the power of music as a supplementary therapy. Cconclusions: Music showed an influence in reducing vital signs and pain intensity, and the patients perceived a reduction of pain and anxiety, and began to believe in music as a form of therapy.

Knowledge of and attitude towards pain relief during labour of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study determined women's knowledge of and attitudes to pain relief during labour. Methods ... Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa .... Breathing exercises. 25.

A candidate gene study of serotonergic pathway genes and pain relief during treatment with escitalopram in patients with neuropathic pain shows significant association to serotonin receptor2C (HTR2C)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brasch-Andersen, Charlotte; Møller, Malik U; Christiansen, Lene

2011-01-01

the association between polymorphisms in genes involved in the serotonergic pathway and the effect of escitalopram on peripheral neuropathic pain. METHODS: We genotyped 34 participants from a placebo-controlled trial of escitalopram in peripheral neuropathic pain for polymorphisms in five genes: the serotonin.......047), with 75% carrying the C allele being responders. The same tendency was seen in women. Similarly, carriership of the C allele at rs6318 was associated with better pain relief during treatment with escitalopram [odds ratio (OR) 15.5, p = 0.014)] Furthermore, there was a tendency of better relief...... with increasing number of short alleles for the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism of the serotonin transporter (OR 5.7, p = 0.057). None of the other polymorphisms showed a significant association with treatment response to escitalopram. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that variation in the HTR2C gene is associated...

The prevalence and characterization of self-medication for obtaining pain relief among undergraduate nursing students

OpenAIRE

Souza,Layz Alves Ferreira; Silva,Camila Damázio da; Ferraz,Gisely Carvalho; Sousa,Fátima Aparecida Emm Faleiros; Pereira,Lílian Varanda

2011-01-01

This study investigates the prevalence of self-medication among undergraduate nursing students seeking to relieve pain and characterizes the pain and relief obtained through the used medication. This epidemiological and cross-sectional study was carried out with 211 nursing students from a public university in Goiás, GO, Brazil. A numerical scale (0-10) measured pain intensity and relief. The prevalence of self-medication was 38.8%. The source and main determining factor of this practice were...

Effectiveness of Acupressure Treatment for Pain Management and Fatigue Relief in Gulf War Veterans

Science.gov (United States)

2016-10-01

only one site – Cleveland Clinic Foundation. No cost extension of a 12-months of period has been submitted. Study Advertisements The online ads...other documentation. Effectiveness of Acupressure Treatment for Pain Management and Fatigue Relief in Gulf War Veterans REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE...2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Effectiveness of Acupressure Treatment for Pain Management and Fatigue Relief in Gulf War Veterans 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b

Short-Term Effects of Kinesiotaping on Pain and Joint Alignment in Conservative Treatment of Hallux Valgus.

Science.gov (United States)

Karabicak, Gul Oznur; Bek, Nilgun; Tiftikci, Ugur

2015-10-01

The main aim of this study was to measure short-term effects of kinesiotaping on pain and joint alignment in the conservative treatment of hallux valgus. Twenty-one female patients diagnosed with a total of 34 feet with hallux valgus (13 bilateral, 6 right, and 2 left) participated in this study. Kinesiotaping was implemented after the first assessment and renewed in days 3, 7, and 10. The main outcome measures were pain, as assessed using visual analog scale, and hallux adduction angle, as measured by goniometry. Secondary outcome measure was patients' functional status, as measured by Foot Function Index and the hallux valgus scale of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS). The radiographic results were also measured before and after 1 month of treatment. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare the differences between initial and final scores of AOFAS, as well as FFI scales and hallux valgus angle assessment scores. There was a significant reduction in goniometric measurement of hallux valgus angle (P = .001). There was a significant reduction in pain intensity (P = .001) and AOFAS and Foot Function Index scores at the end of the treatment (P = .001 and P = .001, respectively). There was a significant difference between radiographic results in 1-month control (P = .009). For this group of female patients, pain and joint alignment were improved after a 10-day kinesiotape implementation in patients with hallux valgus. The findings showed short-term decreased pain and disability in hallux valgus deformity. Copyright © 2015 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pain Relief in Labor: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusions: This study showed that 600 mg intramuscular paracetamol provides similar and modest pain relief in labor when compared to 100 mg intramuscular tramadol. It also has fewer maternal adverse effects and favorable neonatal outcome such as tramadol. It is concluded that intramuscular paracetamol is simple, ...

A novel and effective acupuncture modality as a complementary therapy to acute pain relief in inpatients with rib fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Hsin-Yi; Chen, Chao-Wei; Li, Ming-Chieh; Hsu, Yu-Pao; Kang, Shih-Ching; Liu, Erh-Hao; Lee, Ko-Hung

2014-01-01

Pain control has been emphasized as a priority for both practitioners and inpatients with rib fractures, since analgesia could only offer limited relief from severe pain. A prospective and randomized controlled trial was conducted to analyze the efficacy and efficiency of acupuncture in acute pain relief for inpatients with rib fractures. A total of 58 inpatients were recruited and allocated to two groups, receiving identical doses of conventional oral analgesics as well as filiform needles as treatment and thumbtack intradermal (TI) needles placed upon the skin surface as a control, respectively, via novel acupuncture modality once daily for three consecutive days. The effect of pain relief was evaluated during activities that induce pain, and sustained maximal inspiration (SMI) lung volumes and sleep quality were assessed. The patients treated with filiform needles had more effective pain relief than those in the TI needle group during deep breathing, coughing, and turning over the body (p pain relief via acupuncture. The active evaluation could provide a more adaptive model for assessing pain intensity due to rib fractures. This novel acupuncture modality in which the needle insertion sites are corresponding to the pain spots can be a safe and viable therapy for relieving pain in inpatients with rib fractures.

Pain management in the nursing home.

Science.gov (United States)

Dumas, Linda G; Ramadurai, Murali

2009-06-01

This article is about pain management and some of the best practices to address the problem of pain in nursing home patients who have a serious illness and multiple comorbid conditions. Management of the emotional distress that accompanies chronic or acute pain is of foremost concern. In this article, the topics discussed include general pain management in a nursing home for a long-term care resident who has chronic pain, the relief of symptoms and suffering in a patient who is on palliative care and hospice, and the pain management of a postoperative patient with acute pain for a short transitional period (post-acute illness or surgery).

Predictors of Pain Relief Following Spinal Cord Stimulation in Chronic Back and Leg Pain and Failed Back Surgery Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Rod S; Desai, Mehul J; Rigoard, Philippe; Taylor, Rebecca J

2014-01-01

We sought to assess the extent to which pain relief in chronic back and leg pain (CBLP) following spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is influenced by patient-related factors, including pain location, and technology factors. A number of electronic databases were searched with citation searching of included papers and recent systematic reviews. All study designs were included. The primary outcome was pain relief following SCS, we also sought pain score (pre- and post-SCS). Multiple predictive factors were examined: location of pain, history of back surgery, initial level of pain, litigation/worker's compensation, age, gender, duration of pain, duration of follow-up, publication year, continent of data collection, study design, quality score, method of SCS lead implant, and type of SCS lead. Between-study association in predictive factors and pain relief were assessed by meta-regression. Seventy-four studies (N = 3,025 patients with CBLP) met the inclusion criteria; 63 reported data to allow inclusion in a quantitative analysis. Evidence of substantial statistical heterogeneity (P pain relief following SCS was noted. The mean level of pain relief across studies was 58% (95% CI: 53% to 64%, random effects) at an average follow-up of 24 months. Multivariable meta-regression analysis showed no predictive patient or technology factors. SCS was effective in reducing pain irrespective of the location of CBLP. This review supports SCS as an effective pain relieving treatment for CBLP with predominant leg pain with or without a prior history of back surgery. Randomized controlled trials need to confirm the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of SCS in the CLBP population with predominant low back pain. PMID:23834386

The Use of Analgesic and Other Pain-Relief Drugs to Manage Chronic Low Back Pain: Results from a National Survey.

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Gouveia, Nélia; Rodrigues, Ana; Ramiro, Sofia; Eusébio, Mónica; Machado, Pedro M; Canhão, Helena; Branco, Jaime C

2017-03-01

To analyze and characterize the intake profile of pain-relief drugs in a population-based study of adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP). EpiReumaPt was a cross-sectional Portuguese population-based study (10,661 subjects). Self-reported active CLBP was considered to be low back pain on the day of enrollment and for ≥ 90 days. Prevalence and profile of analgesic intake was characterized among those self-reporting active CLBP, taking into account the intensity of pain and the World Health Organization (WHO) analgesic ladder. We further investigated whether the presence of active CLBP was a factor independently associated with the intake of analgesics (adjusted for potential confounders). Among 1,487 subjects with active CLBP, only 18.7% were using analgesic/pain-relief drugs. Estimated prevalence was anxiolytics, 14.1%; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), 12.3%; antidepressants, 10.1%; analgesic, antipyretics, 6.6%; anticonvulsants, 3.4%; central muscle relaxants, 2.6%; and analgesic opioids, 1.6%. Most subjects with severe pain were in the first step of the WHO analgesic ladder: NSAIDs plus anxiolytics (4.6%), NSAIDs plus antidepressants (3.2%), or NSAIDs plus muscle relaxants (2.5%). The presence of active CLBP was significantly associated with the intake of all therapeutic groups: antidepressants (odds ratio [OR] = 12.56; P pain-relief drug intake in patients with active CLBP was very low, even for those with severe pain. The WHO analgesic ladder was carefully followed, with an extremely conservative use of analgesic opioids even for those with severe pain. © 2016 World Institute of Pain.

Experiences and unmet needs of women with physical disabilities for pain relief during labor and delivery.

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Long-Bellil, Linda; Mitra, Monika; Iezzoni, Lisa I; Smeltzer, Suzanne C; Smith, Lauren D

2017-07-01

Childbirth is widely acknowledged as one of the most painful experiences most women will undergo in their lifetimes. Alleviating labor and delivery pain for women with physical disabilities can involve an additional level of complexity beyond that experienced by most women, but little research has explored their experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of women with physical disabilities with respect to pain relief during labor and delivery with the goal of informing their care. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with twenty-five women with physical disabilities from across the United States. Women expressed specific preferences for the method of pain relief. Some confronted systemic barriers in exploring their options for pain relief, while others were given a choice. At times, anesthesiologists lacked knowledge and experience in caring for women with disabilities. Conversely, some women described how the administration of anesthesia was meticulously planned and attributed their positive labor and delivery experiences to this careful planning. Advanced, individualized planning and evaluation of their options for pain relief was most satisfying to women and enabled them to make an informed choice. This approach is consistent with the recommendations of clinicians who have successfully provided pain relief during labor to women with complex physical disabilities. Clinicians who have successfully delivered babies of women with these and similar disabilities emphasize the importance of a team approach where the anesthesiologist and other specialists are involved early on in a woman's care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An audit of aspects of informed consent and pain relief in general ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

They were asked what they knew or had been informed about their diagnosis, operation and complications of surgery. On pain relief, patients were asked about their experiences on the first post-operative day and what relief they had from analgesics. Twenty four did not know the diagnosis and 36 were not told what ...

Endogenous opioid activity in the anterior cingulate cortex is required for relief of pain.

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Navratilova, Edita; Xie, Jennifer Yanhua; Meske, Diana; Qu, Chaoling; Morimura, Kozo; Okun, Alec; Arakawa, Naohisa; Ossipov, Michael; Fields, Howard L; Porreca, Frank

2015-05-06

Pain is aversive, and its relief elicits reward mediated by dopaminergic signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a part of the mesolimbic reward motivation pathway. How the reward pathway is engaged by pain-relieving treatments is not known. Endogenous opioid signaling in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), an area encoding pain aversiveness, contributes to pain modulation. We examined whether endogenous ACC opioid neurotransmission is required for relief of pain and subsequent downstream activation of NAc dopamine signaling. Conditioned place preference (CPP) and in vivo microdialysis were used to assess negative reinforcement and NAc dopaminergic transmission. In rats with postsurgical or neuropathic pain, blockade of opioid signaling in the rostral ACC (rACC) inhibited CPP and NAc dopamine release resulting from non-opioid pain-relieving treatments, including peripheral nerve block or spinal clonidine, an α2-adrenergic agonist. Conversely, pharmacological activation of rACC opioid receptors of injured, but not pain-free, animals was sufficient to stimulate dopamine release in the NAc and produce CPP. In neuropathic, but not sham-operated, rats, systemic doses of morphine that did not affect withdrawal thresholds elicited CPP and NAc dopamine release, effects that were prevented by blockade of ACC opioid receptors. The data provide a neural explanation for the preferential effects of opioids on pain affect and demonstrate that engagement of NAc dopaminergic transmission by non-opioid pain-relieving treatments depends on upstream ACC opioid circuits. Endogenous opioid signaling in the ACC appears to be both necessary and sufficient for relief of pain aversiveness. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/357264-08$15.00/0.

Antioxidant therapy for pain relief in patients with chronic pancreatitis: systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Cai, Guo-Hong; Huang, Jing; Zhao, Yan; Chen, Jing; Wu, Huang-Hui; Dong, Yu-Lin; Smith, Howard S; Li, Yun-Qing; Wang, Wen; Wu, Sheng-Xi

2013-01-01

Currently, there is no specific therapy for chronic pancreatitis (CP). The treatment of micronutrient antioxidant therapy for painful CP has been sporadically used for more than 30 years, however, its efficacy are still poorly understood. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to investigate the safety and efficacy of antioxidant therapy for pain relief in patients with CP. University Hospital in China Systematic review and meta-analysis Two authors independently reviewed the search results and extracted data and disagreements were resolved by discussion. Effects were summarized using standardized mean differences (SMDs), weighted mean differences, or odds ratio (OR) according to the suitable effect model. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials  were searched from 1980 through December 2012. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that studied antioxidant supplementation for pain relief in patients with CP were analyzed. Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 390 patients were included. Overall, there was no association of antioxidant therapy with pain reduction in CP patients (SMD, -0.55; 95% CI, -1.22 to 0.12; P = 0.67). However, antioxidant therapy significantly increased blood levels of antioxidants in CP patients versus the placebo group (SMD, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.43; P pain relief (SMD, -0.93; 95% CI, -1.72 to -0.14; P = 0.02), while the trials in which a single antioxidant was used revealed no significant pain relief (SMD, -0.12; 95% CI, -1.23 to 0.99; P = 0.83) in CP patients. Strong evidence was obtained that the antioxidants increased adverse effects (OR, 6.09; 95% CI, 2.29 to 16.17, P pain relief in CP patients. Measures of total antioxidant status may not help to monitor the efficacy of antioxidant therapy for patients with CP.

Non-invasive nursing technologies for pain relief during childbirth--the Brazilian nurse midwives' view.

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Vargens, Octavio M C; Silva, Alexandra C V; Progianti, Jane M

2013-11-01

to describe the non-invasive care technologies most frequently used by nurse midwives to relieve childbirth pain, and provide a synthesis of studies published by Brazilian nurse midwives on the use of such technologies. a systematic literature review focusing on the non-invasive pain relief strategies used by nurse midwives in Brazil. Surveys of three databases (BDENF, CINAHL and MEDLINE) were conducted between 2002 and 2012. The inclusion criteria were: (1) full-text article available; (2) published between 2002 and 2012; (3) written by Brazilian nurse midwives, and (4) fitting the descriptors: childbirth pain; non-invasive technologies; labour; and pain relief. For purposes of analysis, the technologies mentioned were classified into four main categories of support as they relate to environment, position, tactile stimulation, and energy level. we located 21 scientific articles that met the inclusion criteria and addressed the non-invasive technologies that nurse midwives use to provide pain relief during labour. The technologies most used was: stimulation of breathing and relaxation; use of massage with essential oils; encouraging freedom to move, to walk and the free choice for vertical positioning; use of showers and baths; use of birth ball. Brazilian nurse midwives have made efforts to focus care during delivery on the parturient. By studying and publishing about the non-invasive care technologies they have strengthened de-medicalised knowledge, based on scientific evidence and good outcomes in pain relief during labour. the study presented ideas towards improved theoretical foundations and strategies for establishing practice consonant with humanised care. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human milk for neonatal pain relief during ophthalmoscopy

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Laiane Medeiros Ribeiro

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Ophthalmoscopy performed for the early diagnosis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP is painful for preterm infants, thus necessitating interventions for minimizing pain. The present study aimed to establish the effectiveness of human milk, compared with sucrose, for pain relief in premature infants subjected to ophthalmoscopy for the early diagnosis of ROP. This investigation was a pilot, quasi-experimental study conducted with 14 premature infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU of a university hospital. Comparison between the groups did not yield a statistically significant difference relative to the crying time, salivary cortisol, or heart rate (HR. Human milk appears to be as effective as sucrose in relieving acute pain associated with ophthalmoscopy. The study’s limitations included its small sample size and lack of randomization. Experimental investigations with greater sample power should be performed to reinforce the evidence found in the present study.

IMPACT OF INTERFERENTIAL CURRENT ON PAIN RELIEF AMONG PATIENTS WITH ORCHIALGIA

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Hany M.I. Elgohary

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Scrotal discomfort can contribute to unusual impact on body scheme and result in behavioral alterations, as well as changes in sexual function such as delay of sexual ability that may affect both man and his companion. There are many physiotherapy modalities to reduce the intratesticular pain such as pelvic floor muscle training, hydrotherapy, ultrasound and electrotherapy. Interferential current therapy is a noninvasive therapy used to reduce acute and chronic, post-operative and post-trauma acute pain. It provides a safe and effective alternative to pharmacological approaches to pain control. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the efficacy of interferential current in alleviating testicular pain. Methods: Randomized clinical study conducted on 50 participants. They divided into two equal groups: Group A received interferential current with two electrodes placed over the upper medial aspects of thighs and the other two electrodes were positioned over the suprapubic area. While group B received placebo interferential current. The treatment protocol was applied 3 times/ week for six successive weeks, in a total of 18 sessions. Patients were evaluated before and after the six weeks of the treatment by visual analogue scale and pain intensity while pain relief scale was measured after the treatment. Results: Group A showed a significant pain improvement in both inter and intra group comparison in all measured parameters (visual analogue scale and pain intensity while pain relief scale (p <0.05. Conclusion: The findings show that interferential current is an effective modality and can be recommended for the treatment of testicular pain.

Pentazocine Pain Relief in Adult Patients With Acute Abdominal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

jen

on pain relief, diagnostic accuracy and treatment decisions in patients with acute ... With level of power at 80% and a 5% significance level, a ... 72 hours` duration and were judged by the attending physician to require surgical consultation. .... Clinically Important Differences Between Pre Injection, Post Injection and Final ...

Short-term clinical experience with hip resurfacing arthroplasty.

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Cieliński, Łukasz; Kusz, Damian; Wojciechowski, Piotr; Dziuba, Anna

2007-01-01

This paper discusses the authors' experience with hip resurfacing arthroplasty. Although introduced many years ago, the method did not gain wide popularity because of poor long-term outcomes. At present, owing to the introduction of metal-on-metal bearings and hybrid fixation techniques, short- and mid-term results are very good and encourage wider use of this technique, especially in the younger and more active patients whose results with standard total hip replacements would be unsatisfactory. We performed 13 hip resurfacing arthroplasties at our institution between August 1, 2005, and May 1, 2006. Twelve patients reported for the scheduled follow-up and were included in the study. Treatment outcomes were assessed according to the Harris Hip Score. The short-term outcomes of hip resurfacing arthroplasties are encouraging. In the study group there were no intraoperative complications, infections, peripheral nerve palsy, hip dislocations or clinically overt vein thrombosis. All of the patients reported complete or major pain relief. Clinical assessment according to the Harris Hip Score revealed improvement from an average of 57.7 (20.1) points preoperatively to an average of 87.7 (12) points after the surgery. Crutches were used for a maximum of 6 weeks postoperatively. All of the patients are currently able to walk without crutches with full weight-bearing. 1) Hip resurfacing arthroplasty seems to be an advisable method of operative management of younger, active patients, in whom standard THR would be associated with a high risk of failure; it allows THR to be postponed and carried out as a revision surgery with the acetabular component already in place. 2) Despite the good short- and mid-term results, the utility of this method should be evaluated with caution due to the lack of adequate long-term follow-up data.

Introducing a patient-controlled analgesia-based acute pain relief ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The 10 months after the introduction of the first acute pain relief service (APRS) in southern Africa is described. Seven hundred patients were treated with morphine by means of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), administered to patients after major surgery or extensive burns via the intravenous (IV) or subcutaneous (SC) ...

Testing the impact of a multimedia video CD of patient-controlled analgesia on pain knowledge and pain relief in patients receiving surgery.

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Chen, Hsing-Hsia; Yeh, Mei-Ling; Yang, Hui-Ju

2005-07-01

This study aimed to develop a multimedia video CD (VCD) of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) and test its effects on pain knowledge and pain relief in patients receiving surgery. This multimedia VCD of PCA was created to convey fundamental knowledge to both patients and their family members and help patients properly utilize PCA devices to relieve pain and improve recovery. The content of multimedia VCD of PCA included pre-admission pain education, introduction of PCA, nursing care procedures, and questions and answers. This study used a quasi-experimental research design to test effects of the multimedia education program in the experimental group of 30 subjects compared to the control subjects of equal number (without the multimedia VCD of PCA). (1) The intervention of multimedia VCD of PCA resulted in a statistically significant difference in pain knowledge between the experimental and control groups. (2) Subjects in the experimental group obtained a better outcome of pain relief compared to control subjects. (3) Subjects in the experimental group indicated that the multimedia VCD of PCA indeed helped them effectively operate their PCA devices to relieve surgery pain. The clinical application of the multimedia VCD of PCA could help patients improve knowledge on pain, learn how to use PCA devices, achieve proper pain relief, and increase effectiveness of recovery activities.

Pain relief in labour: tramadol versus pentazocine

OpenAIRE

Kavita Chandnani; H. B. Sainee

2013-01-01

Background: The present study was undertaken to compare the effect of 100 mg intramuscular tramadol to 30 mg intramuscular Pentazocine for labour analgesia. Methods: A total of 60 cases with 37-40 weeks pregnancy in labour, without any foetal or maternal complications were selected. Out of them Inj. Tramadol was given to 30 cases while rest of the 30 patients received injection Pentazocine. Results: In Tramadol group pain relief was observed in 80% cases, effect started as early as 7-8 min an...

Multiple cutaneous leiomyomas: Pain relief with pulsed hysocine butyl bromide

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Kaliyadan Feroze

2009-01-01

Full Text Available A 35-year-old male patient presented to our outpatient department, complaining of multiple, raised skin lesions on the forehead and back, associated with intermittent pain, especially on exposure to cold. A diagnosis of cutaneous leiomyoma (type 2 segmental was made, which was confirmed by skin biopsy. The patient was started on a trial of pulsed Hyoscine Butyl bromide tablets, following which the patient had significant relief from pain associated with the lesions.

Effect of Sucrose Analgesia, for Repeated Painful Procedures, on Short-term Neurobehavioral Outcome of Preterm Neonates: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

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Banga, Shreshtha; Datta, Vikram; Rehan, Harmeet Singh; Bhakhri, Bhanu Kiran

2016-04-01

Safety of oral sucrose, commonly used procedural analgesic in neonates, is questioned. To evaluate the effect of sucrose analgesia, for repeated painful procedures, on short-term neurobehavioral outcome of preterm neonates. Stable preterm neonates were randomized to receive either sucrose or distilled water orally, for every potentially painful procedure during the first 7 days after enrollment. Neurodevelopmental status at 40 weeks postconceptional age (PCA) measured using the domains of Neurobehavioral Assessment of Preterm Infants scale. A total of 93 newborns were analyzed. The baseline characteristics of the groups were comparable. No statistically significant difference was observed in the assessment at 40 weeks PCA, among the groups. Use of sucrose analgesia, for repeated painful procedures on newborns, does not lead to any significant difference in the short-term neurobehavioral outcome. © The Author [2015]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effectiveness and prognostic factors of radiotherapy for painful plantar heel spurs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, O.; Bosch, E.; Gott, C.; Adamietz, I.A.; Stueckle, C.A.

2004-01-01

In this paper, the effectiveness (pain relief rate and long-term results) and prognostic factors of RT for plantar heel pain have been investigated. Patients and methods: From January 2000 to October 2000, 62 patients (73 heels) with painful plantar heel spurs and a minimum pain history of 3 months were treated and evaluated in a prospective study. Mean age was 54 years (range 28-84 years). All patients were treated with a total dose of 5 Gy in seven fractions (= one series), given twice a week at a single-dose sequence of 0.25-0.25-0.5-1.0-1.0-1.0-1-0. Gy (10-MV photons, source-skin distance [SSD] 100 cm, direct portal, field size 12 x 17 cm). The mean duration of heel pain before RT was 26 weeks (= 6.5 months; range 3-120 months). By means of a visual analog scale (VAS) the patients had to self-assess the quantity of their heel pain once before, three times during and four times after RT at a long-term median follow-up of 28 and 40 months. Additionally, the patients had to assess their mechanical heel stress extent during RT. Effectiveness was estimated according to the patients' judgment of pain reduction. The results confirm the high efficacy of RT in painful plantar spur and add new aspects to formerly published data concerning the time course of changes in heel pain reduction. Pain relief can be expected during and shortly after RT. In addition, the initial success can be transformed into effective long-term results >2 years after RT; however, further improvement is not to be expected. As a new prognostic factor, the reduction of mechanical heel stress during RT may ameliorate the short-term results, whereas short heel pain history improves the long-term results. Especially for older patients, RT should be taken into consideration as primary treatment. (orig.)

Treatment of Low Back Pain with a Digital Multidisciplinary Pain Treatment App: Short-Term Results.

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Huber, Stephan; Priebe, Janosch A; Baumann, Kaja-Maria; Plidschun, Anne; Schiessl, Christine; Tölle, Thomas R

2017-12-04

Even though modern concepts of disease management of unspecific low back pain (LBP) postulate active participation of patients, this strategy is difficult to adapt unless multidisciplinary pain therapy is applied. Recently, mobile health solutions have proven to be effective aides to foster self-management of many diseases. The objective of this paper was to report on the retrospective short-term results of a digital multidisciplinary pain app for the treatment of LBP. Kaia is a mobile app that digitalizes multidisciplinary pain treatment and is in the market as a medical product class I. For the current study, the data of anonymized Kaia users was retrospectively analyzed. User data were evaluated for 12 weeks regarding duration of use and effect on in-app user reported pain levels, using the numerical rating scale (NRS), depending on whether LBP was classified as acute, subacute, or chronic back pain according to current guidelines. Data of 180 users were available. The mean age of the users was 33.9 years (SD 10.9). Pain levels decreased from baseline NRS 4.8 to 3.75 for all users at the end of the observation period. Users who completed 4, 8, or 12 weeks showed an even more pronounced decrease in pain level NRS (baseline 4.9 [SD 1.7] versus 3.6 [SD 1.5] at 4 weeks; baseline 4.7 [SD 1.8] versus 3.2 [SD [2.0] at 8 weeks; baseline 4.6 [SD 2.2] versus 2.6 [SD 2.0] at 12 weeks). In addition, subgroup analysis of acute, subacute, or chronic classification revealed no significant main effect of group (P>.30) on the reduction of pain. Conclusions: This retrospective study showed that in a pre-selected population of app users, an app digitalizing multidisciplinary rehabilitation for the self-management of LBP reduced user-reported pain levels significantly. The observed effect size was clinically relevant. Ongoing prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) will adjust for potential bias and selection effects. This retrospective study showed that in a pre

More in hope than expectation: a systematic review of women's expectations and experience of pain relief in labour

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Macphail Sheila

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Childbirth is one of the most painful events that a woman is likely to experience, the multi-dimensional aspect and intensity of which far exceeds disease conditions. A woman's lack of knowledge about the risks and benefits of the various methods of pain relief can heighten anxiety. Women are increasingly expected, and are expecting, to participate in decisions about their healthcare. Involvement should allow women to make better-informed decisions; the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has stated that we need effective ways of supporting pregnant women in making informed decisions during labour. Our aim was to systematically review the empirical literature on women's expectations and experiences of pain and pain relief during labour, as well as their involvement in the decision-making process. Methods A systematic review was conducted using the following databases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL, Bath Information and Database Service (BIDS, Excerpta Medica Database Guide (EMBASE, Midwives Information and Resource (MIDIRS, Sociological Abstracts and PsychINFO. Studies that examined experience and expectations of pain, and its relief in labour, were appraised and the findings were integrated into a systematic review. Results Appraisal revealed four key themes: the level and type of pain, pain relief, involvement in decision-making and control. Studies predominantly showed that women underestimated the pain they would experience. Women may hope for a labour free of pain relief, but many found that they needed or benefited from it. There is a distinction between women's desire for a drug-free labour and the expectation that they may need some sort of pain relief. Inaccurate or unrealistic expectations about pain may mean that women are not prepared appropriately for labour. Many women acknowledged that they wanted to

Mindfulness Meditation-Based Pain Relief Employs Different Neural Mechanisms Than Placebo and Sham Mindfulness Meditation-Induced Analgesia

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Emerson, Nichole M.; Farris, Suzan R.; Ray, Jenna N.; Jung, Youngkyoo; McHaffie, John G.; Coghill, Robert C.

2015-01-01

Mindfulness meditation reduces pain in experimental and clinical settings. However, it remains unknown whether mindfulness meditation engages pain-relieving mechanisms other than those associated with the placebo effect (e.g., conditioning, psychosocial context, beliefs). To determine whether the analgesic mechanisms of mindfulness meditation are different from placebo, we randomly assigned 75 healthy, human volunteers to 4 d of the following: (1) mindfulness meditation, (2) placebo conditioning, (3) sham mindfulness meditation, or (4) book-listening control intervention. We assessed intervention efficacy using psychophysical evaluation of experimental pain and functional neuroimaging. Importantly, all cognitive manipulations (i.e., mindfulness meditation, placebo conditioning, sham mindfulness meditation) significantly attenuated pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings when compared to rest and the control condition (p Mindfulness meditation reduced pain intensity (p = 0.032) and pain unpleasantness (p Mindfulness meditation also reduced pain intensity (p = 0.030) and pain unpleasantness (p = 0.043) ratings more than sham mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness-meditation-related pain relief was associated with greater activation in brain regions associated with the cognitive modulation of pain, including the orbitofrontal, subgenual anterior cingulate, and anterior insular cortex. In contrast, placebo analgesia was associated with activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and deactivation of sensory processing regions (secondary somatosensory cortex). Sham mindfulness meditation-induced analgesia was not correlated with significant neural activity, but rather by greater reductions in respiration rate. This study is the first to demonstrate that mindfulness-related pain relief is mechanistically distinct from placebo analgesia. The elucidation of this distinction confirms the existence of multiple, cognitively driven, supraspinal mechanisms for pain

Mindfulness Meditation-Based Pain Relief Employs Different Neural Mechanisms Than Placebo and Sham Mindfulness Meditation-Induced Analgesia.

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Zeidan, Fadel; Emerson, Nichole M; Farris, Suzan R; Ray, Jenna N; Jung, Youngkyoo; McHaffie, John G; Coghill, Robert C

2015-11-18

Mindfulness meditation reduces pain in experimental and clinical settings. However, it remains unknown whether mindfulness meditation engages pain-relieving mechanisms other than those associated with the placebo effect (e.g., conditioning, psychosocial context, beliefs). To determine whether the analgesic mechanisms of mindfulness meditation are different from placebo, we randomly assigned 75 healthy, human volunteers to 4 d of the following: (1) mindfulness meditation, (2) placebo conditioning, (3) sham mindfulness meditation, or (4) book-listening control intervention. We assessed intervention efficacy using psychophysical evaluation of experimental pain and functional neuroimaging. Importantly, all cognitive manipulations (i.e., mindfulness meditation, placebo conditioning, sham mindfulness meditation) significantly attenuated pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings when compared to rest and the control condition (p pain intensity (p = 0.032) and pain unpleasantness (p pain intensity (p = 0.030) and pain unpleasantness (p = 0.043) ratings more than sham mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness-meditation-related pain relief was associated with greater activation in brain regions associated with the cognitive modulation of pain, including the orbitofrontal, subgenual anterior cingulate, and anterior insular cortex. In contrast, placebo analgesia was associated with activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and deactivation of sensory processing regions (secondary somatosensory cortex). Sham mindfulness meditation-induced analgesia was not correlated with significant neural activity, but rather by greater reductions in respiration rate. This study is the first to demonstrate that mindfulness-related pain relief is mechanistically distinct from placebo analgesia. The elucidation of this distinction confirms the existence of multiple, cognitively driven, supraspinal mechanisms for pain modulation. Recent findings have demonstrated that mindfulness meditation

Management of lumbar zygapophysial (facet) joint pain

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Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Hirsch, Joshua A; Falco, Frank JE; Boswell, Mark V

2016-01-01

AIM: To investigate the diagnostic validity and therapeutic value of lumbar facet joint interventions in managing chronic low back pain. METHODS: The review process applied systematic evidence-based assessment methodology of controlled trials of diagnostic validity and randomized controlled trials of therapeutic efficacy. Inclusion criteria encompassed all facet joint interventions performed in a controlled fashion. The pain relief of greater than 50% was the outcome measure for diagnostic accuracy assessment of the controlled studies with ability to perform previously painful movements, whereas, for randomized controlled therapeutic efficacy studies, the primary outcome was significant pain relief and the secondary outcome was a positive change in functional status. For the inclusion of the diagnostic controlled studies, all studies must have utilized either placebo controlled facet joint blocks or comparative local anesthetic blocks. In assessing therapeutic interventions, short-term and long-term reliefs were defined as either up to 6 mo or greater than 6 mo of relief. The literature search was extensive utilizing various types of electronic search media including PubMed from 1966 onwards, Cochrane library, National Guideline Clearinghouse, clinicaltrials.gov, along with other sources including previous systematic reviews, non-indexed journals, and abstracts until March 2015. Each manuscript included in the assessment was assessed for methodologic quality or risk of bias assessment utilizing the Quality Appraisal of Reliability Studies checklist for diagnostic interventions, and Cochrane review criteria and the Interventional Pain Management Techniques - Quality Appraisal of Reliability and Risk of Bias Assessment tool for therapeutic interventions. Evidence based on the review of the systematic assessment of controlled studies was graded utilizing a modified schema of qualitative evidence with best evidence synthesis, variable from level I to level V

A novel and effective acupuncture modality as a complementary therapy to acute pain relief in inpatients with rib fractures

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Hsin-Yi Ho

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Pain control has been emphasized as a priority for both practitioners and inpatients with rib fractures, since analgesia could only offer limited relief from severe pain. A prospective and randomized controlled trial was conducted to analyze the efficacy and efficiency of acupuncture in acute pain relief for inpatients with rib fractures. Methods: A total of 58 inpatients were recruited and allocated to two groups, receiving identical doses of conventional oral analgesics as well as filiform needles as treatment and thumbtack intradermal (TI needles placed upon the skin surface as a control, respectively, via novel acupuncture modality once daily for three consecutive days. The effect of pain relief was evaluated during activities that induce pain, and sustained maximal inspiration (SMI lung volumes and sleep quality were assessed. Results: The patients treated with filiform needles had more effective pain relief than those in the TI needle group during deep breathing, coughing, and turning over the body (p < 0.05, and the effect persisted for at least 6 h in most patients. Sustained maximal inspiration lung volumes and sleep quality did not show improvement through every acupuncture intervention, and they could not respond accurately to pain relief via acupuncture. Conclusion: The active evaluation could provide a more adaptive model for assessing pain intensity due to rib fractures. This novel acupuncture modality in which the needle insertion sites are corresponding to the pain spots can be a safe and viable therapy for relieving pain in inpatients with rib fractures.

Higher dose rate Gamma Knife radiosurgery may provide earlier and longer-lasting pain relief for patients with trigeminal neuralgia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, John Y K; Sandhu, Sukhmeet; Miller, Denise; Solberg, Timothy; Dorsey, Jay F; Alonso-Basanta, Michelle

2015-10-01

Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) utilizes cobalt-60 as its radiation source, and thus dose rate varies as the fixed source decays over its half-life of approximately 5.26 years. This natural decay results in increasing treatment times when delivering the same cumulative dose. It is also possible, however, that the biological effective dose may change based on this dose rate even if the total dose is kept constant. Because patients are generally treated in a uniform manner, radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) represents a clinical model whereby biological efficacy can be tested. The authors hypothesized that higher dose rates would result in earlier and more complete pain relief but only if measured with a sensitive pain assessment tool. One hundred thirty-three patients were treated with the Gamma Knife Model 4C unit at a single center by a single neurosurgeon during a single cobalt life cycle from January 2006 to May 2012. All patients were treated with 80 Gy with a single 4-mm isocenter without blocking. Using an output factor of 0.87, dose rates ranged from 1.28 to 2.95 Gy/min. The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)-Facial was administered before the procedure and at the first follow-up office visit 1 month from the procedure (mean 1.3 months). Phone calls were made to evaluate patients after their procedures as part of a retrospective study. Univariate and multivariate linear regression was performed on several independent variables, including sex, age in deciles, diagnosis, follow-up duration, prior surgery, and dose rate. In the short-term analysis (mean 1.3 months), patients' self-reported pain intensity at its worst was significantly correlated with dose rate on multivariate analysis (p = 0.028). Similarly, patients' self-reported interference with activities of daily living was closely correlated with dose rate on multivariate analysis (p = 0.067). A 1 Gy/min decrease in dose rate resulted in a 17% decrease in pain intensity at its worst and a 22% decrease

Ibuprofen and/or paracetamol (acetaminophen) for pain relief after surgical removal of lower wisdom teeth, a Cochrane systematic review.

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Bailey, E; Worthington, H; Coulthard, P

2014-04-01

This paper compares the beneficial and harmful effects of paracetamol, ibuprofen and the novel combination of both in a single tablet for pain relief following the surgical removal of lower wisdom teeth. In this systematic review only randomised controlled double-blinded clinical trials were included. We calculated the proportion of patients with at least 50% pain relief at 2 and 6 hours post dosing, along with the proportion of participants using rescue medication at 6 and 8 hours. Adverse events were also analysed. Data was meta-analysed where possible. Seven studies were included with a total of 2,241 participants enrolled. Ibuprofen 400 mg is superior to 1,000 mg paracetamol with a risk ratio for at least 50% pain relief at 6 hours of 1.47 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28 to 1.69). For the combined drug, the risk ratio for at least 50% maximum pain relief over 6 hours is 1.77 (95% CI 1.32 to 2.39) based on total pain relief (TOTPAR) data. There is high quality evidence that ibuprofen is superior to paracetamol. The novel combination drug shows encouraging results when compared to the single drugs (based on two trials).

Continous Infusion of Remifentanil Plus Ketamine Compared with Continous Remifentanil for Pain Relief in Labour

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Anooshe Khajehdehi

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background and objective: Pain relief during labour is an important determinant of a women’s birth experience. There are numerous pain relief techniques which can be used either with or without pain medication. The aim of our study was to compare the effect of remifentanil alone and its effect in pain relief while using with ketamine during labour. Methods: After obtaining informed consent and approval of hospital ethics committee, 40 women with gestational age between 38 and 42 weeks gestation in early labour were recruited for this study. They were randomly allocated into two groups: group RK (20 cases received 25 μg remifentanil as a starting dose and continuous infusion of 0.06 μg/kg/min remifentanil plus 0.5 mg/kg/h ketamine for 4 hours via pump and group R (20 cases received 25 μg remifentanil as a starting dose and continous infusion of 0.06 μg/kg/min remifentanil. Results: The baseline of pain scores were similar in both groups (5.75 ± 2.51 vs 7 ± 2.45, p= 0.12 but after 30 minutes to 120 minutes the VAS scores were significantly higher in R group (p< 0.001. The rate of patients who were satisfied (excellent and very good in RK was 80% but in R group was 45% (p = 0.03. Nausea and vomiting were significantly higher in R group (p<0.05. Conclusion: The remifentanil plus ketamine produced better pain relief during labour with continous monitoring than continous remifentanil with no adverse effects for mothers and infants.

Radiation-induced relief of pain in an animal model with bone invasion from cancer

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Seong, J.; Kim, J.; Kim, K.H.; Kim, U.J.; Lee, B.W.

2003-01-01

In clinic, local radiation is effective for relief of pain from cancer invasion into the bones. This effect is usually observed before the regression of tumor occurs, which implies radiation-induced pain relief by mechanisms other than tumor irradication. In this study, possible mechanisms were explored in animal model system. To establish an animal model, syngeneic hepatocarcinoma, HCa-I was transplanted on femoral periosteum of C3H/HeJ male mice and bone-invasive tumor growth was identified through the histological analysis. Development of tumor-induced pain was assessed by von Frey filament test, acetone test, and radiant heat test. Animals were also irradiated for their tumors. Any change in pain was analyzed by above tests for the quantitative change and by immunohistochemical stain for the expression of molecules such as c-fos, substance P, and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in lumbar spinal cord. Cancer invasion into the bone was started from 7th day after transplantation and became evident at day 14. Objective increase of pain in the ipsilateral thigh was observed at day 14 on von Frey filament test and acetone test, while there was no remarkable regression of the tumors. In this model system, local radiation of tumor resulted in decrease in objective pain on von Frey filament test and acetone test. In the immunohistochemical stain for lumbar spinal cord, the expression of substance P and CGRP but not c-fos increased in tumor-bearing animal compared to the control. The expression of these molecules decreased in animals given local radiation. In summary, an animal model system was established for objective pain from cancer invasion into the bones. Local radiation of tumor induced objective pain relief and this effect seems to be mediated not by tumor regression but through altered production of pain-related molecules

Radiation-induced relief of pain in an animal model with bone invasion from cancer

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Seong, J; Kim, J; Kim, K H; Kim, U J; Lee, B W [Yonsei University Medical College, (Korea, Republic of)

2003-07-01

In clinic, local radiation is effective for relief of pain from cancer invasion into the bones. This effect is usually observed before the regression of tumor occurs, which implies radiation-induced pain relief by mechanisms other than tumor irradication. In this study, possible mechanisms were explored in animal model system. To establish an animal model, syngeneic hepatocarcinoma, HCa-I was transplanted on femoral periosteum of C3H/HeJ male mice and bone-invasive tumor growth was identified through the histological analysis. Development of tumor-induced pain was assessed by von Frey filament test, acetone test, and radiant heat test. Animals were also irradiated for their tumors. Any change in pain was analyzed by above tests for the quantitative change and by immunohistochemical stain for the expression of molecules such as c-fos, substance P, and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in lumbar spinal cord. Cancer invasion into the bone was started from 7th day after transplantation and became evident at day 14. Objective increase of pain in the ipsilateral thigh was observed at day 14 on von Frey filament test and acetone test, while there was no remarkable regression of the tumors. In this model system, local radiation of tumor resulted in decrease in objective pain on von Frey filament test and acetone test. In the immunohistochemical stain for lumbar spinal cord, the expression of substance P and CGRP but not c-fos increased in tumor-bearing animal compared to the control. The expression of these molecules decreased in animals given local radiation. In summary, an animal model system was established for objective pain from cancer invasion into the bones. Local radiation of tumor induced objective pain relief and this effect seems to be mediated not by tumor regression but through altered production of pain-related molecules.

The Effect of Different Local Anesthesia Methods on Pain Relief in Outpatient Endometrial Biopsy: Randomized Clinical Trial

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Elaheh Olad-Saheb-Madarek

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Endometrial biopsy is necessary for diagnosing the reason of abnormal uterine bleeding in perimenopausal women. Currently outpatient endometrial biopsy is used for evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding which is associated with moderate to severe pain. Using lidocaine is one of the procedures which is used for pain relief while biopsy. This study is aimed at comparing the effect of different local anesthesia procedures on pain relief during endometrial biopsy. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 160 multiparous 40-55 years old women with AUB, candidates for endometrial biopsy, were randomly assigned into four equal groups, to receive: 1-intrauterine lidocaine; 2-cervical spray lidocaine; 3- intrauterine lidocaine plus cervical spray lidocaine; or 4-intrauterine distilled water. Pain relief was measured at 3 different times: during endometrial biopsy, just after and 15 minutes after biopsy. Results: Pain intensity was reduced significantly at different times in intrauterine lidocaine and intrauterine lidocaine with cervical spray lidocaine receivers in compare with the groups which received cervical spray lidocaine and distilled water. The mean of difference pain relief during biopsy and 15 minutes after that was reduced significantly in the group which received intrauterine lidocaine and intrauterine lidocaine with cervical spray lidocaine in comparison with the other two groups. Conclusion: Intrauterine lidocaine was effective during endometrial biopsy, and using it with cervical spray lidocaine had no more beneficial effect.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Nonsucrose Sweet Solutions for Pain Relief in Neonates

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Mariana Bueno

2013-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Sucrose has been demonstrated to provide analgesia for minor painful procedures in infants. However, results of trials investigating other sweet solutions for neonatal pain relief have not yet been synthesized.

Effect of birth ball on labor pain relief: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Makvandi, Somayeh; Latifnejad Roudsari, Robab; Sadeghi, Ramin; Karimi, Leila

2015-11-01

To critically evaluate the available evidence related to the impact of using a birth ball on labor pain relief. The Cochrane library, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE/PubMed and Scopus were searched from their inception to January 2015 using keywords: (Birth* OR Swiss OR Swedish OR balance OR fitness OR gym* OR Pezzi OR sport* OR stability) AND (ball*) AND (labor OR labour OR Obstetric). All available randomized controlled trials involving women using a birth ball for pain relief during labor were considered. The search resulted in 341 titles and abstracts, which were narrowed down to eight potentially relevant articles. Of these, four studies met the inclusion criteria. Pain intensity on a 10 cm visual analogue scale was used as the main outcome measure. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 2 was used for statistical analysis. Four RCTs involving 220 women were included in the systematic review. One study was excluded from the meta-analysis because of heterogeneous interventions and a lack of mean and standard deviation results of labor pain score. The meta-analysis showed that birth ball exercises provided statistically significant improvements to labor pain (pooled mean difference -0.921; 95% confidence interval -1.28, -0.56; P = 0.0000005; I(2)  = 33.7%). The clinical implementation of a birth ball exercise could be an effective tool for parturient women to reduce labor pain. However, rigorous RCTs are needed to evaluate the effect of the birth ball on labor pain relief. © 2015 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Evoked potentials after painful cutaneous electrical stimulation depict pain relief during a conditioned pain modulation.

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Höffken, Oliver; Özgül, Özüm S; Enax-Krumova, Elena K; Tegenthoff, Martin; Maier, Christoph

2017-08-29

Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) evaluates the pain modulating effect of a noxious conditioning stimulus (CS) on another noxious test stimulus (TS), mostly based solely on subjective pain ratings. We used painful cutaneous electrical stimulation (PCES) to induce TS in a novel CPM-model. Additionally, to evaluate a more objective parameter, we recorded the corresponding changes of cortical evoked potentials (PCES-EP). We examined the CPM-effect in 17 healthy subjects in a randomized controlled cross-over design during immersion of the non-dominant hand into 10 °C or 24 °C cold water (CS). Using three custom-built concentric surface electrodes, electrical stimuli were applied on the dominant hand, inducing pain of 40-60 on NRS 0-100 (TS). At baseline, during and after CS we assessed the electrically induced pain intensity and electrically evoked potentials recorded over the central electrode (Cz). Only in the 10 °C-condition, both pain (52.6 ± 4.4 (baseline) vs. 30.3 ± 12.5 (during CS)) and amplitudes of PCES-EP (42.1 ± 13.4 μV (baseline) vs. 28.7 ± 10.5 μV (during CS)) attenuated during CS and recovered there after (all p pain ratings during electrical stimulation and amplitudes of PCES-EP correlated significantly with each other (r = 0.5) and with CS pain intensity (r = 0.5). PCES-EPs are a quantitative measure of pain relief, as changes in the electrophysiological response are paralleled by a consistent decrease in subjective pain ratings. This novel CPM paradigm is a feasible method, which could help to evaluate the function of the endogenous pain modulation processes. German Clinical Trials Register DRKS-ID: DRKS00012779 , retrospectively registered on 24 July 2017.

Multiple 60-Minute Massages per Week Offer Relief for Chronic Neck Pain

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... W X Y Z Multiple 60-Minute Massages per Week Offer Relief for Chronic Neck Pain Share: © ... funded study found that multiple 60-minute massages per week were more effective than fewer or shorter ...

Etoricoxib improves osteoarthritis pain relief, joint function, and quality of life in the extreme elderly

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Wen-Nan Huang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Etoricoxib is a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, with a lower risk of gastrointestinal toxicity compared to traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs. We evaluated the effectiveness and tolerability of etoricoxib in extremely elderly patients with chronic pain due to osteoarthritis (OA. A prospective, single-center, single-arm study was conducted, enrolling 19 extremely elderly men with OA (mean age 85.9, range 79-96 years, who responded inadequately to NSAIDs or other analgesics. Patients were switched to etoricoxib, 60 mg once daily for 4 weeks, without prior medication washout. Data were recorded before and after etoricoxib treatment. The primary endpoint was improvement in pain, assessed using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC after the 4-week treatment. Other endpoints included the Brief Pain Inventory Short Form (BPI-SF, Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM, Short Form 36 (SF36, and European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D. Safety and tolerability were assessed by collecting adverse events data. Pain and disability scores measured by WOMAC index were lower after treatment (pain, p ≤ 0.001; disability, p = 0.020. BPI-SF showed a significant improvement in joint function when walking and performing normal work (walking, p = 0.021; normal work, p = 0.030. SF36 scores improved for 7 out of 11 items after etoricoxib treatment (#1, p = 0.032; #4, p = 0.026; #5, p = 0.017; #6, p = 0.008; #7, p = 0.009; #8, p = 0.013; and #10, p = 0.038. EQ-5D showed a significant improvement in visual analogue scale scores (p = 0.036. TSQM results demonstrated a higher patient perception of overall satisfaction. No adverse events were reported. Pain relief, joint function, quality of life, and treatment satisfaction improved significantly in elderly patients with OA after etoricoxib administration.

MRI-guided cryoablation of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve for the treatment of neuropathy-mediated sitting pain

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Joshi, Dharmdev H.; Thawait, Gaurav K.; Fritz, Jan; Del Grande, Filippo

2017-01-01

Neuropathy of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve may manifest as pain and paresthesia in the skin over the inferior buttocks, posterior thigh, and popliteal region. Current treatment options include physical and oral pain therapy, perineural injections, and surgical neurectomy. Perineural steroid injections may provide short-term pain relief; however, to our knowledge, there is currently no minimally invasive denervation procedure for sustained pain relief that could serve as an alternative to surgical neurectomy. Percutaneous cryoablation of nerves is a minimally invasive technique that induces a sustained nerve conduction block through temporary freezing of the neural layers. It can result in long-lasting pain relief, but has not been described for the treatment of neuropathy-mediated PFCN pain. We report a technique of MR-guided cryoablation of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve resulting in successful treatment of PFCN-mediated sitting pain. Cryoablation of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve seems a promising, minimally invasive treatment option that deserves further investigation. (orig.)

MRI-guided cryoablation of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve for the treatment of neuropathy-mediated sitting pain

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Joshi, Dharmdev H.; Thawait, Gaurav K.; Fritz, Jan [Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Section of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Baltimore, MD (United States); Del Grande, Filippo [Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Section of Musculoskeletal Radiology, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Baltimore, MD (United States); Ospedale Regionale di Lugano, Servizio di Radiologia, Lugano, Ticino (Switzerland)

2017-07-15

Neuropathy of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve may manifest as pain and paresthesia in the skin over the inferior buttocks, posterior thigh, and popliteal region. Current treatment options include physical and oral pain therapy, perineural injections, and surgical neurectomy. Perineural steroid injections may provide short-term pain relief; however, to our knowledge, there is currently no minimally invasive denervation procedure for sustained pain relief that could serve as an alternative to surgical neurectomy. Percutaneous cryoablation of nerves is a minimally invasive technique that induces a sustained nerve conduction block through temporary freezing of the neural layers. It can result in long-lasting pain relief, but has not been described for the treatment of neuropathy-mediated PFCN pain. We report a technique of MR-guided cryoablation of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve resulting in successful treatment of PFCN-mediated sitting pain. Cryoablation of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve seems a promising, minimally invasive treatment option that deserves further investigation. (orig.)

Short-term test-retest-reliability of conditioned pain modulation using the cold-heat-pain method in healthy subjects and its correlation to parameters of standardized quantitative sensory testing.

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Gehling, Julia; Mainka, Tina; Vollert, Jan; Pogatzki-Zahn, Esther M; Maier, Christoph; Enax-Krumova, Elena K

2016-08-05

Conditioned Pain Modulation (CPM) is often used to assess human descending pain inhibition. Nine different studies on the test-retest-reliability of different CPM paradigms have been published, but none of them has investigated the commonly used heat-cold-pain method. The results vary widely and therefore, reliability measures cannot be extrapolated from one CPM paradigm to another. Aim of the present study was to analyse the test-retest-reliability of the common heat-cold-pain method and its correlation to pain thresholds. We tested the short-term test-retest-reliability within 40 ± 19.9 h using a cold-water immersion (10 °C, left hand) as conditioning stimulus (CS) and heat pain (43-49 °C, pain intensity 60 ± 5 on the 101-point numeric rating scale, right forearm) as test stimulus (TS) in 25 healthy right-handed subjects (12females, 31.6 ± 14.1 years). The TS was applied 30s before (TSbefore), during (TSduring) and after (TSafter) the 60s CS. The difference between the pain ratings for TSbefore and TSduring represents the early CPM-effect, between TSbefore and TSafter the late CPM-effect. Quantitative sensory testing (QST, DFNS protocol) was performed on both sessions before the CPM assessment. paired t-tests, Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), smallest real difference (SRD), Pearson's correlation, Bland-Altman analysis, significance level p Pain ratings during CPM correlated significantly (ICC: 0.411…0.962) between both days, though ratings for TSafter were lower on day 2 (p pain thresholds. The short-term test-retest-reliability of the early CPM-effect using the heat-cold-pain method in healthy subjects achieved satisfying results in terms of the ICC. The SRD of the early CPM effect showed that an individual change of > 20 NRS can be attributed to a real change rather than chance. The late CPM-effect was weaker and not reliable.

Quadratus lumborum block for post-operative pain relief in patient with Prune belly syndrome.

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Garg, Chitra; Khanna, Sangeeta; Mehta, Yatin

2017-10-01

Abdominal field blocks are commonly used as part of multimodal analgesia for post-operative pain relief in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Conventionally, transversus abdominis plane block is used, but has the disadvantage of limited spread only to T10-T12 segments, providing only partial pain relief. The new quadratus lumborum (QL) block has the advantage of providing wider sensory block from T6 to L1 and thus has an evolving role in opioid-free anaesthesia. Opioid-induced cough depression, urinary retention, and drowsiness can be problematic in patients with Prune belly syndrome, who have deficient abdominal muscles and myriad of genitourinary problems. We report a case of a young male with Prune belly syndrome, who had a pain-free post-operative period after high inguinal orchidectomy with unilateral QL block.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for pain relief in labour.

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Dowswell, Therese; Bedwell, Carol; Lavender, Tina; Neilson, James P

2009-04-15

Transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) has been proposed as a means of reducing pain in labour. The TENS unit emits low-voltage electrical impulses which vary in frequency and intensity. During labour, TENS electrodes are generally placed on the lower back, although TENS may be used to stimulate acupuncture points or other parts of the body. The physiological mechanisms whereby TENS relieves pain are uncertain. The TENS unit is frequently operated by women, which may increase sense of control in labour. To assess the effects of TENS on pain in labour. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (November 2008). Randomised controlled trials comparing women receiving TENS for pain relief in labour versus routine care, alternative pharmacological methods of pain relief, or placebo devices. We included all types of TENS machines. Two review authors assessed for inclusion all trials identified by the search strategy, carried out data extraction and assessed risk of bias. We have recorded reasons for excluding studies. The search identified 25 studies; we excluded six and included 19 studies including 1671 women. Fifteen examined TENS applied to the back, two to acupuncture points and two to the cranium. Overall, there was little difference in pain ratings between TENS and control groups, although women receiving TENS to acupuncture points were less likely to report severe pain (risk ratio 0.41, 95% confidence interval 0.32 to 0.55). The majority of women using TENS said they would be willing to use it again in a future labour. Where TENS was used as an adjunct to epidural analgesia there was no evidence that it reduced pain. There was no consistent evidence that TENS had any impact on interventions and outcomes in labour. There was little information on outcomes for mothers and babies. No adverse events were reported. There is only limited evidence that TENS reduces pain in labour and it does not seem to have any impact (either positive or

[Safety and efficacy of ketamine for pain relief].

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Niesters, Marieke; Dahan, Albert; van Kleef, Maarten

2016-01-01

Intravenous ketamine treatment is frequently used for the management of chronic pain, especially in those patients who do not benefit from other therapies. In this commentary we discuss the efficacy of ketamine for relief of chronic pain and ketamine's safety profile. A review of the literature indicates that only a few studies show that intravenous ketamine has analgesic effects that persist beyond the infusion period, an effect that occurs in about two-thirds of patients. Ketamine has multiple safety issues, ranging from psychotomimetic and schizotypal symptoms, sympathetic stimulation, tachycardia and hypertension, and damage to the liver and the urogenital tract. Damage to the urogenital tract seems to be restricted to individuals who chronically abuse ketamine. We indicate the need for large randomized trials in which ketamine is compared with an 'active' placebo.

Low cost continuous femoral nerve block for relief of acute severe cancer related pain due to pathological fracture femur

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Rachel Cherian Koshy

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Pathological fractures in cancer patient cause severe pain that is difficult to control pharmacologically. Even with good pain relief at rest, breakthrough and incident pain can be unmanageable. Continuous regional nerve blocks have a definite role in controlling such intractable pain. We describe two such cases where severe pain was adequately relieved in the acute phase. Continuous femoral nerve block was used as an efficient, cheap and safe method of pain relief for two of our patients with pathological fracture femur. This method was proved to be quite efficient in decreasing the fracture-related pain and improving the level of well being.

Usefulness of K-Point Injection for the Nonspecific Neck Pain in So-Called K-Point Syndrome.

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Moon, Jeong Jae; Ahn, Myun Whan; Ahn, Hyo Sae; Lee, Sung Jun; Lee, Dong Yeol

2016-12-01

Shoichi Kokubun introduced his successful experience with local anesthetic injection at the occipital insertion of the sternocleidomastoid muscle in K-point syndrome. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term and long-term effectiveness of K-point injection and investigate factors affecting treatment results. K-point injection was performed in 58 patients with K-point syndrome at Yeungnam University Medical Center. The syndrome was associated with cervical whiplash injury in 10 patients and was of nonspecific origin in the rest. One milliliter of 2% lidocaine mixed with 1 milliliter of dexamethasone was injected in 50 patients and 2 milliliters of 1% lidocaine alone in the rest. Initially, the severity of local tenderness at the K-point and other tender points was examined and the degree of immediate pain relief effect was assessed within 1 hour after injection. Early effect within 1 month after the injection and current effect were evaluated in 27 patients using a modified Kim's questionnaire with regard to the duration of improvement, degree of improvement in pain and daily living activities, and satisfaction. Of the total 58 patients, 44 (75.8%) apparently had immediate pain relief after K-point injection. The only factor associated with successful immediate pain relief was the whiplash injury associated with traffic accident (TA). The early pain control effect was associated with the immediate effect. The current effect was associated with the early effect alone. Satisfaction with the K-point injection was related to early successful pain relief. K-point injection would be useful for early pain relief in nonspecific neck pain syndrome so called K-point syndrome, but not for current pain relief. Especially, it was very effective for early pain control in the whiplash injury associated with TA.

Comparison of short-term response to two spinal manipulation techniques for patients with low back pain in a military beneficiary population.

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Sutlive, Thomas G; Mabry, Lance M; Easterling, Emmanuel J; Durbin, Jose D; Hanson, Stephen L; Wainner, Robert S; Childs, John D

2009-07-01

To determine whether military health care beneficiaries with low back pain (LBP) who are likely to respond successfully to spinal manipulation experience a difference in short-term clinical outcomes based on the manipulation technique that is used. Sixty patients with LBP identified as likely responders to manipulation underwent a standardized clinical examination and were randomized to receive a lumbopelvic (LP) or lumbar neutral gap (NG) manipulation technique. Outcome measures were a numeric pain rating scale and the modified Oswestry Disability Questionnaire. Both the LP and NG groups experienced statistically significant reductions in pain and disability at 48 hours postmanipulation. The improvements seen in each group were small because of the short follow-up. There were no statistically significant or clinically meaningful differences in pain or disability between the two groups. The two manipulation techniques used in this study were equally effective at reducing pain and disability when compared at 48 hours posttreatment. Clinicians may employ either technique for the treatment of LBP and can expect similar outcomes in those who satisfy the clinical prediction rule (CPR). Further research is required to determine whether differences exist at longer-term follow-up periods, after multiple treatment sessions, or in different clinical populations.

The addition of tramadol as a second opioid may improve pain relief in severe osteoarthritis: a prospective study.

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Di Lorenzo, Luigi; Foti, Calogero; Forte, Alfonso Maria; Palmieri, Enzo; Formisano, Rita; Vatakencherry, Abraham; Pappagallo, Marco

2010-01-01

Opioid combination has been shown to reduce the need for escalating doses for the treatment of cancer pain. A prospective study was planned to evaluate the addition of tramadol to a stronger opioid for the treatment of severe pain as a result of osteoarthritis, previously uncontrolled by non-opioid analgesics or weak opioids. All subjects received tramadol 200 mg and tizanidine 2 mg. At 2 weeks, tramadol was discontinued for patients still reporting poor pain relief (effectiveness ≤50%), and a stronger opioid was titrated to a morphine equivalent amount (MEA) of 40-60 mg orally. After two additional weeks, patients were then divided into two groups: the Strong Opioid Group (SO) and the Tramadol plus the Strong Opioid Group (TSO). The SO group was allowed to escalate opioid dose for lack of effectiveness; the TSO group received tramadol 150 mg daily, thereafter additional strong opioid titration was allowed. A total of 74 patients were studied: SO (n = 40) and TSOG (n = 34). All patients eventually achieved pain relief quality, with both groups reporting similar Karnofsky Performance Scale effectiveness. The SO group achieved satisfactory pain relief (>50%) at an average daily oral MEA of 120 mg. TSO subjects achieved satisfactory pain relief (>50%) at an average daily oral MEA of 95 mg. The addition of tramadol provided a synergistic effect resulting in a 30-mg decrease in necessary morphine equivalents with fewer opioid-related adverse effects. © 2010 The Authors. Pain Practice © 2010 World Institute of Pain.

Low-level laser therapy for pain relief after episiotomy: a double-blind randomised clinical trial.

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Santos, Jaqueline de O; de Oliveira, Sonia M J V; da Silva, Flora M B; Nobre, Moacyr R C; Osava, Ruth H; Riesco, Maria L G

2012-12-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of a low-level laser therapy for pain relief in the perineum following episiotomy during childbirth. Laser irradiation is a painless and non-invasive therapy for perineal pain treatment and its effects have been investigated in several studies, with no clear conclusion on its effectiveness. A double-blind randomised controlled clinical trial. One hundred and fourteen women who underwent right mediolateral episiotomies during vaginal birth in an in-hospital birthing centre in São Paulo, Brazil and reported pain ≥ 3 on a numeric scale (0-10) were randomised into three groups of 38 women each: two experimental groups (treated with red and infrared laser) and a control group. The experimental groups were treated with laser applied at three points directly on the episiotomy after suturing in a single session between 6-56 hours postpartum. We used a diode laser with wavelengths of 660 nm (red laser) and 780 nm (infrared laser). The control group participants underwent all laser procedures, excluding the emission of irradiation. The participants and the pain scores evaluator were blinded to the type of intervention. The perineal pain scores were assessed at three time points: before, immediately after and 30 minutes after low-level laser therapy. The comparison of perineal pain between the three groups showed no significant differences in the three evaluations (p = 0.445), indicating that the results obtained in the groups treated with low-level laser therapy were equivalent to the control group. Low-level laser therapy did not decrease the intensity of perineal pain reported by women who underwent right mediolateral episiotomy. The effect of laser in perineal pain relief was not demonstrated in this study. The dosage may not have been sufficient to provide relief from perineal pain after episiotomy during a vaginal birth. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Description of Common Clinical Presentations and Associated Short-Term Physical Therapy Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Neck Pain.

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Horn, Maggie E; Brennan, Gerard P; George, Steven Z; Harman, Jeffrey S; Bishop, Mark D

2015-10-01

To determine the effect of clinical presentations of neck pain on short-term physical therapy outcomes. Retrospective analysis of pair-matched groups from a clinical cohort. Thirteen outpatient physical therapy clinics in 1 health care system. Patients (N=1069) grouped by common clinical presentations of neck pain: nonspecific neck pain (NSNP) with duration 4 weeks; neck pain with arm pain; neck pain with headache; and neck pain from whiplash. Conservative interventions provided by physical therapists. Neck Disability Index (NDI) and numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) recorded at the initial and last visits. The main outcome of interest was achieving recovery status on the NDI. Changes in NDI and NPRS were compared between clinical presentation groups. Compared with patients presenting with NSNP >4 weeks, patients with NSNP neck pain and arm pain demonstrated an increased odds of achieving recovery status on the NDI (P=.04) compared with patients presenting with NSNP >4 weeks. Treating patients with NSNP within <4 weeks of onset of symptoms may lead to improved clinical outcomes from physical therapy compared with other common clinical presentations. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quadratus lumborum block for post-operative pain relief in patient with Prune belly syndrome

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Chitra Garg

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Abdominal field blocks are commonly used as part of multimodal analgesia for post-operative pain relief in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Conventionally, transversus abdominis plane block is used, but has the disadvantage of limited spread only to T10–T12 segments, providing only partial pain relief. The new quadratus lumborum (QL block has the advantage of providing wider sensory block from T6 to L1 and thus has an evolving role in opioid-free anaesthesia. Opioid-induced cough depression, urinary retention, and drowsiness can be problematic in patients with Prune belly syndrome, who have deficient abdominal muscles and myriad of genitourinary problems. We report a case of a young male with Prune belly syndrome, who had a pain-free post-operative period after high inguinal orchidectomy with unilateral QL block.

The roles of special proresolving mediators in pain relief.

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Zhang, Lan-Yu; Jia, Ming-Rui; Sun, Tao

2018-02-08

The resolution of acute inflammation, once thought to be a passive process, is now recognized as an active one. The productions of endogenous special proresolving mediators (SPMs) are involved in this process. SPMs, including lipoxins, resolvins, protectins, and maresins, are endogenous lipid mediators generated from ω-6 arachidonic acid or ω-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids during the resolution phase of acute inflammation. They have potent anti-inflammatory and proresolving actions in various inflammatory disorders. Due to the potent proresolving and anti-inflammatory effects, SPMs are also used for pain relief. This review focuses on the mechanisms by which SPMs act on their respective G-protein-coupled receptors in immune cells and nerve cells to normalize pain via regulating inflammatory mediators, transient receptor potential ion channels, and central sensitization. SPMs may offer novel therapeutic approaches for preventing and treating pain conditions associated with inflammation.

A novel and effective acupuncture modality as a complementary therapy to acute pain relief in inpatients with rib fractures

OpenAIRE

Hsin-Yi Ho; Chao-Wei Chen; Ming-Chieh Li; Yu-Pao Hsu; Shih-Ching Kang; Erh-Hao Liu; Ko-Hung Lee

2014-01-01

Background: Pain control has been emphasized as a priority for both practitioners and inpatients with rib fractures, since analgesia could only offer limited relief from severe pain. A prospective and randomized controlled trial was conducted to analyze the efficacy and efficiency of acupuncture in acute pain relief for inpatients with rib fractures. Methods: A total of 58 inpatients were recruited and allocated to two groups, receiving identical doses of conventional oral analgesics as we...

Ibuprofen Versus Fennel for the Relief of Postpartum Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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Parvin Asti

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: The present study aimed to compare the value of ibuprofen and fennel for postpartum painrelief in women with normal vaginal delivery.Materials and methods:In this randomized clinical trial we studied 90 women referring to obstetricsward for Normal Vaginal Delivery (NVD in Assali hospital in Khoramabad. Women were randomlyallocated to receive either oral ibuprofen or oral fennel by stratified random sampling technique. Allwomen were asked to give pain score by visual analogue scale before and at 1, 2, 3 and 4 hours aftertreatment.Results: Difference between fennel and ibuprofen groups was not significant considering severity of painbefore (P=0.22. Difference between two groups considering mean severity of pain one hour aftertreatment (P=0.57 was not significant. But comparing the mean of pain severity in two groups, showedsignificant difference after two (p<0.023, three (p<0.001 and four (p<0.001 hours after treatment.Conclusion: Ibuprofen and fennel were effective for relief of postpartum pain without any notable sideeffects, but in general ibuprofen was more effective than fennel. More studies are needed to confirm theefficacy of fennel in pain relief especially in postpartum women which must be compared to a notreatment control group.

Hypnosis and Local Anesthesia for Dental Pain Relief-Alternative or Adjunct Therapy?-A Randomized, Clinical-Experimental Crossover Study.

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Wolf, Thomas Gerhard; Wolf, Dominik; Callaway, Angelika; Below, Dagna; d'Hoedt, Bernd; Willershausen, Brita; Daubländer, Monika

2016-01-01

This prospective randomized clinical crossover trial was designed to compare hypnosis and local anesthesia for experimental dental pain relief. Pain thresholds of the dental pulp were determined. A targeted standardized pain stimulus was applied and rated on the Visual Analogue Scale (0-10). The pain threshold was lower under hypnosis (58.3 ± 17.3, p local anesthesia. The pain stimulus was scored higher under hypnosis (3.9 ± 3.8) than with local anesthesia (0.0, p Local anesthesia was superior to hypnosis and is a safe and effective method for pain relief in dentistry. Hypnosis seems to produce similar effects observed under sedation. It can be used in addition to local anesthesia and in individual cases as an alternative for pain control in dentistry.

Predictors of pain relief following spinal cord stimulation in chronic back and leg pain and failed back surgery syndrome: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis.

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Taylor, Rod S; Desai, Mehul J; Rigoard, Philippe; Taylor, Rebecca J

2014-07-01

We sought to assess the extent to which pain relief in chronic back and leg pain (CBLP) following spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is influenced by patient-related factors, including pain location, and technology factors. A number of electronic databases were searched with citation searching of included papers and recent systematic reviews. All study designs were included. The primary outcome was pain relief following SCS, we also sought pain score (pre- and post-SCS). Multiple predictive factors were examined: location of pain, history of back surgery, initial level of pain, litigation/worker's compensation, age, gender, duration of pain, duration of follow-up, publication year, continent of data collection, study design, quality score, method of SCS lead implant, and type of SCS lead. Between-study association in predictive factors and pain relief were assessed by meta-regression. Seventy-four studies (N = 3,025 patients with CBLP) met the inclusion criteria; 63 reported data to allow inclusion in a quantitative analysis. Evidence of substantial statistical heterogeneity (P regression analysis showed no predictive patient or technology factors. SCS was effective in reducing pain irrespective of the location of CBLP. This review supports SCS as an effective pain relieving treatment for CBLP with predominant leg pain with or without a prior history of back surgery. Randomized controlled trials need to confirm the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of SCS in the CLBP population with predominant low back pain. © 2013 The Authors Pain Practice Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of World Institute of Pain.

Pain Relief in Nonhuman Primate Models of Arthritis.

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Vierboom, Michel P M; Breedveld, Elia; Keehnen, Merei; Klomp, Rianne; Bakker, Jaco

2017-01-01

Animal models of rheumatoid arthritis are important in the elucidation of etiopathogenic mechanisms of the disease and for the development of promising new therapies. Species specificity of new biological compounds and their mode of action preclude safety and efficacy testing in rodent models of disease. Nonhuman primates (NHP) can fill this niche and provide the only relevant model. Over the last two decades models of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) were developed in the rhesus monkey and the common marmoset. However, NHP are higher-order animals and complex sentient beings. So especially in models where pain is an intricate part of the disease, analgesia needs to be addressed because of ethical considerations. In our model, a morphine-based pain relief was used that does not interfere with the normal development of disease allowing us to evaluate important mechanistic aspects of the arthritis.

SHORT TERM EFFECT OF MULLIGANS MOBILIZATION VERSUS KINESIO TAPING ON KNEE PAIN AND DISABILITY FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS OF KNEE

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Priyesh P. Malgaonkar

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Mulligan’s mobilization and Kinesio taping treatment techniques found to be effective on improving pain and functional disability for osteoarthritis of knee. Hence the purpose is to compare the effect of Mulligan’s mobilization and kinesio taping on improvement of pain and functional disability in subjects with osteoarthritis of knee. Method: An experimental study design, 40 subjects with osteoarthritis of knee joint randomized 20 subjects each into Mobilization Group and Taping Group. Mobilization Group was treated with Mulligan’s Mobilization and Taping Group was treated with Therapeutic Kinesio Taping thrice a week for 2 weeks. Outcome measurements such as Visual analog scale (VAS for pain, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC for functional disability was measured before and after 2 weeks post intervention. Results: Analysis using Paired ‘t’ test and Wilcoxon signed rank test found that there is a statistically significant improvement in VAS and WOMAC within the group. Comparative analysis using Independent‘t’ test and Mann Whitney U test found there is a statistically significant difference in post-intervention means between the groups. Conclusion: The study concluded that both Mulligan’s Mobilization and Kinesio Taping techniques significantly shown short term effect on improvement of pain and functional disability for subjects with osteoarthritis of knee. However, there is no statistically significant difference in short term improvements between Mulligan’s Mobilization and Kinesio Taping. Among both, Mulligan’s Mobilization technique found clinically more effective with greater percentage of improvement than Kinesio Taping technique.

Efficacy and adverse effects of medical marijuana for chronic noncancer pain: Systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

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Deshpande, Amol; Mailis-Gagnon, Angela; Zoheiry, Nivan; Lakha, Shehnaz Fatima

2015-08-01

To determine if medical marijuana provides pain relief for patients with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) and to determine the therapeutic dose, adverse effects, and specific indications. In April 2014, MEDLINE and EMBASE searches were conducted using the terms chronic noncancer pain, smoked marijuana or cannabinoids, placebo and pain relief, or side effects or adverse events. An article was selected for inclusion if it evaluated the effect of smoked or vaporized cannabinoids (nonsynthetic) for CNCP; it was designed as a controlled study involving a comparison group, either concurrently or historically; and it was published in English in a peer-review journal. Outcome data on pain, function, dose, and adverse effects were collected, if available. All articles that were only available in abstract form were excluded. Synthesis A total of 6 randomized controlled trials (N = 226 patients) were included in this review; 5 of them assessed the use of medical marijuana in neuropathic pain as an adjunct to other concomitant analgesics including opioids and anticonvulsants. The 5 trials were considered to be of high quality; however, all of them had challenges with masking. Data could not be pooled owing to heterogeneity in delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol potency by dried weight, differing frequency and duration of treatment, and variability in assessing outcomes. All experimental sessions in the studies were of short duration (maximum of 5 days) and reported statistically significant pain relief with nonserious side effects. There is evidence for the use of low-dose medical marijuana in refractory neuropathic pain in conjunction with traditional analgesics. However, trials were limited by short duration, variability in dosing and strength of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, and lack of functional outcomes. Although well tolerated in the short term, the long-term effects of psychoactive and neurocognitive effects of medical marijuana remain unknown. Generalizing the use of medical

[High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for tumor pain relief in inoperable pancreatic cancer : Evaluation with the pain sensation scale (SES)].

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Marinova, M; Strunk, H M; Rauch, M; Henseler, J; Clarens, T; Brüx, L; Dolscheid-Pommerich, R; Conrad, R; Cuhls, H; Radbruch, L; Schild, H H; Mücke, M

2017-02-01

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in combination with palliative standard therapy is an innovative and effective treatment option for pain reduction in patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer. Evaluation of the effects of additive ultrasound (US)-guided HIFU treatment in inoperable pancreatic cancer on the sensory and affective pain perception using validated questionnaries. In this study 20 patients with locally advanced inoperable pancreatic cancer and tumor-related pain were treated by US-guided HIFU (6 stage III, 12 stage IV according to UICC and 2 with local recurrence after surgery). Ablation was performed using the JC HIFU system (HAIFU, Chongqing, China) with an ultrasonic device for real-time imaging. Clinical assessment included evaluation of pain severity using validated questionnaires with particular attention to the pain sensation scale (SES) with its affective and sensory component and the numeric rating scale (NRS). The average pain reduction after HIFU was 2.87 points on the NRS scale and 57.3 % compared to the mean baseline score (n = 15, 75 %) in 19 of 20 treated patients. Four patients did not report pain relief, however, the previous opioid medication could be stopped (n = 2) or the analgesic dosage could be reduced (n = 2). No pain reduction was achieved in one patient. Furthermore, after HIFU emotional as well as sensory pain aspects were significantly reduced (before vs. 1 week after HIFU, p pain scales). US-guided HIFU can be used for effective and early pain relief and reduction of emotional and sensory pain sensation in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Clinical holistic medicine (mindful, short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy complemented with bodywork) in the treatment of experienced physical illness and chronic pain.

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Ventegodt, Søren; Thegler, Suzette; Andreasen, Tove; Struve, Flemming; Enevoldsen, Lars; Bassaine, Laila; Torp, Margrethe; Merrick, Joav

2007-03-02

We investigated the treatment effect of psychodynamic short-term therapy complemented with bodywork on patients who presented with physical illness at the Research Clinic for Holistic Medicine in Copenhagen. Psychodynamic short-term therapy was complemented with bodywork (Marion Rosen) to help patients confront old emotional pain from childhood trauma(s). Patients were measured with a five-item quality of life and health questionnaire (QOL5), a one-item questionnaire of self-assessed quality of life (QOL1), and four questions on self-rated ability to love and to function sexually, socially, and at work (ability to sustain a full-time job). Most of the patients had chronic pain that could not be alleviated with drugs. Results showed that 31 patients with the experience of being severely physically ill (mostly from chronic pain), in spite of having consulted their own general practitioner, entered the study. The holistic approach and body therapy accelerated the therapy dramatically and no significant side effects were detected. After the intervention, 38.7% did not feel ill (1.73 treatment responders, the treatment seemingly provided lasting benefits.

Comparison between the effects of trigger point mesotherapy versus acupuncture points mesotherapy in the treatment of chronic low back pain: a short term randomized controlled trial.

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Di Cesare, Annalisa; Giombini, Arrigo; Di Cesare, Mariachiara; Ripani, Maurizio; Vulpiani, Maria Chiara; Saraceni, Vincenzo Maria

2011-02-01

The goal of this study was to compare the effects of trigger point (TRP) mesotherapy and acupuncture (ACP) mesotherapy in the treatment of patients with chronic low back pain. Short term randomized controlled trial. 62 subjects with chronic low back pain were recruited at outpatients Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic at the University of Rome "La Sapienza" in the period between July 2006 and May 2008. Study subjects were assigned to receive 4 weeks treatments with either trigger point mesotherapy (TRP mesotherapy, n=29) or acupoints mesotherapy (ACP mesotherapy, n=33). Pain intensity with a pain visual analogic scale (VAS) and verbal rating scale (VRS) and pain disability with McGill Pain Questionnaire Short Form (SFMPQ), Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMQ) and Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionaire (ODQ). ACP mesotherapy shows a more effective results in VRS and VAS measures in the follow-up (p(VRS)=mesotherapy group. Our results suggest that the response to ACP mesotherapy may be greater than the response to TRP mesotherapy in the short term follow-up. This technique could be nevertheless a viable option as an adjunct treatment in an overall treatment planning of CLBP. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative short-term effects of two thoracic spinal manipulation techniques in subjects with chronic mechanical neck pain: a randomized controlled trial.

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Casanova-Méndez, Amaloha; Oliva-Pascual-Vaca, Angel; Rodriguez-Blanco, Cleofás; Heredia-Rizo, Alberto Marcos; Gogorza-Arroitaonandia, Kristobal; Almazán-Campos, Ginés

2014-08-01

Spinal Manipulation (SM) has been purported to decrease pain and improve function in subjects with non-specific neck pain. Previous research has investigated which individuals with non-specific neck pain will be more likely to benefit from SM. It has not yet been proven whether or not the effectiveness of thoracic SM depends on the specific technique being used. This double-blind randomized trial has compared the short-term effects of two thoracic SM maneuvers in subjects with chronic non-specific neck pain. Sixty participants were distributed randomly into two groups. One group received the Dog technique (n = 30), with the subject in supine position, and the other group underwent the Toggle-Recoil technique (n = 30), with the participant lying prone, T4 being the targeted area in both cases. Evaluations were made of self-reported neck pain (Visual Analogue Scale); neck mobility (Cervical Range of Motion); and pressure pain threshold at the cervical and thoracic levels (C4 and T4 spinous process) and over the site described for location of tense bands of the upper trapezius muscle. Measurements were taken before intervention, immediately afterward, and 20 min later. Both maneuvers improved neck mobility and mechanosensitivity and reduced pain in the short term. No major or clinical differences were found between the groups. In the between-groups comparison slightly better results were observed in the Toggle-Recoil group only for cervical extension (p = 0.009), right lateral flexion (p = 0.004) and left rotation (p < 0.05). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of transverse tripolar stimulation for relief of chronic low back pain: results of a single center.

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Slavin, K V; Burchiel, K J; Anderson, V C; Cooke, B

1999-01-01

The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the transverse tripolar spinal cord stimulation system (TTS) in providing relief of low back pain in patients with chronic non-malignant pain. Transverse tripolar electrodes were implanted in the lower thoracic region (T(8-9) to T(12)-L(1)) in 10 patients with chronic neuropathic pain, all of whom reported a significant component of low back pain in combination with unilateral or bilateral leg pain. One patient reported inadequate pain relief during the trial and was not implanted with a permanent generator. A visual analogue scale of low back pain showed a nonsignificant decrease from 64 +/- 19 to 47 +/- 30 (p = 0.25; paired t test) after 1 month of stimulation. Similarly, functional disability evaluated using Oswestry Low Back Pain Questionnaire was not improved (p = 0. 46; paired t test). We conclude that chronic low back pain is not particularly responsive to the transverse stimulation provided by the TTS system. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel

Medium-term and long-term outcomes of interventions for primary psoas tendinopathy.

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Garala, Kanai; Prasad, Vishnu; Jeyapalan, Kanagaratnam; Power, Richard A

2014-05-01

To assess medium- and long-term outcomes of psoas tendinopathy to psoas tenotomy and image-guided steroid injections. This is a 14-year retrospective case-control study to identify the efficacy of psoas tenotomy and image-guided steroid injections. This study was undertaken in a secondary care setting. Patients with confirmed psoas tendinopathy were followed up by postal questionnaire, which included a nonarthritic hip score (NAHS) and a study patient satisfaction questionnaire. Patients underwent image-guided steroid injections. Depending on the analgesic or symptomatic relief, some patients proceeded to psoas tenotomy. Response to steroid injection. Pain relief and symptomatic relief after the surgery. Twenty-three patients were reviewed with a 70% follow-up over a time of 49 months for surgery (range, 13-144 months) and 77 months for injection (range, 14-160 months). Eight patients had a lasting response to injection and required no further intervention, and 15 patients proceeded to psoas tenotomy using a medial Ludloff approach. The average NAHS scores after the surgery and injection were 66.15 and 76.08, respectively. Ten patients reported pain relief after their tenotomy, and 5 patients reported no change in pain. All 8 patients, who only underwent injection, reported lasting pain relief. Local steroid injections can provide long-term relief for patients presenting with psoas tendinopathy. For those patients with only temporary relief from injection, psoas tenotomy can provide good long-term pain relief.

An open-label extension study to investigate the long-term safety and tolerability of THC/CBD oromucosal spray and oromucosal THC spray in patients with terminal cancer-related pain refractory to strong opioid analgesics.

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Johnson, Jeremy R; Lossignol, Dominique; Burnell-Nugent, Mary; Fallon, Marie T

2013-08-01

Chronic pain in patients with advanced cancer poses a serious clinical challenge. The Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)/cannabidiol (CBD) oromucosal spray (U.S. Adopted Name, nabiximols; Sativex(®)) is a novel cannabinoid formulation currently undergoing investigation as an adjuvant therapy for this treatment group. This follow-up study investigated the long-term safety and tolerability of THC/CBD spray and THC spray in relieving pain in patients with advanced cancer. In total, 43 patients with cancer-related pain experiencing inadequate analgesia despite chronic opioid dosing, who had participated in a previous three-arm (THC/CBD spray, THC spray, or placebo), two-week parent randomized controlled trial, entered this open-label, multicenter, follow-up study. Patients self-titrated THC/CBD spray (n=39) or THC spray (n=4) to symptom relief or maximum dose and were regularly reviewed for safety, tolerability, and evidence of clinical benefit. The efficacy end point of change from baseline in mean Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form scores for "pain severity" and "worst pain" domains showed a decrease (i.e., improvement) at each visit in the THC/CBD spray patients. Similarly, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 scores showed a decrease (i.e., improvement) from baseline in the domains of insomnia, pain, and fatigue. No new safety concerns associated with the extended use of THC/CBD spray arose from this study. This study showed that the long-term use of THC/CBD spray was generally well tolerated, with no evidence of a loss of effect for the relief of cancer-related pain with long-term use. Furthermore, patients who kept using the study medication did not seek to increase their dose of this or other pain-relieving medication over time, suggesting that the adjuvant use of cannabinoids in cancer-related pain could provide useful benefit. Copyright © 2013 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc

Pain relief for women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia undergoing colposcopy treatment.

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Gajjar, Ketan; Martin-Hirsch, Pierre P L; Bryant, Andrew; Owens, Gemma L

2016-07-18

Pre-cancerous lesions of cervix (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)) are usually treated with excisional or ablative procedures. In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) cervical screening guidelines suggest that over 80% of treatments should be performed in an outpatient setting (colposcopy clinics). Furthermore, these guidelines suggest that analgesia should always be given prior to laser or excisional treatments. Currently various pain relief strategies are employed that may reduce pain during these procedures. To assess whether the administration of pain relief (analgesia) reduces pain during colposcopy treatment and in the postoperative period. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL 2016, Issue 2), MEDLINE (1950 to March week 3, 2016) and Embase (1980 to week 12, 2016) for studies of any design relating to analgesia for colposcopic management. We also searched registers of clinical trials, abstracts of scientific meetings, reference lists of included studies and contacted experts in the field. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared all types of pain relief before, during or after outpatient treatment to the cervix, in women with CIN undergoing loop excision, laser ablation, laser excision or cryosurgery in an outpatient colposcopy clinic setting. We independently assessed study eligibility, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. We entered data into Review Manager 5 and double checked it for accuracy. Where possible, we expressed results as mean pain score and standard error of the mean with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and synthesised data in a meta-analysis. We included 19 RCTs (1720 women) of varying methodological quality in the review. These trials compared a variety of interventions aimed at reducing pain in women who underwent treatment for CIN, including cervical injection with lignocaine alone, lignocaine with adrenaline, buffered lignocaine with adrenaline, prilocaine with felypressin, oral

Oral glucose for pain relief during examination for retinopathy of prematurity: a masked randomized clinical trial.

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Costa, Marlene Coelho da; Eckert, Gabriela Unchalo; Fortes, Barbara Gastal Borges; Fortes Filho, João Borges; Silveira, Rita C; Procianoy, Renato S

2013-01-01

Ophthalmologic examination for retinopathy of prematurity is a painful procedure. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions have been proposed to reduce pain during eye examinations. This study aims to evaluate the analgesic effect of 25% glucose using a validated pain scale during the first eye examination for retinopathy of prematurity in preterm infants with birth weight relief.

Spinal epidural neurostimulation for treatment of acute and chronic intractable pain: initial and long term results.

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Richardson, R R; Siqueira, E B; Cerullo, L J

1979-09-01

Spinal epidural neurostimulation, which evolved from dorsal column stimulation, has been found to be effective in the treatment of acute and chronic intractable pain. Urban and Hashold have shown that it is a safe, simplified alternative to dorsal column stimulation, especially because laminectomy is not required if the electrodes are inserted percutaneously. Percutaneous epidural neurostimulation is also advantageous because there can be a diagnostic trial period before permanent internalization and implantation. This diagnostic and therapeutic modality has been used in 36 patients during the past 3 years at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Eleven of these patients had acute intractable pain, which was defined as pain of less than 1 year in duration. Initial postimplantation results from the 36 patients indicate that spinal epidural neurostimulation is most effective in treating the intractable pain of diabetes, arachnoiditis, and post-traumatic and postamputation neuroma. Long term follow-up, varying from 1 year to 3 years postimplantation in the 20 initially responding patients, indicates that the neurostimulation continues to provide significant pain relief (50% or greater) in a majority of the patients who experienced initial significant pain relief.

Predictors of short-term and long-term memory of sensory and affective dimensions of pain.

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Gedney, Jeffrey J; Logan, Henrietta; Baron, Robert S

2003-03-01

The purpose of this investigation was to establish predictors of the dimensions of pain intensity and pain unpleasantness recalled at 1 week and 18 months after an invasive therapeutic procedure, root canal therapy (RCT). Pretreatment measures of mood state and RCT-related expectations of sensory and affective dimensions of pain by using a visual analog scale (VAS) format were obtained. VAS measures of experienced pain intensity and unpleasantness were obtained immediately after treatment. Patients[apos ] memory of their RCT-related pain intensity and unpleasantness was assessed by phone call. Regression analysis showed that after controlling for age, experienced pain intensity predicts 1-week memory of pain intensity (adjusted R(2) [equals].34, P [lt ].01), whereas patients[apos ] pretreatment affective state predicts the memory of pain intensity at 18 months (adjusted R(2) [equals].24, P [lt ].01) and the memory of pain unpleasantness at 1 week (adjusted R(2) [equals].40, P [lt ].01) and 18 months (adjusted R(2) [equals].62, P [lt ].01). These findings point to the contribution of preexisting affective state to the sensory and affective dimensions of pain recollection and illustrate the importance of anxiety management for minimizing patient[apos ]s long-term recollection of the aversiveness of outpatient medical and dental procedures. 2003 by the American Pain Society

Improvement in Pain After Lumbar Spine Surgery: The Role of Preoperative Expectations of Pain Relief.

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Mancuso, Carol A; Reid, M C; Duculan, Roland; Girardi, Federico P

2017-02-01

Improvement in pain is a major expectation of patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery. Among 422 patients, the goal of this prospective study was to measure 2-year postoperative pain and to determine whether this outcome varied according to patient and clinical characteristics, including amount of pain relief expected preoperatively. Before surgery patients completed valid questionnaires that addressed clinical characteristics and expectations for pain improvement. Two years after surgery patients reported how much pain improvement they actually received. The mean age was 56 years old and 55% were men. Two years after surgery 11% of patients reported no improvement in pain, 28% reported a little to moderate improvement, 44% reported a lot of improvement, and 17% reported complete improvement. In multivariable analysis, patients reported less pain improvement if, before surgery, they expected greater pain improvement (odds ratio [OR] 1.4), had a positive screen for depression (OR 1.7), were having revision surgery (OR 1.6), had surgery at L4 or L5 (OR 2.5), had a degenerative diagnosis (OR 1.6), and if, after surgery, they had another surgery (OR 2.8) and greater back (OR 1.3) and leg (OR 1.1) pain (all variables P≤0.05). Pain is not uncommon after lumbar surgery and is associated with a network of clinical, surgical, and psychological variables. This study provides evidence that patients' expectations about pain are an independent variable in this network. Because expectations are potentially modifiable this study supports addressing pain-related expectations with patients before surgery through discussions with surgeons and through formal preoperative patient education.

Does the use of a brief cryotherapy intervention with analgesic administration improve pain management after total knee arthroplasty?

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Wittig-Wells, Deborah; Johnson, Ifeya; Samms-McPherson, Jacqueline; Thankachan, Soosan; Titus, Bobina; Jacob, Ani; Higgins, Melinda

2015-01-01

Prior studies have evaluated only the prolonged use of cryotherapy as a nonpharmacologic pain intervention. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a 30-minute application of cryotherapy at the time pain medication was given after a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) provided better pain relief than analgesic drugs alone. A pretest, posttest, randomized controlled trial study design with crossover was used to evaluate the effects of cryotherapy on postoperative pain and satisfaction with pain management. A convenience sample of postoperative knee replacement patients constituted participants in the study. Two sequential episodes of pain requiring analgesic administration were studied in each patient, one with a 30-minute cryotherapy application and the other without cryotherapy. Dependent variables were changes in pain (posttest minus pretest) and level of satisfaction with pain management. Data were analyzed with repeated-measures analysis of variance, with p cryotherapy administration for the other pain episode. No significant difference between the two treatments was found for changes in pain scores after the treatments or patient satisfaction with pain management (p > .05). The order in which the treatments were provided was found to be significant (p = .02) for scores on patient satisfaction with pain management, with cryotherapy as the treatment for the second pain episode having higher scores than when delivered for the first pain episode. Sixty minutes after analgesic administration with or without cryotherapy, average pain scores remained greater than 7. In TKA patients, the short-term application of cryotherapy with analgesic medication administration did not significantly decrease pain or improve patient satisfaction with pain management compared with analgesic medication administration only. Further study is necessary to determine whether short-term cryotherapy shortly after TKA is of benefit to pain relief and patient satisfaction.

Prospective comparison of long-term pain relief rates after first-time microvascular decompression and stereotactic radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia.

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Wang, Doris D; Raygor, Kunal P; Cage, Tene A; Ward, Mariann M; Westcott, Sarah; Barbaro, Nicholas M; Chang, Edward F

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE Common surgical treatments for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) include microvascular decompression (MVD), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Although the efficacy of each procedure has been described, few studies have directly compared these treatment modalities on pain control for TN. Using a large prospective longitudinal database, the authors aimed to 1) directly compare long-term pain control rates for first-time surgical treatments for idiopathic TN, and 2) identify predictors of pain control. METHODS The authors reviewed a prospectively collected database for all patients who underwent treatment for TN between 1997 and 2014 at the University of California, San Francisco. Standardized collection of data on preoperative clinical characteristics, surgical procedure, and postoperative outcomes was performed. Data analyses were limited to those patients who received a first-time procedure for treatment of idiopathic TN with > 1 year of follow-up. RESULTS Of 764 surgical procedures performed at the University of California, San Francisco, for TN (364 SRS, 316 MVD, and 84 RFA), 340 patients underwent first-time treatment for idiopathic TN (164 MVD, 168 SRS, and 8 RFA) and had > 1 year of follow-up. The analysis was restricted to patients who underwent MVD or SRS. Patients who received MVD were younger than those who underwent SRS (median age 63 vs 72 years, respectively; p 5 years of follow-up (60 of 164 and 64 of 168 patients, respectively). Immediate or short-term (making depends upon many factors. This information can help physicians counsel patients with idiopathic TN on treatment selection.

(153)Sm-EDTMP for pain relief of bone metastases from prostate and breast cancer and other malignancies.

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Correa-González, Luis; Arteaga de Murphy, Consuelo; Pichardo-Romero, Pablo; Pedraza-López, Martha; Moreno-García, Claudia; Correa-Hernández, Luis

2014-05-01

Approximately 85% of patients with cancer suffer severe metastatic bone pain for which radionuclide therapy has been employed for pain palliation. We undertook this study to evaluate the pain relief effect of (153)Sm-EDTMP in Mexican patients with severe and painful bone metastases from mainly prostate, breast, and renal cancer and other malignancies. Patients (277) with intense sustained pain caused by bone metastases were referred to the Nuclear Medicine Department of the Oncology Hospital of the Mexican Social Security Institute. The patients had to have acceptable physical conditions, a previous positive (99m)Tc-MDP scan and blood values within normal range. (153)Sm-EDTMP was prepared at the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ) and 37 MBq/kg of body weight was injected intravenously. Pain palliation was evaluated with a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a verbal rating scale (VRS) before treatment and 3 and 12 weeks after treatment was started. The age interval of the patients was 24-92 years with a mean age of 64 ± 12 years. Mean values for hemoglobin, leukocyte and platelet counts did not statistically differ at zero time, 3 and 12 weeks after treatment. Pain intensity and relief assessment were statistically different: 9.1 ± 0.61 units initially; 4.2 ± 1.3 units 3 weeks later (54%) and after 12 weeks the pain diminished to 2.4 ± 1.4 units (74%) in the pain relief score scales. (153)Sm-EDTMP was readily available, safe and well tolerated. We conclude that (153)Sm-EDTMP was an adequate palliative agent and was the best option for our Mexican patients to relieve their severe metastatic bone pain. Copyright © 2014 IMSS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pain Relief in Depressive Disorders: A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Antidepressants.

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Gebhardt, Stefan; Heinzel-Gutenbrunner, Monika; König, Udo

2016-12-01

Pain is a common symptom in patients with depressive disorders, which, if present, worsens the prognosis. However, there is little empirical knowledge of the therapeutic effects of antidepressants on painful physical symptoms of patients with depressive disorders. Furthermore, tricyclic/tetracyclic antidepressants (TCAs) have not yet been included in existing meta-analyses. A broad, systematic search of PubMed literature on antidepressant drug treatment of patients with depressive disorders with comorbid pain symptoms was carried out. A random-effects meta-analysis has been performed among 3 different groups of drugs for the 2 end points: pain and depression. Fourteen placebo-controlled studies with selective serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs) could be included, with 3 of them also investigating selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Three further placebo-controlled SSRI studies were identified, but only 2 placebo-controlled TCA studies.Both SSNRIs and SSRIs, but not TCAs, were significantly superior to placebo as regards their analgesic effects. However, all effects were small. For SSNRIs, there was a strong positive correlation between their effectiveness for pain relief and their positive effect on the mood of the patients. The analgesic effects of SSNRIs and SSRIs in patients with primary depressive disorders can be interpreted as largely equivalent. Because of a lack of placebo-controlled TCA studies, the results for TCAs would be comparable only to those of SSRIs and SSNRIs, if non-placebo-controlled TCA studies were included. The positive correlation found indicates a close relationship of pain relief and antidepressant treatment effects. These results refer merely to patients with primary depressive disorders, not to patients with primary pain disorders. Further studies comparing the effects of different types of antidepressant drugs on pain in depressive patients are warranted.

A PLGA-PEG-PLGA Thermosensitive Gel Enabling Sustained Delivery of Ropivacaine Hydrochloride for Postoperative Pain Relief.

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Fu, Xudong; Zeng, Huilin; Guo, Jiaping; Liu, Hong; Shi, Zhen; Chen, Huhai; Li, Dezong; Xie, Xiangyang; Kuang, Changchun

2017-01-01

Postoperative pain is a complex physiological response to disease and tissue injury. Moderate-to-severe pain typically occurs within 48 h after surgery. Amino amide local anesthetics are widely applied to manage postoperative pain, and they have high efficacy, a low risk for addiction and limited side effects. However, these anesthetics also have short half-lives, often necessitating continuous injection to obtain satisfactory pain relief. In the current work, we used a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-polyethylene glycol (PEG)-PLGA (PLGA-PEG-PLGA) temperature-sensitive gel to deliver a local anesthetic, ropivacaine hydrochloride (RP), to prolong its analgesic effect. We investigated the influence of polymer and drug concentration on gelation temperature and the in vitro drug release rate from the temperature-sensitive gel. RP-loaded PLGA-PEG-PLGA solution is a liquid at room temperature and forms a gel at temperatures slightly lower than body temperature. With regard to the gel's drug release rate, 37.5, 51.3 and 72.6% of RP was released at 12, 24 and 48 h, respectively. This in vitro drug release profile conformed to the Higuchi equation. To assess pain control efficacy when using the gel, we evaluated the mechanical paw withdrawal reflex threshold, thermal pain threshold and incision cumulative pain scores in a rat incisional model. The results showed that the anti-pain effect of a single injection of RP-loaded gel at the incision site lasted for 48 h, which is significantly longer than the effect produced by injection of RP solution alone. The use of RP-loaded thermosensitive gels could provide a promising method for managing postoperative pain.

Creating a Strain Relief Loop during S1 Transforaminal Lead Placement for Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation for Foot Pain: A Technical Note.

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van Velsen, Valery; van Helmond, Noud; Chapman, Kenneth B

2018-04-01

Chronic neuropathic pain is often refractory to conventional medical treatments and leads to significant disability and socio-economic burden. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation has recently emerged as a treatment for persistent neuropathic pain, but creating a strain relief loop at the S1 level has thus far been a challenging technical component of DRG lead placement. We describe a refined technique for strain relief loop formation at the S1 level using a transforaminal approach that we employed in a 45-year-old patient with intractable foot pain. We successfully placed a strain relief loop in the sacral space in a predictable and easily reproducible manner using a transforaminal anchorless approach. The patient experienced a decrease in visual analog pain score (85%), and improvement in function during the trial period, and proceeded with permanent implantation. The described sacral transforaminal strain relief loop formation technique appears to be a more reliable and predictable technique of DRG lead placement in the sacrum than those previously documented. © 2017 World Institute of Pain.

Comparison of Efficacy of Epidural Ropivacaine versus Bupivacaine for Postoperative Pain Relief in Total Knee Replacement Surgeries.

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Bhasin, Sidharth; Dhar, Mridul; Sreevastava, Deepak Kumar; Nair, Rajiv; Chandrakar, Saurabh

2018-01-01

Epidural analgesia has become the standard of care for knee replacement surgeries worldwide. Bupivacaine has been used successfully for many years. Epidural ropivacaine is now being used increasingly and seems to have benefits other than just pain relief, in terms of a better safety profile. To compare the efficacy of bupivacaine 0.125% (Group B) versus two concentrations of ropivacaine 0.1% (Group R1) and 0.2% (Group R2), in terms of pain scores, requirement of rescue analgesia, related adverse effects, and duration of postoperative (PO) hospital stay. A retrospective study was conducted from the acute pain service data of patients who underwent joint replacement surgeries in one or both limbs, over a span of 6 months. Patients were allocated to and analyzed under one of the three groups based on the drug concentration used postoperatively by epidural infusion. Data retrieved were demographic data, daily average visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, rescue analgesia given, adverse effects, and PO hospital stay days for all three groups. Demographic data were comparable between the three groups. Daily average VAS pain scores on days 1 and 2 were significantly higher in Group R1. Groups B and R2 were comparable. There was significantly more requirement of rescue analgesia in Group R1 on day 1. Day 2 showed no significant difference in rescue analgesic requirement in all three groups. Days of PO hospital stay were significantly higher in Group R1. Adverse effects such as hypotension and delayed motor block were higher in Group B. Ropivacaine 0.2% and bupivacaine 0.125% were equally efficacious in terms of VAS pain scores, rescue analgesic requirement, and duration of PO hospital stay, but ropivacaine had a better safety profile in terms of less hypotension and lesser motor block.

Immediate and short-term effects of the combination of dry needling and percutaneous TENS on post-needling soreness in patients with chronic myofascial neck pain

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León-Hernández, Jose V.; Martín-Pintado-Zugasti, Aitor; Frutos, Laura G.; Alguacil-Diego, Isabel M.; de la Llave-Rincón, Ana I.; Fernandez-Carnero, Josue

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Background Dry needling (DN) and percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS) are widely used techniques in the treatment of myofascial pain. Objective To investigate the immediate and short-term effects of the combination of DN and PENS compared to DN alone on the upper trapezius muscle. Method This is a 72-hour follow-up single-blinded randomized controlled trial. Sixty-two volunteer patients with chronic myofascial neck pain with active Myofascial Trigger Points (MTrPs) in the upper trapezius muscle were recruited. Randomization was performed, and 31 patients received DN treatment (DN group) and 31 received DN and PENS (DN+PENS group). The primary outcomes were neck disability index (NDI) and visual analog scale for pain for both post-needling soreness (PNS) and neck pain intensity (NPI). Pressure pain threshold (PPT) and cervical range of motion (CROM) were the secondary outcomes. Results We detected between-group differences in NPI and PNS in favor of the DN+PENS group immediately after treatment. No between-group differences in NDI were observed. Conclusion PENS application after dry needling treatment is more effective than dry needling alone for decreasing soreness in the short term and improving neck pain intensity immediately in patients with myofascial chronic neck pain. PMID:27410163

Randomized controlled trial of benzocaine versus placebo spray for pain relief at hysterosalpingogram.

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Bachman, E A; Senapati, S; Sammel, M D; Kalra, S K

2014-06-01

Many women experience pain during hysterosalpingogram (HSG). This prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study assessed whether the use of benzocaine spray during HSG is associated with reduced pain as compared with placebo. Thirty women presenting for HSG were enrolled and randomized to either benzocaine or saline spray. Treatment groups were similar in age, race, parity, pre-procedure oral analgesic use and history of dysmenorrhoea and/or chronic pelvic pain. Median change in pain score from baseline to procedure was 50.6mm (-7.4 to 98.8mm) in the benzocaine group and 70.4mm (19.8 to 100mm) in the placebo group. There was no difference between groups after adjusting for history of dysmenorrhoea. There was no difference in resolution of pain in benzocaine versus placebo groups at 5 min post procedure--median pain score difference -11.1 (-90.1 to 18.5) versus -37.0 (-100 to 1.2)--or at 30 min post procedure. Satisfaction scores did not differ by treatment and did not correlate with pain score during the procedure (rho=0.005). The use of benzocaine spray does not significantly improve pain relief during HSG nor does it hasten resolution of pain post HSG. Of interest, patient satisfaction was not correlated with pain. Many women experience pain during hysterosalpingogram (HSG), which is a test used to evaluate the uterine cavity and fallopian tube. We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study to assess whether the use of benzocaine spray during HSG is associated with reduced pain as compared with placebo. Thirty women presenting for HSG were enrolled and randomized to either benzocaine or saline spray. Treatment groups were similar in age, race, previous pregnancies, pre-procedure oral analgesic use and history of dysmenorrhoea (painful periods) and/or chronic pelvic pain. There was no difference in pain scores or resolution of pain between the two groups. Satisfaction scores did not differ by treatment group

Do Subjects with Whiplash-Associated Disorders Respond Differently in the Short-Term to Manual Therapy and Exercise than Those with Mechanical Neck Pain?

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Castaldo, Matteo; Catena, Antonella; Chiarotto, Alessandro; Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, César; Arendt-Nielsen, Lars

2017-04-01

To compare the short-term effects of manual therapy and exercise on pain, related disability, range of motion, and pressure pain thresholds between subjects with mechanical neck pain and whiplash-associated disorders. Twenty-two subjects with mechanical neck pain and 28 with whiplash-associated disorders participated. Clinical and physical outcomes including neck pain intensity, neck-related disability, and pain area, as well as cervical range of motion and pressure pain thresholds over the upper trapezius and tibialis anterior muscles, were obtained at baseline and after the intervention by a blinded assessor. Each subject received six sessions of manual therapy and specific neck exercises. Mixed-model repeated measures analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) were used for the analyses. Subjects with whiplash-associated disorders exhibited higher neck-related disability ( P  = 0.021), larger pain area ( P  = 0.003), and lower pressure pain thresholds in the tibialis anterior muscle ( P  = 0.009) than those with mechanical neck pain. The adjusted ANCOVA revealed no between-group differences for any outcome (all P  > 0.15). A significant main effect of time was demonstrated for clinical outcomes and cervical range of motion with both groups experiencing similar improvements (all P   0.222). The current clinical trial found that subjects with mechanical neck pain and whiplash-associated disorders exhibited similar clinical and neurophysiological responses after a multimodal physical therapy intervention, suggesting that although greater signs of central sensitization are present in subjects with whiplash-associated disorders, this does not alter the response in the short term to manual therapy and exercises. © 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Weekly and Twice-Weekly Yoga Classes Offer Similar Low-Back Pain Relief in Low-Income Minority Populations

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... Weekly and Twice-Weekly Yoga Classes Offer Similar Low-Back Pain Relief in Low-Income Minority Populations Share: © Photodisc ... in minority and low-income populations with chronic low-back pain. Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine, Boston ...

Pain relief by transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation with bidirectional modulated sine waves in patients with chronic back pain: a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study.

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Shimoji, Koki; Takahashi, Norio; Nishio, Yasuyuki; Koyanagi, Mika; Aida, Sumihisa

2007-01-01

Objectives.  Newly developed bidirectional modulated sine waves (BMW) might provide some derived benefit to patients with low back pain. Pain relief by transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) with BMWs was tested. Materials and Methods.  Analgesic effects of BMWs and conventional bidirectional pulsed waves on chronic back pain in 28 patients were compared, and effects of repeated TENS using BMWs on chronic back pain were investigated in 21 patients by means of a randomized double-blind, sham-controlled, parallel-group method. Pain intensity was assessed using numerical rating scale (NRS). Results.  There was significant immediate reduction in NRS in patients receiving BMWs, and 60 min after treatment compared to sham TENS. Weekly repeated treatments using massage and TENS with BMWs for 5 weeks resulted in a decrease of NRS, but there were no significant differences between the TENS plus massage and sham TENS plus massage groups. Conclusions.  This study shows that TENS with BMWs significantly inhibits chronic back pain, and treatment effects are attained within a day. The results also suggest that there were no statistically significant long-term effects of TENS with BMW in the repeated treatment.

Immediate and Short-Term Effects of Upper Thoracic Manipulation on Myoelectric Activity of Sternocleidomastoid Muscles in Young Women With Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Blind Clinical Trial.

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Pires, Paulo Fernandes; Packer, Amanda Carine; Dibai-Filho, Almir Vieira; Rodrigues-Bigaton, Delaine

2015-10-01

The aim of this study was to assess the immediate and short-term effects of upper thoracic spine manipulation on pain intensity and myoelectric activity of the sternocleidomastoid muscles in young women with chronic neck pain. A randomized clinical trial was carried out involving 32 women with chronic neck pain (mean age, 24.8 ± 5.4 years) allocated to an experimental group and a placebo group. Three evaluations were carried out: baseline, immediate postintervention, and short-term postintervention (48-72 hours after intervention). Myoelectric activity of the right and left sternocleidomastoid muscles was assessed at rest and during isometric contractions for cervical flexion and elevation of the shoulder girdle. Neck pain intensity was assessed at rest using a visual analog scale. Comparisons of the data were performed using 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance with the Bonferroni correction. The level of significance was set at P 0.40). No statistically significant differences were found for any of the variables analyzed in the intergroup comparisons at the different evaluation times (P > .05). No statistically significant differences were found in the intragroup or intergroup analyses of the experimental and placebo groups regarding myoelectric activity of the cervical muscles or the intensity of neck pain at rest in the immediate or short-term postintervention evaluations. Copyright © 2015 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

After microvascular decompression to treat trigeminal neuralgia, both immediate pain relief and recurrence rates are higher in patients with arterial compression than with venous compression.

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Shi, Lei; Gu, Xiaoyan; Sun, Guan; Guo, Jun; Lin, Xin; Zhang, Shuguang; Qian, Chunfa

2017-07-04

We explored differences in postoperative pain relief achieved through decompression of the trigeminal nerve compressed by arteries and veins. Clinical characteristics, intraoperative findings, and postoperative curative effects were analyzed in 72 patients with trigeminal neuralgia who were treated by microvascular decompression. The patients were divided into arterial and venous compression groups based on intraoperative findings. Surgical curative effects included immediate relief, delayed relief, obvious reduction, and invalid result. Among the 40 patients in the arterial compression group, 32 had immediate pain relief of pain (80.0%), 5 cases had delayed relief (12.5%), and 3 cases had an obvious reduction (7.5%). In the venous compression group, 12 patients had immediate relief of pain (37.5%), 13 cases had delayed relief (40.6%), and 7 cases had an obvious reduction (21.9%). During 2-year follow-up period, 6 patients in the arterial compression group experienced recurrence of trigeminal neuralgia, but there were no recurrences in the venous compression group. Simple artery compression was followed by early relief of trigeminal neuralgia more often than simple venous compression. However, the trigeminal neuralgia recurrence rate was higher in the artery compression group than in the venous compression group.

Periarticular infiltration for pain relief after total hip arthroplasty: a comparison with epidural and PCA analgesia.

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Pandazi, Ageliki; Kanellopoulos, Ilias; Kalimeris, Konstantinos; Batistaki, Chrysanthi; Nikolakopoulos, Nikolaos; Matsota, Paraskevi; Babis, George C; Kostopanagiotou, Georgia

2013-11-01

Epidural and intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) are established methods for pain relief after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Periarticular infiltration is an alternative method that is gaining ground due to its simplicity and safety. Our study aims to assess the efficacy of periarticular infiltration in pain relief after THA. Sixty-three patients undergoing THA under spinal anaesthesia were randomly assigned to receive postoperative analgesia with continuous epidural infusion with ropivacaine (epidural group), intraoperative periarticular infiltration with ropivacaine, clonidine, morphine, epinephrine and corticosteroids (infiltration group) or PCA with morphine (PCA group). PCA morphine provided rescue analgesia in all groups. We recorded morphine consumption, visual analog scale (VAS) scores at rest and movement, blood loss from wound drainage, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and adverse effects at 1, 6, 12, 24 h postoperatively. Morphine consumption at all time points, VAS scores at rest, 6, 12 and 24 h and at movement, 6 and 12 h postoperatively were lower in infiltration group compared to PCA group (p PCA group (p PCA with morphine after THA, providing better pain relief and lower opioid consumption postoperatively. Infiltration seems to be equally effective to epidural analgesia without having the potential side effects of the latter.

Cytokine and neuropeptide levels are associated with pain relief in patients with chronically painful total knee arthroplasty: a pilot study.

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Singh, Jasvinder A; Noorbaloochi, Siamak; Knutson, Keith L

2017-01-14

There are few studies with an assessment of the levels of cytokines or neuropeptides as correlates of pain and pain relief in patients with painful joint diseases. Our objective was to assess whether improvements from baseline to 2-months in serum cytokine, chemokine and substance P levels were associated with clinically meaningful pain relief at 2-months post-injection in patients with painful total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Using data from randomized trial of 60 TKAs, we assessed the association of change in cytokine/chemokine/Substance P levels with primary study outcome, clinically important improvement in Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain subscale at 2-months post-injection using Student's t-tests and Spearman's correlation coefficient (non-parametric). Patients were categorized as pain responders (20-point reduction or more on 0-100 WOMAC pain) vs. pain non-responders. Sensitivity analysis used 0-10 daytime pain numeric rating scale (NRS) instead of WOMAC pain subscale. In a pilot study, compared to non-responders (n = 23) on WOMAC pain scale at 2-months, pain responders (n = 12) had significantly greater increase in serum levels of IL-7, IL-10, IL-12, eotaxin, interferon gamma and TNF-α from baseline to 2-months post-injection (p coefficients ranging -0.37 to -0.51: IL-2, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-16, IL-12p, GCSF, IFN gamma, IP-10, MCP, MIP1b, TNF-α and VEGF (n = 35). Sensitivity analysis showed that substance P decreased significantly more from baseline to 2-months in the pain responders (0.54 ± 0.53; n = 10) than in the pain non-responders (0.48 ± 1.18; n = 9; p = 0.023) and that this change in serum substance P correlated significantly with change in daytime NRS pain, correlation coefficient was 0.53 (p = 0.021; n = 19). Findings should be interpreted with caution, since cytokine analyses were performed for a sub-group of the entire trial population. Serum cytokine, chemokine and Substance

Using a New Measurement to Evaluate Pain Relief Among Cancer Inpatients with Clinically Significant Pain Based on a Nursing Information System: A Three-Year Hospital-Based Study.

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Wang, Wei-Yun; Chu, Chi-Ming; Sung, Chun-Sung; Ho, Shung-Tai; Wu, Yi-Syuan; Liang, Chun-Yu; Wang, Kwua-Yun

2016-11-01

Developing a new measurement index is the first step in evaluating pain relief outcomes. Although the percentage difference in pain intensity (%PID) is the most popular indicator, this indicator does not take into account the goal of pain relief. Therefore, the aims of this study were to develop a pain relief index (PRI) for outcome evaluation and to examine the index using demographic characteristics of cancer inpatients with clinically significant pain. Retrospective cohort study. A national hospital. All cancer inpatients. Pain intensity was assessed using a numerical rating scale, a faces pain scale or the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) Behavioral Tool. Using a nursing information system, a pain score database containing data from 2011 through 2013 was analyzed. Cancer patients representing 93,812 hospitalizations were considered in this study. We focused on cancer patients for whom the worst pain intensity (WPI) was ≥ 4 points. PRI values of -62.02% to -72.55% were observed in the WPI ≥ 7 and 4 ≤ WPI ≤ 6 groups. Significant (P 65 years old, those who were admitted to the medicine or gynecology and those who had a hospital stay > 30 days. This hospital-based study demonstrated that the PRI is an effective and valid measure for evaluating outcome data using an electronic nursing information system. We will further define the meaningful range of percentage difference in PRI from various perspectives. © 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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

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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.

Short Term Analgesic Effects of 5% Dextrose Epidural Injections for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

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Maniquis-Smigel, Liza; Dean Reeves, Kenneth; Jeffrey Rosen, Howard; Lyftogt, John; Graham-Coleman, Cassie; Cheng, An-Lin; Rabago, David

2017-02-01

Hypertonic dextrose injection (prolotherapy) is reported to reduce pain including non-surgical chronic low back pain (CLBP), and subcutaneous injection of 5% dextrose is reported to reduce neurogenic pain, hyperalgesia and allodynia. The mechanism in both cases is unclear, though a direct effect of dextrose on neurogenic pain has been proposed. This study assessed the short-term analgesic effects of epidural 5% dextrose injection compared with saline for non-surgical CLBP. Randomized double-blind (injector, participant) controlled trial. Adults with moderate-to-severe non-surgical low back pain with radiation to gluteal or leg areas for at least 6 months received a single epidurogram-confirmed epidural injection of 10 mL of 5% dextrose or 0.9% saline using a published vertical caudal injection technique. The primary outcome was change in a numerical rating scale (NRS, 0 - 10 points) pain score between baseline and 15 minutes; and 2, 4, and 48 hours and 2 weeks post-injection. The secondary outcome was percentage of participants achieving 50% or more pain improvement at 4 hours. No baseline differences existed between groups; 35 participants (54 ± 10.7 years old; 11 female) with moderate-to-severe CLBP (6.7 ± 1.3 points) for 10.6 ± 10.5 years. Dextrose participants reported greater NRS pain score change at 15 minutes (4.4 ± 1.7 vs 2.4 ± 2.8 points; P = 0.015), 2 hours (4.6 ± 1.9 vs 1.8 ± 2.8 points; P = 0.001), 4 hours (4.6 ± 2.0 vs 1.4 ± 2.3 points; P dextrose recipients and 19% (3/16) of saline recipients reported ≥ 50% pain reduction at 4 hours (P dextrose on pain at the dorsal root level; waning pain control at 2 weeks suggests the need to assess the effect of serial dextrose epidural injections in a long-term study with robust outcome assessment.

Pharmacological interventions for pain relief during orthodontic treatment.

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Monk, Aoife B; Harrison, Jayne E; Worthington, Helen V; Teague, Annabel

2017-11-28

Pain is a common side effect of orthodontic treatment. It increases in proportion to the amount of force applied to the teeth, and the type of orthodontic appliance used can affect the intensity of the pain. Pain during orthodontic treatment has been shown to be the most common reason for people wanting to discontinue treatment, and has been ranked as the worst aspect of treatment. Although pharmacological methods of pain relief have been investigated, there remains some uncertainty among orthodontists about which painkillers are most suitable and whether pre-emptive analgesia is beneficial. We conducted this Cochrane Review to assess and summarize the international evidence relating to the effectiveness of analgesics for preventing this unwanted side effect associated with orthodontic treatment. The objectives of this review are to determine:- the effectiveness of drug interventions for pain relief during orthodontic treatment; and- whether there is a difference in the analgesic effect provided by different types, forms and doses of analgesia taken during orthodontic treatment. Cochrane Oral Health's Information Specialist searched the following databases: the Cochrane Oral Health Trials Register (to 19 June 2017), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL;the Cochrane Library 2016, Issue 7), MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to 19 June 2017), Embase Ovid (1980 to 19 June 2017) and CINAHL EBSCO (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature; 1937 to 19 June 2017). The US National Institutes of Health Ongoing Trials Register (ClinicalTrials.gov) and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched on the 19 June 2017 for ongoing studies. We placed no restrictions on language or date of publication when searching the electronic databases. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) relating to pain control during orthodontic treatment. Pain could be measured on a visual analogue scale (VAS), numerical

Ibuprofen and/or paracetamol (acetaminophen) for pain relief after surgical removal of lower wisdom teeth.

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Bailey, Edmund; Worthington, Helen V; van Wijk, Arjen; Yates, Julian M; Coulthard, Paul; Afzal, Zahid

2013-12-12

Both paracetamol and ibuprofen are commonly used analgesics for the relief of pain following the surgical removal of lower wisdom teeth (third molars). In 2010, a novel analgesic (marketed as Nuromol) containing both paracetamol and ibuprofen in the same tablet was launched in the United Kingdom, this drug has shown promising results to date and we have chosen to also compare the combined drug with the single drugs using this model. In this review we investigated the optimal doses of both paracetamol and ibuprofen via comparison of both and via comparison with the novel combined drug. We have taken into account the side effect profile of the study drugs. This review will help oral surgeons to decide on which analgesic to prescribe following wisdom tooth removal. To compare the beneficial and harmful effects of paracetamol, ibuprofen and the novel combination of both in a single tablet for pain relief following the surgical removal of lower wisdom teeth, at different doses and administered postoperatively. We searched the Cochrane Oral Health Group'sTrials Register (to 20 May 2013); the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2013, Issue 4); MEDLINE via OVID (1946 to 20 May 2013); EMBASE via OVID (1980 to 20 May 2013) and the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (to 20 May 2013). We checked the bibliographies of relevant clinical trials and review articles for further studies. We wrote to authors of the identified randomised controlled trials (RCTs), and searched personal references in an attempt to identify unpublished or ongoing RCTs. No language restriction was applied to the searches of the electronic databases. Only randomised controlled double-blinded clinical trials were included. Cross-over studies were included provided there was a wash out period of at least 14 days. There had to be a direct comparison in the trial of two or more of the trial drugs at any dosage. All trials used the third molar pain model. All trials

[Effectiveness of education based on neuroscience in the treatment of musculoskeletal chronic pain].

Science.gov (United States)

Cuenda-Gago, J D; Espejo-Antunez, L

2017-07-01

Chronic pain is one of the most frequent health, economic and social problems. Given this, numerous approaches have been described, one of which is pain neuroscience education. To examine the effectiveness of pain neuroscience education in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders with chronic pain and to explore the impact of specific aspects of the technique on its effectiveness. Relevant studies published between 2000 and 2015 were identified by searching PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Studies identified by electronic searches were screened against a set of pre-defined inclusion criteria. PEDro and SIGN scales were used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies. Ten studies were included in this systematic review. The main outcomes that were measured were pain, disability, neurophysiology pain test, attitudes and beliefs, fear-avoidance beliefs, self-care, kinesiophobia, quality of life and algometry. The results suggest that pain neuroscience education is effective in the short term and medium/long term for pain relief, either alone or combined with multimodal treatment. It was also effective in normalizing cognitions about pain, fear-avoidance beliefs, and self-care. Despite some evidence for a positive effect in the short and medium/long term, the heterogeneity in the technical aspects used does not allow the obtaining of conclusive results.

Effects of music therapy and distraction cards on pain relief during phlebotomy in children.

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Aydin, Diler; Sahiner, Nejla Canbulat

2017-02-01

To investigate three different distraction methods (distraction cards, listening to music, and distraction cards + music) on pain and anxiety relief in children during phlebotomy. This study was a prospective, randomized, controlled trial. The sample consisted of children aged 7 to 12years who required blood tests. The children were randomized into four groups, distraction cards, music, distraction cards + music, and controls. Data were obtained through face-to-face interviews with the children, their parents, and the observer before and after the procedure. The children's pain levels were assessed and reported by the parents and observers, and the children themselves who self-reported using Wong-Baker FACES. The children's anxiety levels were also assessed using the Children's Fear Scale. Two hundred children (mean age: 9.01±2.35years) were included. No difference was found between the groups in the self, parent, and observer reported procedural pain levels (p=0.72, p=0.23, p=0.15, respectively). Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between groups in procedural child anxiety levels according to the parents and observer (p=0.092, p=0.096, respectively). Pain and anxiety relief was seen in all three methods during phlebotomy; however, no statistically significant difference was observed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of laser on pain relief and wound healing of recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a systematic review.

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Suter, Valerie G A; Sjölund, Sophia; Bornstein, Michael M

2017-05-01

The aim of this systematic review was to assess a potential benefit of laser use in the treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). The primary outcome variables were pain relief, duration of wound healing and reduction in episode frequency. A PICO approach was used as a search strategy in Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases. After scanning and excluding titles, abstracts and full texts, 11 studies (ten RCTs and one non-randomised controlled trial) were included. Study selection and data extraction was done by two observers. Study participants varied between 7-90 for the laser and 5-90 for the control groups. Laser treatment included Nd:YAG laser ablation, CO 2 laser applied through a transparent gel (non-ablative) and diode laser in a low-level laser treatment (LLLT) mode. Control groups had placebo, no therapy or topical corticosteroid treatment. Significant pain relief immediately after treatment was found in five out of six studies. Pain relief in the days following treatment was recorded in seven studies. The duration of RAS wound healing was also reduced in five studies. However, criteria of evaluation differed between the studies. The episode frequency was not evaluated as only one study addressed this outcome parameter, but did not discriminate between the study (LLLT) and control (corticosteroid) groups. Jadad scores (ranging from 0 to 5) for quality assessment of the included studies range between 0 and 2 (mean = 1.0) for studies analysing pain relief and between 0 and 3 (mean = 1.1) for studies evaluating wound healing. The use of lasers (CO 2 laser, Nd:YAG laser and diode laser) to relieve symptoms and promote healing of RAS is a therapeutic option. More studies for laser applications are necessary to demonstrate superiority over topical pharmaceutical treatment and to recommend a specific laser type, wavelength, power output and applied energy (ablative versus photobiomodulation).

Nutraceuticals and osteoarthritis pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Angela; Leong, Daniel J; Cardoso, Luis; Sun, Hui B

2018-02-24

Arthritis is a chronic disease of joints. It is highly prevalent, particularly in the elderly, and is commonly associated with pain that interferes with quality of life. Because of its chronic nature, pharmacological approaches to pain relief and joint repair must be safe for long term use, a quality many current therapies lack. Nutraceuticals refer to compounds or materials that can function as nutrition and exert a potential therapeutic effect, including the relief of pain, such as pain related to arthritis, of which osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form. Of interest, nutraceuticals have recently been shown to have potential in relieving OA pain in human clinical trials. Emerging evidence indicates nutraceuticals may represent promising alternatives for the relief of OA pain. In this paper, we will overview OA pain and the use of nutraceuticals in OA pain management, focusing on those that have been evaluated by clinical trials. Furthermore, we discuss the biologic and pharmacologic actions underlying the nutraceutical effects on pain relief based on the potential active ingredients identified from traditional nutraceuticals in OA pain management and their potential for drug development. The review concludes by sharing our viewpoints that future studies should prioritize elucidating the mechanisms of action of nutraceuticals in OA and developing nutraceuticals that not only relieve OA pain, but also mitigate OA pathology. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Individual and sex-related differences in pain and relief responsiveness are associated with differences in resting-state functional networks in healthy volunteers.

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Galli, Giulia; Santarnecchi, Emiliano; Feurra, Matteo; Bonifazi, Marco; Rossi, Simone; Paulus, Martin P; Rossi, Alessandro

2016-02-01

Pain processing is associated with neural activity in a number of widespread brain regions. Here, we investigated whether functional connectivity at rest between these brain regions is associated with individual and sex-related differences in thermal pain and relief responsiveness. Twenty healthy volunteers (ten females) were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging in resting conditions. Half an hour after scanning, we administered thermal pain on the back of their right hand and collected pain and relief ratings in two separate runs of twelve stimuli each. Across the whole group, mean pain ratings were associated with decreased connectivity at rest between brain regions belonging to the default mode and the visual resting-state network. In men, pain measures correlated with increased connectivity within the visual resting-state network. In women, in contrast, decreased connectivity between this network and parietal and prefrontal brain regions implicated in affective cognitive control were associated with both pain and relief ratings. Our findings indicate that the well documented individual variability and sex differences in pain sensitivity may be explained, at least in part, by network dynamics at rest in these brain regions. © 2015 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Rehabilitation of low back pain patients. A review.

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Revel, M

1995-01-01

Numerous methods have been developed for the rehabilitation of low back pain patients, including spinal flexion and extension exercises, lumbar spine locking in an intermediate position, enhancement of spinal and pelvic proprioceptive sensibility, swimming pool therapy, back schools, and functional restoration. Each seeks to achieve a goal assumed to be central to the prevention of a first or recurrent episode of low back pain. Goals include short-term pain relief, an improved ability to achieve self-sedation, abdominal and lumbar muscle strengthening, increased hip and lumbar spine mobility, improved lumbar and pelvic proprioceptive sensibility, intervertebral joint stabilization, lumbar posture modification and improved general fitness. Less than 30 studies meeting widely accepted validity and applicability criteria for therapeutic trials have addressed the clinical efficacy of rehabilitation in low back pain patients. Most studies of the back school approach have found no benefit. Spinal flexion and extension exercise programs have yielded short-lived improvements, with no differences across methods. There is evidence that functional restoration programs based on graded activity may provide long-term benefits including better social and occupational outcomes. We have evaluated the physical therapy methods most commonly taught to and used by physical therapists in France.

A Novel Method for Pain Relief in Chronic Pancreatitis: an Old Drug in a New Pack: a Controlled Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pujahari, Aswini Kumar

2017-12-01

Most of pain-relieving agents in chronic pancreatitis are nonspecific and unpredictable. Omeprazole induces hypergastrinemia due to reduced gastric acidity. Raised serum gastrin, in turn, modulates to reduce secretin level. Secretin is responsible for secretion of almost 80 % bicarbonate-rich pancreatic juice from the ductular epithelium without affecting enzyme output. It is a prospective randomized study in patients with CT-confirmed chronic pancreatitis. The control group got the standard care and 60 mg of omeprazole twice daily was added to the test group. Absence of pain relief at 14 days was considered as failure. Pain relief, weight gain and any toxic effect of omeprazole were reviewed at 12 months. One hundred thirty-seven cases were included, with an age range of 19 to 72 years. (mean 42.67). The majority of them were alcoholic males. At 2 weeks, pain relief was noted in 47/69(68.1 %) and 63/65(96.96 %) in the control and omeprazole group, respectively. At the end of 1 year, the omeprazole group had greater weight gain (95 %) than the control group (69.5 %). All the pseudocysts in the omeprazole group and most in the control group resolved. No side effect of omeprazole was seen. The high-dose omeprazole (HDO) group of patients had significantly better pain relief in chronic pancreatitis than those treated with conventional therapy. A high number of cases gained weight in the HDO group than the controlled group. No patient had clinical, endoscopic, biochemical, or haematological toxicity of HDO. More studies are necessary.

Clinical Holistic Medicine (Mindful, Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Complemented with Bodywork in the Treatment of Experienced Physical Illness and Chronic Pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Søren Ventegodt

2007-01-01

Full Text Available We investigated the treatment effect of psychodynamic short-term therapy complemented with bodywork on patients who presented with physical illness at the Research Clinic for Holistic Medicine in Copenhagen. Psychodynamic short-term therapy was complemented with bodywork (Marion Rosen to help patients confront old emotional pain from childhood trauma(s. Patients were measured with a five-item quality of life and health questionnaire (QOL5, a one-item questionnaire of self-assessed quality of life (QOL1, and four questions on self-rated ability to love and to function sexually, socially, and at work (ability to sustain a full-time job. Most of the patients had chronic pain that could not be alleviated with drugs. Results showed that 31 patients with the experience of being severely physically ill (mostly from chronic pain, in spite of having consulted their own general practitioner, entered the study. The holistic approach and body therapy accelerated the therapy dramatically and no significant side effects were detected. After the intervention, 38.7% did not feel ill (1.73 < NNT < 4.58 (p = 0.05. Psychodynamic short-term therapy complemented with bodywork can help patients. When the patients responded to the therapy, the self-assessed mental health, relationship with partner, ability to work, self-assessed quality of life, relationships in general, measured QOL (with the validated questionnaire QOL5, and life's total state (mean of health, QOL and ability were significantly improved, statistically and clinically. Most importantly, all aspects of life were improved simultaneously, due to induction of Antonovsky-salutogenesis. The patients received in average 20 sessions over 14 months at a cost of 1600 EURO. For the treatment responders, the treatment seemingly provided lasting benefits.

Cervical Spinal Cord and Dorsal Nerve Root Stimulation for Neuropathic Upper Limb Pain.

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Levine, Adrian B; Parrent, Andrew G; MacDougall, Keith W

2017-01-01

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a well-established treatment for chronic neuropathic pain in the lower limbs. Upper limb pain comprises a significant proportion of neuropathic pain patients, but is often difficult to target specifically and consistently with paresthesias. We hypothesized that the use of dorsal nerve root stimulation (DNRS), as an option along with SCS, would help us better relieve pain in these patients. All 35 patients trialed with spinal stimulation for upper limb pain between July 1, 2011, and October 31, 2013, were included. We performed permanent implantation in 23/35 patients based on a visual analogue scale pain score decrease of ≥50% during trial stimulation. Both the SCS and DNRS groups had significant improvements in average visual analogue scale pain scores at 12 months compared with baseline, and the majority of patients in both groups obtained ≥50% pain relief. The majority of patients in both groups were able to reduce their opioid use, and on average had improvements in Short Form-36 quality of life scores. Complication rates did not differ significantly between the two groups. Treatment with SCS or DNRS provides meaningful long-term relief of chronic neuropathic pain in the upper limbs.

Efficacy of transverse tripolar spinal cord stimulator for the relief of chronic low back pain from failed back surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Buvanendran, Asokumar; Lubenow, Timothy J

2008-01-01

Failed back surgery syndrome is a common clinical entity for which spinal cord stimulation has been found to be an effective mode of analgesia, but with variable success rates. To determine if focal stimulation of the dorsal columns with a transverse tripolar lead might achieve deeper penetration of the electrical stimulus into the spinal cord and therefore provide greater analgesia to the back. Case report. We describe a 42-year-old female with failed back surgery syndrome that had greater back pain than leg pain. The tripolar lead configuration was achieved by placing percutaneously an octapolar lead in the spinal midline followed by 2 adjacent quadripolar leads, advanced to the T7-T10 vertebral bodies. Tripolar stimulation pattern resulted in more than 70% pain relief in this patient during the screening trial, while stimulation of one or 2 electrodes only provided 20% pain relief. After implantation of a permanent tripolar electrode system with a single rechargeable battery, the pain relief was maintained for one year. This is case report describing a case of a patient with chronic low back pain with a diagnosis of failed back surgery syndrome in which transverse tripolar stimulation using an octapolar and 2 quadripolar leads appeared to be beneficial. The transverse tripolar system consists of a central cathode surrounded by anodes, using 3 leads. This arrangement may contribute to maximum dorsal column stimulation with minimal dorsal root stimulation and provide analgesia to the lower back.

Historical essay: An Arabic surgeon, Ibn al Quff's (1232–1286) account on surgical pain relief

OpenAIRE

Takrouri, Mohamad Said Maani

2010-01-01

This is a review of Ibn al Quff's account of surgical pain relief in his surgical book Al Omdah, in which he mentioned the word anesthetic (Al moukhadder) and the involvement of physician (al tabbaaee) to give mixture of drugs to prevent pain in a surgical condition to relieve the patient from pain or to make surgical management possible. Hich indicated one rare occasion to such description in Arabic medical texts. Methods of administration of these drugs were inhalation, ingestion and by rec...

Permanent relief from intermittent cold stress-induced fibromyalgia-like abnormal pain by repeated intrathecal administration of antidepressants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mukae Takehiro

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Fibromyalgia (FM is characterized by chronic widespread pain, which is often refractory to conventional painkillers. Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated that antidepressants are effective in treating FM pain. We previously established a mouse model of FM-like pain, induced by intermittent cold stress (ICS. Results In this study, we find that ICS exposure causes a transient increase in plasma corticosterone concentration, but not in anxiety or depression-like behaviors. A single intrathecal injection of an antidepressant, such as milnacipran, amitriptyline, mianserin or paroxetine, had an acute analgesic effect on ICS-induced thermal hyperalgesia at post-stress day 1 in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, repeated daily antidepressant treatments during post-stress days 1-5 gradually reversed the reduction in thermal pain threshold, and this recovery was maintained for at least 7 days after the final treatment. In addition, relief from mechanical allodynia, induced by ICS exposure, was also observed at day 9 after the cessation of antidepressant treatment. In contrast, the intravenous administration of these antidepressants at conventional doses failed to provide relief. Conclusions These results suggest that the repetitive intrathecal administration of antidepressants permanently cures ICS-induced FM pain in mice.

The efficacy of mechanical vibration analgesia for relief of heel stick pain in neonates: a novel approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Baba, Lisa R; McGrath, Jacqueline M; Liu, Jiexin

2010-01-01

Hospitalized infants are often exposed to many painful procedures as a result of their illness or disease process. Untreated or poorly treated pain can have deleterious effects on normal nociceptive pain development as well as future development of pain pathways. Mechanical vibration has been found to be efficacious in adult and pediatric populations for the relief of mild-to-moderate acute and chronic pain. However, little is known about the efficacy of this intervention in the neonatal population. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that mechanical vibration would be efficacious in the relief of pain associated with heel sticks in neonates. Heel sticks are one of the most common painful procedures during neonatal hospitalization. A random-sequencing crossover design was used with infants acting as their own controls. Newborn infants of 35 weeks' gestation or greater (N = 20) met the inclusion criteria for the study. Pain during heel stick was measured with the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale. The Neonatal Infant Pain Scale is a nonintrusive tool with extensive evidence of its reliability and validity in the neonatal population, when used by trained observers. Mechanical vibration produced an analgesic effect for infants who had previously experienced painful heel sticks that approached statistical significance. The apparent limitations of mechanical vibration as analgesia may be due to the concurrent use of sucrose and pacifier, the effects of order (ie, habituation), or type II error. Because vibration produced the predicted positive effect in some circumstances, further investigation in larger samples within a randomized clinical trial is warranted.

Short-Term Effects of Kinesio Taping in Women with Pregnancy-Related Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Şeyhmus; Alpayci, Mahmut; Karaman, Erbil; Çetin, Orkun; Özkan, Yasemin; İlter, Server; Şah, Volkan; Şahin, Hanım Güler

2016-04-18

BACKGROUND Pregnancy-related low back pain is a common condition during pregnancy. Kinesio tape is a drug-free elastic therapeutic tape used for treating various musculoskeletal problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the short-term effects of lumbar Kinesio taping on pain intensity and disability in women with pregnancy-related low back pain. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 65 patients with pregnancy-related low back pain were randomly allocated into either Kinesio taping (n=33) or control (n=32) groups. The intervention group was treated with paracetamol plus Kinesio taping, while the control group received only paracetamol. Kinesio taping was applied in the lumbar flexion position, and four I-shaped bands were used. Two bands were attached horizontally, with space correction technique. The remaining 2 bands, 1 on each side of the lumbar spine, were placed vertically, with inhibition technique. Low back pain intensity was measured on a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS), and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) was used for evaluation of disability. RESULTS Pain intensity and RMDQ scores improved significantly in both groups at 5 days compared with baseline. Considering the degree of treatment effect (the change from baseline to day 5), the Kinesio taping group was significantly superior than the control group in all outcome measures (for all, Plow back pain.

Clinically relevant pain relief with an ibuprofen-releasing foam dressing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fogh, Karsten; Andersen, Maibritt B; Bischoff-Mikkelsen, Morten

2012-01-01

The objective of this 6-week, 120-patient, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial was to investigate if a foam dressing with ibuprofen provided clinically relevant pain relief (PAR) for exuding, painful venous leg ulcers in comparison with a similar foam dressing without ibuprofen. Primary......) and the corresponding number needed to treat (NNT). Wound-related parameters such as ulcer healing, ulcer area reduction, and peri-ulcer skin condition as well as adverse events were recorded during all 6 weeks of the investigation. PAR was significantly greater in the ibuprofen foam group than the comparator group (p...... = 0.0438). There were 34% responders in the ibuprofen foam group vs. 19% in the comparator group (NNT = 6.8). When evening data were analyzed separately to evaluate PAR over daytime, NNT was 5.3. Wound healing parameters and adverse events were comparable. In conclusion, in this study, the ibuprofen...

Improving pain assessment and managment in stroke patients.

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Nesbitt, Julian; Moxham, Sian; Ramadurai, Gopinath; Williams, Lucy

2015-01-01

Stroke patients can experience a variety of pain. Many stroke patients have co-morbidities such as osteoporosis, arthritis or diabetes causing diabetic neuropathy. As well as pain from other long term conditions, stroke patients can experience central post-stroke pain, headaches, and musculoskeletal issues such as hypertonia, contractures, spasticity, and subluxations. These stroke patients can also have communication difficulties in the form of expressive dysphasia and/or global aphasia. Communication difficulties can result in these patients not expressing their pain and therefore not having it assessed, leading to inadequate pain relief that could impact their rehabilitation and recovery. By implementing an observational measurement of pain such as the Abbey pain scale, patients with communication difficulties can have their pain assessed and recorded. Initially 30% of patients on the acute stroke ward did not have their pain assessed and adequately recorded and 15% of patients had inadequate pain relief. The patient was assessed if they were in pain and therefore not receiving adequate pain relief by measuring their pain on the Abbey pain scale. After introducing the Abbey pain scale and creating a nurse advocate, an improvement was shown such that only 5% of patients did not have their pain recorded and all had adequate pain relief.

[Chronic pain patients' readiness to change after multimodal treatment. Short- and long-term effects].

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Küchler, A; Sabatowski, R; Kaiser, U

2012-12-01

, significant short- and long-term improvements were evident. For single outcome parameters, positive associations with the stages of readiness to change were found. The results indicate that the outpatient pain management program favorably affects patients' motivation and general quality of life. This effect also seems to be stable over a long period of time. As not all patients show an improvement in stage of readiness to change, the question arises whether the reason of the differences might lie within the patients' and whether specific interventions for motivation might be useful to enhance motivation before starting treatment.

[The effects of preemptive dexketoprofen use on postoperative pain relief and tramadol consumption].

Science.gov (United States)

Kara, Inci; Tuncer, Sema; Erol, Atilla; Reisli, Ruhiye

2011-01-01

In this study, the efficacy of preemptive dexketoprofen usage on postoperative pain relief and tramadol consumption was evaluated. Fifty American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)-I or ASA-II patients undergoing plastic surgery were randomized into two groups. Group 1 received dexketoprofen 25 mg and Group 2 received placebo tablets 1 hour (h) before surgery. All patients received a standard anesthetic protocol. At the end of the surgery, all patients received intravenous tramadol with Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) device. Pain scores was evaluated with visual analog scale during the postoperative 1st, 8th and 24th h. Tramadol consumption, adverse effects and patient satisfaction were recorded. The pain scores and tramadol consumption were significantly lower in Group 1 (pdexketoprofen reduced postoperative tramadol consumption and incidence of adverse events.

Epidural Analgesia Versus Patient-Controlled Analgesia for Pain Relief in Uterine Artery Embolization for Uterine Fibroids: A Decision Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kooij, Sanne M. van der; Moolenaar, Lobke M.; Ankum, Willem M.; Reekers, Jim A.; Mol, Ben Willem J.; Hehenkamp, Wouter J. K.

2013-01-01

Purpose: This study was designed to compare the costs and effects of epidural analgesia (EDA) to those of patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCA) for postintervention pain relief in women having uterine artery embolization (UAE) for systematic uterine fibroids. Methods: Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) based on data from the literature by constructing a decision tree to model the clinical pathways for estimating the effects and costs of treatment with EDA and PCA. Literature on EDA for pain-relief after UAE was missing, and therefore, data on EDA for abdominal surgery were used. Outcome measures were compared costs to reduce one point in visual analogue score (VAS) or numeric rating scale (NRS) for pain 6 and 24 h after UAE and risk for complications. Results: Six hours after the intervention, the VAS was 3.56 when using PCA and 2.0 when using EDA. The costs for pain relief in women undergoing UAE with PCA and EDA were €191 and €355, respectively. The costs for EDA to reduce the VAS score 6 h after the intervention with one point compared with PCA were €105 and €179 after 24 h. The risk of having a complication was 2.45 times higher when using EDA. Conclusions: The results of this indirect comparison of EDA for abdominal surgery with PCA for UAE show that EDA would provide superior analgesia for post UAE pain at 6 and 24 h but with higher costs and an increased risk of complications

Intravenous flurbiprofen for post-thymectomy pain relief in patients with myasthenia gravis

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Post-thymectomy pain in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients can inhibit breathing and coughing. Inappropriate usage of analgesics may exacerbate respiratory inhibition and even cause myasthenic crisis. Flurbiprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is commonly used to control moderate postoperative pain and is not associated with respiratory inhibition. We hypothesized that flurbiprofen may provide post-thymectomy pain relief without increasing the risk of complications in MG patients. Methods Two hundred MG patients underwent extended thymectomy from March 2006 to December 2010 and were randomly allocated to a flurbiprofen group (110 patients, 50 mg intravenous flurbiprofen axetil) or a control group (90 patients, 100 mg intramuscular tramadol) as postoperative analgesia. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, pulse oximetry (SpO2), and adverse effects were recorded before and up to 24 h after drug administration. Results There were no significant differences in the preoperative clinical characteristics of the flurbiprofen and control (tramadol) groups. Both flurbiprofen and tramadol significantly alleviated post-thymectomy pain (p flurbiprofen group had significantly lower VAS pain scores at 0.5 h, 2 h, 4 h, and 8 h after surgery (p flurbiprofen axetil provides safe and effective analgesia for MG patients. PMID:23020939

Mindfulness-Meditation-Based Pain Relief Is Not Mediated by Endogenous Opioids.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeidan, Fadel; Adler-Neal, Adrienne L; Wells, Rebecca E; Stagnaro, Emily; May, Lisa M; Eisenach, James C; McHaffie, John G; Coghill, Robert C

2016-03-16

demonstrate that meditation-based pain relief does not require endogenous opioids. Therefore, the treatment of chronic pain may be more effective with meditation due to a lack of cross-tolerance with opiate-based medications. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/363391-07$15.00/0.

The effect of mefenamic acid and ginger on pain relief in primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Shirvani, Marjan Ahmad; Motahari-Tabari, Narges; Alipour, Abbas

2015-06-01

The aim of the study was to compare the effect of mefenamic acid and ginger on pain management in primary dysmenorrhea. One hundred and twenty-two female students with moderate to severe primary dysmenorrhea were randomly allocated to the ginger and mefenamic groups in a randomized clinical trial. The mefenamic group received 250 mg capsules every 8 h, and the ginger group received 250 mg capsules (zintoma) every 6 h from the onset of menstruation until pain relief lasted 2 cycles. The intensity of pain was assessed by the visual analog scale. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t test, Chi-square, Fisher exact test and repeated measurement. The pain intensity in the mefenamic and ginger group was 39.01 ± 17.77 and 43.49 ± 19.99, respectively, in the first month, and 33.75 ± 17.71 and 38.19 ± 20.47, respectively, in the second month (p > 0.05). The severity of dysmenorrhea, pain duration, cycle duration and bleeding volume was not significantly different between groups during the study. The menstrual days were more in the ginger group in the first (p = 0.01) and second cycle (p = 0.04). Repeated measurement showed a significant difference in pain intensity within the groups by time, but not between groups. Ginger is as effective as mefenamic acid on pain relief in primary dysmenorrhea. Ginger does not have adverse effects and is an alternative treatment for primary dysmenorrhea.

Ibuprofen and/or paracetamol (acetaminophen) for pain relief after surgical removal of lower wisdom teeth

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bailey, E.; Worthington, H.V.; van Wijk, A.; Yates, J.M.; Coulthard, P.; Afzal, Z.

2013-01-01

Background Both paracetamol and ibuprofen are commonly used analgesics for the relief of pain following the surgical removal of lower wisdom teeth (third molars). In 2010, a novel analgesic (marketed as Nuromol) containing both paracetamol and ibuprofen in the same tablet was launched in the United

Transcatheter ovarian vein embolization for pelvic congestion syndrome: short-term outcome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Ji Seon; Oh, Joo Hyeong; Yoon, Yup; Huh, Joo Yup [College of Medicine, Kyunghee Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Yu Mee [College of Medicine, Dongguk Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2002-04-01

To evaluate the short-term therapeutic effectiveness of ovarian vein embolization using coils for pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS), a common cause of chronic pelvic pain, and to determine patient satisfaction. Forty-four multiparous women aged 26-73 (mean, 39.9) years in whom chronic pelvic pain due to unknown causes had lasted for more than six months, and whose gynecologic findings and laboratory data suggested PCS, underwent transabdominal or transvaginal ultrasonography and selective ovarian venography. PSC was finally diagnosed in 21 of th 44, who underwent 22 ovarian vein embolizations (in one case, bilaterally). The simple pain rating system was used at admission, with a 'minimal' or 'moderate' grade representing discomfort in daily life, and 'severe; indicating the need for medication. Indications for coil embolization included dilatation of the ovarian vein to a diameter of more than 6 mm, reflux involving an incompetent valve, congestion of the pelvic venous plexus (involving the stasis of contrast media), and /or opacification of the ipsilateral internal iliac vein (or contralateral filling). Embolizations were undertaken using coils of optimal size and number, and the mean follow-up period was 217 (31-267) days. By means of a telephone questionnaire, the outcome was classified as a cure, pain reduction, or 'no change, or aggravation', and on the basis of whether or not they would opt for the same treatment, or recommend embolization to others, patient satisfaction was graded as 'substantial', 'moderate', or 'absent'. Venous occlusion was confirmed at postembolization venography in all 22 cases. Clinical treatment led to symptomatic relief in 76.2% of patients a cure in 33.3%(7/21), pain reduction in 42.9%(9/21) and no imchage, or aggravation, in 23.8%(5/21). Eighteen patients (85.5%) were very (9/21, 42.9%) or moderately (9/21, 42.9%) satisfied with coil embolization. In two, the coil

Transcatheter ovarian vein embolization for pelvic congestion syndrome: short-term outcome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Ji Seon; Oh, Joo Hyeong; Yoon, Yup; Huh, Joo Yup; Jeong, Yu Mee

2002-01-01

To evaluate the short-term therapeutic effectiveness of ovarian vein embolization using coils for pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS), a common cause of chronic pelvic pain, and to determine patient satisfaction. Forty-four multiparous women aged 26-73 (mean, 39.9) years in whom chronic pelvic pain due to unknown causes had lasted for more than six months, and whose gynecologic findings and laboratory data suggested PCS, underwent transabdominal or transvaginal ultrasonography and selective ovarian venography. PSC was finally diagnosed in 21 of th 44, who underwent 22 ovarian vein embolizations (in one case, bilaterally). The simple pain rating system was used at admission, with a 'minimal' or 'moderate' grade representing discomfort in daily life, and 'severe; indicating the need for medication. Indications for coil embolization included dilatation of the ovarian vein to a diameter of more than 6 mm, reflux involving an incompetent valve, congestion of the pelvic venous plexus (involving the stasis of contrast media), and /or opacification of the ipsilateral internal iliac vein (or contralateral filling). Embolizations were undertaken using coils of optimal size and number, and the mean follow-up period was 217 (31-267) days. By means of a telephone questionnaire, the outcome was classified as a cure, pain reduction, or 'no change, or aggravation', and on the basis of whether or not they would opt for the same treatment, or recommend embolization to others, patient satisfaction was graded as 'substantial', 'moderate', or 'absent'. Venous occlusion was confirmed at postembolization venography in all 22 cases. Clinical treatment led to symptomatic relief in 76.2% of patients a cure in 33.3%(7/21), pain reduction in 42.9%(9/21) and no imchage, or aggravation, in 23.8%(5/21). Eighteen patients (85.5%) were very (9/21, 42.9%) or moderately (9/21, 42.9%) satisfied with coil embolization. In two, the coil migrated, and was successfully retrieved using a snare loop. In this

The use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for pain relief in labour: a review of the evidence.

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Bedwell, Carol; Dowswell, Therese; Neilson, James P; Lavender, Tina

2011-10-01

to assess the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for pain relief in labour. studies were identified from a search of the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (November 2008). randomised controlled trials comparing women receiving TENS for pain relief in labour vs routine care or placebo devices. All types of TENS machines were included. two review authors assessed all trials identified by the search strategy, carried out data extraction and assessed risk of bias. 14 studies including 1256 women were included: 11 examined TENS applied to the back, two to acupuncture points and one to the cranium. Overall, there was little difference in satisfaction with pain relief or in pain ratings between TENS and control groups, although women receiving TENS to acupuncture points were less likely to report severe pain (risk ratio 0.41, 95% confidence interval 0.32-0.55). The majority of women using TENS would use it again in a future labour. There was no evidence that TENS had any impact on interventions and outcomes in labour. There was little information on outcomes for mothers and infants. No adverse events were reported. there is only limited evidence that TENS reduces pain in labour and it does not seem to have any impact on other outcomes for mothers or infants. The use of TENS at home in early labour has not been evaluated. Although the guidelines of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommend that TENS should not be offered to women in labour, women appear to be choosing it and midwives are supporting them in their choice. Given the absence of adverse effects and the limited evidence base, it seems unreasonable to deny women that choice. More robust studies of effectiveness are needed. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Short-term effect of superficial heat treatment on paraspinal muscle activity, stature recovery, and psychological factors in patients with chronic low back pain.

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Lewis, Sandra E; Holmes, Paul S; Woby, Steve R; Hindle, Jackie; Fowler, Neil E

2012-02-01

To test the hypothesis that patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) would have reduced paraspinal muscle activity when wearing a heat wrap and that this would be associated with increased stature recovery and short-term improvements in psychological factors. A within-subject repeated-measures design. Muscle activity and stature recovery were assessed before and after a 40-minute unloading period, both without a heat wrap and after 2 hours of wear. Questionnaires were completed after both sessions. Hospital physiotherapy department. Patients with CLBP (n=24; age, 48.0±9.0 y; height, 166.6±7.3 cm; body mass, 80.2±12.9 kg) and asymptomatic participants (n=11; age, 47.9±15.4 y; height, 168.7±11.6 cm; body mass, 69.3±13.1 kg) took part in the investigation. Patients on the waiting list for 2 physiotherapist-led rehabilitation programs, and those who had attended the programs during the previous 2 years, were invited to participate. Superficial heat wrap. Paraspinal muscle activity, stature recovery over a 40-minute unloading period, pain, disability, and psychological factors. For the CLBP patients only, the heat wrap was associated with a reduction in nonnormalized muscle activity and a positive short-term effect on self-report of disability, pain-related anxiety, catastrophizing, and self-efficacy. Changes in muscle activity were correlated with changes in stature recovery, and both were also correlated to changes in psychological factors. Use of the heat wrap was associated with a decrease in muscle activity and a short-term improvement in certain aspects of well-being for the CLBP patients. The results confirm the link between the biomechanical and psychological outcome measures. Copyright © 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Short and long-term post-operative outcomes of duodenum preserving pancreatic head resection for chronic pancreatitis affecting the head of pancreas: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Jawad, Zaynab A R; Tsim, Nicole; Pai, Madhava; Bansi, Dev; Westaby, David; Vlavianos, Panagiotis; Jiao, Long R

2016-02-01

To evaluate the short and long term outcomes of duodenum preserving pancreatic head resection (DPPHR) procedures in the treatment of painful chronic pancreatitis. A systematic literature search was performed to identify all comparative studies evaluating long and short term postoperative outcomes (pain relief, morbidity and mortality, pancreatic exocrine and endocrine function). Five published studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria including 1 randomized controlled trial comparing the Beger and Frey procedure. In total, 323 patients underwent surgical procedures for chronic pancreatitis, including Beger (n = 138) and Frey (n = 99), minimal Frey (n = 32), modified Frey (n = 25) and Berne's modification (n = 29). Two studies comparing the Beger and Frey procedure were entered into a meta-analysis and showed no difference in post-operative pain (RD = -0.06; CI -0.21 to 0.09), mortality (RD = 0.01; CI -0.03 to 0.05), morbidity (RD = 0.12; CI -0.00 to 0.24), exocrine insufficiency (RD = 0.04; CI -0.10 to 0.18) and endocrine insufficiency (RD = -0.14 CI -0.28 to 0.01). All procedures are equally effective for the management of pain for chronic pancreatitis. The choice of procedure should be determined by other factors including the presence of secondary complications of pancreatitis and intra-operative findings. Registration number CRD42015019275. Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York, 2009. Copyright © 2015 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Non-Pharmacological Methods of Labor Pain Relief on Mothers’ Perceived Stress: ARandomized Controlled Trial

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Mojghan Mirghafourvand

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background & objectives: Childbirth is the most stressful event for the women both mentally and physically affecting their physiological and psychological indicators during labour. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of non-pharmacological methods of labor pain relief in mothers’ perceived stress conducted in Alavi hospital of Ardabil, 2013.  Methods: In this double blind randomized controlled trial, 320 mothers were allocated into two groups by stratified block randomization . The intervention group (n=158 received continuous support throughout the labour process, positioning and movement, music, aromatherapy, showering andconsumption of a light diet or water.The control group received only a routine care. The perceived stress scale (PSS was employed to collect data in three stages at the beginning of the active phase, before the intervention, six hours after birth and then eight weeks postpartum. The two groupswere compared using General Linear Model with controlling the baseline scores. Results: There were 14 participants loss to follow-up. The mean of perceived stress score in the intervention group was significantly lower than the control group at 6 hours [adjusted mean difference: -1.0 (95% confidence interval: -0.01 to -1.9]. However, there was no difference between two groups in terms of perceived stress score at 8 weeks postpartum (p=0.692.  Conclusion: Non-pharmacological methods of labor pain relief are an effective intervention for reducing perceived stress level in mothers during labor and therefore use of this intervention is recommended.

The effect of mud therapy on pain relief in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

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Liu, Hua; Zeng, Chao; Gao, Shu-guang; Yang, Tuo; Luo, Wei; Li, Yu-sheng; Xiong, Yi-lin; Sun, Jin-peng; Lei, Guang-hua

2013-10-01

A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effect of mud therapy on pain relief in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). A detailed search of PubMed®/MEDLINE® was undertaken to identify randomized controlled trials and prospective comparative studies published before 9 March 2013 that compared mud therapy with control group treatments in patients with knee OA. A quantitative meta-analysis of seven studies (410 patients) was performed. There was a significant difference between the groups in the visual analogue scale pain score (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.73) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain score (SMD -0.30), with differences in favour of mud therapy. Mud therapy is a favourable option for pain relief in patients with knee OA. Additional high-quality randomized controlled trials need to be conducted to explore this issue further and to confirm this conclusion.

Epidural Analgesia Versus Patient-Controlled Analgesia for Pain Relief in Uterine Artery Embolization for Uterine Fibroids: A Decision Analysis

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Kooij, Sanne M. van der, E-mail: s.m.vanderkooij@amc.uva.nl; Moolenaar, Lobke M.; Ankum, Willem M. [Academic Medical Centre, Department of Gynaecology (Netherlands); Reekers, Jim A. [Academic Medical Centre, Department of Radiology (Netherlands); Mol, Ben Willem J. [Academic Medical Centre, Department of Gynaecology (Netherlands); Hehenkamp, Wouter J. K. [VU University Medical Centre, Department of Gynaecology (Netherlands)

2013-12-15

Purpose: This study was designed to compare the costs and effects of epidural analgesia (EDA) to those of patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCA) for postintervention pain relief in women having uterine artery embolization (UAE) for systematic uterine fibroids. Methods: Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) based on data from the literature by constructing a decision tree to model the clinical pathways for estimating the effects and costs of treatment with EDA and PCA. Literature on EDA for pain-relief after UAE was missing, and therefore, data on EDA for abdominal surgery were used. Outcome measures were compared costs to reduce one point in visual analogue score (VAS) or numeric rating scale (NRS) for pain 6 and 24 h after UAE and risk for complications. Results: Six hours after the intervention, the VAS was 3.56 when using PCA and 2.0 when using EDA. The costs for pain relief in women undergoing UAE with PCA and EDA were Euro-Sign 191 and Euro-Sign 355, respectively. The costs for EDA to reduce the VAS score 6 h after the intervention with one point compared with PCA were Euro-Sign 105 and Euro-Sign 179 after 24 h. The risk of having a complication was 2.45 times higher when using EDA. Conclusions: The results of this indirect comparison of EDA for abdominal surgery with PCA for UAE show that EDA would provide superior analgesia for post UAE pain at 6 and 24 h but with higher costs and an increased risk of complications.

The Role of Botulinum Toxin Type A in the Clinical Management of Refractory Anterior Knee Pain

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Barbara J. Singer

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Anterior knee pain is a highly prevalent condition affecting largely young to middle aged adults. Symptoms can recur in more than two thirds of cases, often resulting in activity limitation and reduced participation in employment and recreational pursuits. Persistent anterior knee pain is difficult to treat and many individuals eventually consider a surgical intervention. Evidence for long term benefit of most conservative treatments or surgical approaches is currently lacking. Injection of Botulinum toxin type A to the distal region of vastus lateralis muscle causes a short term functional “denervation” which moderates the influence of vastus lateralis muscle on the knee extensor mechanism and increases the relative contribution of the vastus medialis muscle. Initial data suggest that, compared with other interventions for anterior knee pain, Botulinum toxin type A injection, in combination with an active exercise programme, can lead to sustained relief of symptoms, reduced health care utilisation and increased activity participation. The procedure is less invasive than surgical intervention, relatively easy to perform, and is time- and cost-effective. Further studies, including larger randomized placebo-controlled trials, are required to confirm the effectiveness of Botulinum toxin type A injection for anterior knee pain and to elaborate the possible mechanisms underpinning pain and symptom relief.

Intravenous flurbiprofen for post-thymectomy pain relief in patients with myasthenia gravis

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Su Chunhua

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Post-thymectomy pain in myasthenia gravis (MG patients can inhibit breathing and coughing. Inappropriate usage of analgesics may exacerbate respiratory inhibition and even cause myasthenic crisis. Flurbiprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID that is commonly used to control moderate postoperative pain and is not associated with respiratory inhibition. We hypothesized that flurbiprofen may provide post-thymectomy pain relief without increasing the risk of complications in MG patients. Methods Two hundred MG patients underwent extended thymectomy from March 2006 to December 2010 and were randomly allocated to a flurbiprofen group (110 patients, 50 mg intravenous flurbiprofen axetil or a control group (90 patients, 100 mg intramuscular tramadol as postoperative analgesia. Visual analog scale (VAS pain score, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, pulse oximetry (SpO2, and adverse effects were recorded before and up to 24 h after drug administration. Results There were no significant differences in the preoperative clinical characteristics of the flurbiprofen and control (tramadol groups. Both flurbiprofen and tramadol significantly alleviated post-thymectomy pain (p p 2 in either group at all time points. Conclusions Post-thymectomy intravenous administration of flurbiprofen axetil provides safe and effective analgesia for MG patients.

Pain relief of sore throat with a new anti-inflammatory throat lozenge, ibuprofen 25 mg: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, international phase III study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouroubi, Athmane; Donazzolo, Yves; Donath, Franck; Eccles, Ron; Russo, Marc; Harambillet, Nadine; Gautier, Stéphanie; Montagne, Agnès

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of a new oromucosal ibuprofen form, ibuprofen 25 mg lozenge, in single and repeat dosing for up to 4 days, to the matched placebo, in the treatment of acute sore throat pain in adults. In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, adult patients with non-streptococcal sore throat and signs of moderate-to-severe associated pain (≥5 on the objective Tonsillo-Pharyngitis Assessment 21-point scale and ≥60 mm on the subjective 0-100 mm visual analogue Sore Throat Pain Intensity Scale [STPIS]) were assigned ibuprofen 25 mg (n=194) or matching placebo (n=191) lozenge treatment. Efficacy was assessed (at the investigating centre up to 2 hours after first dosing, then on an ambulatory basis) by parameters derived from patient's scores on scales of pain relief, pain intensity, and global efficacy assessment. The primary efficacy end-point was the time-weighted TOTal PAin Relief (TOTPAR) over 2 hours after first dosing using the Sore Throat Relief Scale (STRS). Safety and local tolerability were assessed. Ibuprofen 25 mg was superior to placebo on numerous pain relief parameters; TOTPAR was significantly higher with ibuprofen 25 mg over 2 hours after first dosing (Ppain (n=128), after an average 4 days (Prelief of sore throat pain and is as well tolerated as placebo. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01785862. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Short-term combined effects of thoracic spine thrust manipulation and cervical spine nonthrust manipulation in individuals with mechanical neck pain: a randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Masaracchio, Michael; Cleland, Joshua A; Hellman, Madeleine; Hagins, Marshall

2013-03-01

Randomized clinical trial. To investigate the short-term effects of thoracic spine thrust manipulation combined with cervical spine nonthrust manipulation (experimental group) versus cervical spine nonthrust manipulation alone (comparison group) in individuals with mechanical neck pain. Research has demonstrated improved outcomes with both nonthrust manipulation directed at the cervical spine and thrust manipulation directed at the thoracic spine in patients with neck pain. Previous studies have not determined if thoracic spine thrust manipulation may increase benefits beyond those provided by cervical nonthrust manipulation alone. Sixty-four participants with mechanical neck pain were randomized into 1 of 2 groups, an experimental or comparison group. Both groups received 2 treatment sessions of cervical spine nonthrust manipulation and a home exercise program consisting of active range-of-motion exercises, and the experimental group received additional thoracic spine thrust manipulations. Outcome measures were collected at baseline and at a 1-week follow-up, and included the numeric pain rating scale, the Neck Disability Index, and the global rating of change. Participants in the experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvements (Ppain rating scale and Neck Disability Index at the 1-week follow-up compared to those in the comparison group. In addition, 31 of 33 (94%) participants in the experimental group, compared to 11 of 31 participants (35%) in the comparison group, indicated a global rating of change score of +4 or higher at the 1-week follow-up, with an associated number needed to treat of 2. Individuals with neck pain who received a combination of thoracic spine thrust manipulation and cervical spine nonthrust manipulation plus exercise demonstrated better overall short-term outcomes on the numeric pain rating scale, the Neck Disability Index, and the global rating of change.

Predictive Nomogram for the Durability of Pain Relief From Gamma Knife Radiation Surgery in the Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucas, John T.; Nida, Adrian M.; Isom, Scott; Marshall, Kopriva; Bourland, John D.; Laxton, Adrian W.; Tatter, Stephen B.; Chan, Michael D.

2014-01-01

Purpose: To determine factors associated with the durability of stereotactic radiation surgery (SRS) for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Methods and Materials: Between 1999 and 2008, 446 of 777 patients with TN underwent SRS and had evaluable follow-up in our electronic medical records and phone interview records. The median follow-up was 21.2 months. The Barrow Neurologic Institute (BNI) pain scale was used to determine pre- and post-SRS pain. Dose-volume anatomical measurements, Burchiel pain subtype, pain quality, prior procedures, and medication usage were included in this retrospective cohort to identify factors impacting the time to BNI 4-5 pain relapse by using Cox proportional hazard regression. An internet-based nomogram was constructed based on predictive factors of durable relief pre- and posttreatment at 6-month intervals. Results: Rates of freedom from BNI 4-5 failure at 1, 3, and 5 years were 84.5%, 70.4%, and 46.9%, respectively. Pain relief was BNI 1-3 at 1, 3, and 5 years in 86.1%, 74.3%, and 51.3% of type 1 patients; 79.3%, 46.2%, and 29.3% of type 2 patients; and 62.7%, 50.2%, and 25% of atypical facial pain patients. BNI type 1 pain score was achieved at 1, 3, and 5 years in 62.9%, 43.5%, and 22.0% of patients with type 1 pain and in 47.5%, 25.2%, and 9.2% of type 2 patients, respectively. Only 13% of patients with atypical facial pain achieved BNI 1 response; 42% of patients developed post-Gamma Knife radiation surgery (GKRS) trigeminal dysfunction. Multivariate analysis revealed that post-SRS numbness (hazard ratio [HR], 0.47; P<.0001), type 1 (vs type 2) TN (HR, 0.6; P=.02), and improved post-SRS BNI score at 6 months (HR, 0.009; P<.0001) were predictive of a durable pain response. Conclusions: The durability of SRS for TN depends on the presenting Burchiel pain type, the post-SRS BNI score, and the presence of post-SRS facial numbness. The durability of pain relief can be estimated pre- and posttreatment by using our

Predictive Nomogram for the Durability of Pain Relief From Gamma Knife Radiation Surgery in the Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lucas, John T., E-mail: johnthomas75@gmail.com [Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (United States); Nida, Adrian M. [Biomedical Informatics Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina (United States); Isom, Scott [Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Section of Biostatistics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (United States); Marshall, Kopriva [Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (United States); Bourland, John D. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (United States); Laxton, Adrian W.; Tatter, Stephen B. [Department of Neurosurgery, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (United States); Chan, Michael D. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (United States)

2014-05-01

Purpose: To determine factors associated with the durability of stereotactic radiation surgery (SRS) for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Methods and Materials: Between 1999 and 2008, 446 of 777 patients with TN underwent SRS and had evaluable follow-up in our electronic medical records and phone interview records. The median follow-up was 21.2 months. The Barrow Neurologic Institute (BNI) pain scale was used to determine pre- and post-SRS pain. Dose-volume anatomical measurements, Burchiel pain subtype, pain quality, prior procedures, and medication usage were included in this retrospective cohort to identify factors impacting the time to BNI 4-5 pain relapse by using Cox proportional hazard regression. An internet-based nomogram was constructed based on predictive factors of durable relief pre- and posttreatment at 6-month intervals. Results: Rates of freedom from BNI 4-5 failure at 1, 3, and 5 years were 84.5%, 70.4%, and 46.9%, respectively. Pain relief was BNI 1-3 at 1, 3, and 5 years in 86.1%, 74.3%, and 51.3% of type 1 patients; 79.3%, 46.2%, and 29.3% of type 2 patients; and 62.7%, 50.2%, and 25% of atypical facial pain patients. BNI type 1 pain score was achieved at 1, 3, and 5 years in 62.9%, 43.5%, and 22.0% of patients with type 1 pain and in 47.5%, 25.2%, and 9.2% of type 2 patients, respectively. Only 13% of patients with atypical facial pain achieved BNI 1 response; 42% of patients developed post-Gamma Knife radiation surgery (GKRS) trigeminal dysfunction. Multivariate analysis revealed that post-SRS numbness (hazard ratio [HR], 0.47; P<.0001), type 1 (vs type 2) TN (HR, 0.6; P=.02), and improved post-SRS BNI score at 6 months (HR, 0.009; P<.0001) were predictive of a durable pain response. Conclusions: The durability of SRS for TN depends on the presenting Burchiel pain type, the post-SRS BNI score, and the presence of post-SRS facial numbness. The durability of pain relief can be estimated pre- and posttreatment by using our

Short-term results after arthroscopic resection of synovial plicae in the radiohumeral joint

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brahe Pedersen, Jens; Kristensen, Pia Kjær; Mønsted, Peter

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Painful Synovial Plicae (SP) in the posterolateral corner of the radiohumeral joint may be confused with lateral epicondylitis. The SP may impinge between the radial head and the humeral capitellum causing pain and snapping. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term results...

Expectations impact short-term memory through changes in connectivity between attention- and task-related brain regions.

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Sinke, Christopher; Forkmann, Katarina; Schmidt, Katharina; Wiech, Katja; Bingel, Ulrike

2016-05-01

Over the recent years, neuroimaging studies have investigated the neural mechanisms underlying the influence of expectations on perception. However, it seems equally reasonable to assume that expectations impact cognitive functions. Here we used fMRI to explore the role of expectations on task performance and its underlying neural mechanisms. 43 healthy participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Using verbal instructions, group 1 was led to believe that pain enhances task performance while group 2 was instructed that pain hampers their performance. All participants performed a Rapid-Serial-Visual-Presentation (RSVP) Task (target detection and short-term memory component) with or without concomitant painful heat stimulation during 3T fMRI scanning. As hypothesized, short-term memory performance showed an interaction between painful stimulation and expectation. Positive expectations induced stronger neural activation in the right inferior parietal cortex (IPC) during painful stimulation than negative expectation. Moreover, IPC displayed differential functional coupling with the left inferior occipital cortex under pain as a function of expectancy. Our data show that an individual's expectation can influence cognitive performance in a visual short-term memory task which is associated with activity and connectivity changes in brain areas implicated in attentional processing and task performance. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Comparison of impacts of friction massage, stretching exercises and analgesics on pain relief in primary fibromyalgia syndrome: a randomized clinical trial

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Amanollahi A

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Stretching exercises and massage therapy are both suggested for pain relief in fibromyalgia syndrome. Previous studies have not proved their superiority over each other. This study compared the therapeutic effects of friction massage, stretching exercises, and analgesics on pain relief in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome.Methods: We evaluated 129 female patients with the diagnosis of primary fibromyalgia visited at the physical medicine clinics of Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran, Iran during 2010- 2011. Patients were randomly divided into three groups: the first group received 400 mg ibuprofen P.O. (3 times per day and 25 mg nortriptyline (daily P.O. as analgesic, the second group was treated by friction massage and the third group performed stretching exercises. Patients were assessed three times (initially, after one and four weeks by visual analogue scale (VAS.Results: The mean age of participants was 60.46 years. The mean age in each treatment group was 46.66 years in medication group, 46.73 years in stretching group and 46.65 years in friction massage group. Changes in VAS score over 4 weeks were 2.4, 3.1 and 1.9, in the first, second, and third groups, respectively. The changes in VAS were significantly different in the first and second groups rather than the controls (P<0.05.Conclusion: The effect of stretch exercise on pain relief was similar to analgesics, but it was more effective than friction massage. Moreover, the therapeutic effect of stretching exercise on pain relief upon four weeks was more permanent than friction massage but it was similar to analgesics.

Are Multidimensional Pain Inventory Coping Strategy Profiles Associated with Long-Term Spinal Cord Stimulation Effectiveness?

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Paroli, Mery; Bernini, Olivia; De Carolis, Giuliano; Tollapi, Lara; Bondi, Franca; Martini, Antonella; Dario, Alessandro; Paolicchi, Adriana

2018-05-01

It is acknowledged that the way patients cope with pain may influence treatment outcome. In particular, psychological factors are deemed important when considering patients for suitability for spinal cord stimulation (SCS). The aim of the study is to observe how pre-implantation psychological characteristics impact the effectiveness of SCS for chronic pain. The analysis comprised data from 137 patients who underwent an SCS implant. Screening evaluation included a coping strategies profile (Multidimensional Pain Inventory) and psychiatric disorders (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview). Based on SCS implant outcome collected during follow-up visits, patients were divided into three groups: subjects with long-term pain relief (long-term group), subjects who failed the SCS treatment and decided to explant trial device (trial explanter group [TE]), and those who chose a permanent device (permanent explanter group [PE]). Results showed that most of the patients who failed with the SCS (TE and PE groups) demonstrated a dysfunctional coping profile and showed a higher presence of psychiatric disorders, which significantly influenced the experience and perception of pain. The findings of this study support the value of a multidisciplinary screening. Addressing psychological issues before SCS implantation can reduce the failure rate of SCS.

Comparative Responsiveness of the PROMIS Pain Interference Short Forms, Brief Pain Inventory, PEG, and SF-36 Bodily Pain Subscale.

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Kean, Jacob; Monahan, Patrick O; Kroenke, Kurt; Wu, Jingwei; Yu, Zhangsheng; Stump, Tim E; Krebs, Erin E

2016-04-01

To compare the sensitivity to change and the responsiveness to intervention of the PROMIS Pain Interference short forms, Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), 3-item PEG scale, and SF-36 Bodily Pain subscale in a sample of patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain of moderate severity. Standardized response means, standardized effect sizes, and receiver operating curve analyses were used to assess change between baseline and 3-month assessments in 250 participants who participated in a randomized clinical effectiveness trial of collaborative telecare management for moderate to severe and persistent musculoskeletal pain. The BPI, PEG, and SF-36 Bodily Pain measures were more sensitive to patient-reported global change than the PROMIS Pain Interference short forms, especially for the clinically improved group, for which the change detected by the PROMIS short forms was not statistically significant. The BPI was more responsive to the clinical intervention than the SF-36 Bodily Pain and PROMIS Pain Interference measures. Post hoc analyses exploring these findings did not suggest that differences in content or rating scale structure (number of response options or anchoring language) adequately explained the observed differences in the detection of change. In this clinical trial, the BPI and PEG measures were better able to detect change than the SF-36 Bodily Pain and PROMIS Pain Interference measures.

An Innovative and Portable Multimodal Pain Relief Device for the Management of Neuropathic Low Back Pain - a Study from Kashmir (Southeast Asia).

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Tarfarosh, Shah Faisal Ahmad; Lone, Baseer-Ul-Rasool; Beigh, Mirza-Idrees-Ul-Haq; Manzoor, Mushbiq

2016-06-29

We developed a portable multimodal system with seven different mechanisms of pain relief incorporated into a lumbar belt called the Comfort-N-Harmony Belt (C&H belt). Here, we describe the technical details of the system and also summarize the effects of this multimodal pain relieving technology as an adjuvant to analgesics versus analgesics alone, on the level of pain, improvement of psychological status, disability, and the quality of life in the patients with neuropathic low back pain (LBP). We tracked the volunteers who were following up at a tertiary health care center for the complaints of neuropathic LBP of minimum three months duration and were on analgesics alone with no relief in the severity of the pain. Study group A (n = 45) consisted of volunteers with LBP on C&H belt therapy, along with the usually prescribed analgesic intake, and group B (n = 45) with LBP volunteers on analgesics, plus a similar looking but plain leather belt (placebo). For pain, the VAS (Visual Analogue Scale); for anxiety and depression, the (HADS) Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale; for disability, the RMDQ (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire); and for quality of life, (NHP) Nottingham-Health-Profile were used before and after the study period.  There were no significant differences in demographic variables between the groups (p improved compared to the pre-treatment scores (p improvements in the scores of NHP-energy level and NHP-social isolation (p 0.05). However, in comparison of pre- and post-treatment scores, the pre-treatment score values of RMDQ, NHP-pain, NHP-physical activity, and NHP-social isolation were much higher in group A compared to the group B, but still these scores were, in a statistically significant manner, improved in group A compared to the group B after the study period was over (p improving function and quality of life, and help in relieving the associated anxiety and depression in patients with chronic neuropathic LBP than the analgesics alone

Effective treatment options for musculoskeletal pain in primary care: A systematic overview of current evidence

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Hill, Jonathan C.; Foster, Nadine E.; Protheroe, Joanne

2017-01-01

Background & aims Musculoskeletal pain, the most common cause of disability globally, is most frequently managed in primary care. People with musculoskeletal pain in different body regions share similar characteristics, prognosis, and may respond to similar treatments. This overview aims to summarise current best evidence on currently available treatment options for the five most common musculoskeletal pain presentations (back, neck, shoulder, knee and multi-site pain) in primary care. Methods A systematic search was conducted. Initial searches identified clinical guidelines, clinical pathways and systematic reviews. Additional searches found recently published trials and those addressing gaps in the evidence base. Data on study populations, interventions, and outcomes of intervention on pain and function were extracted. Quality of systematic reviews was assessed using AMSTAR, and strength of evidence rated using a modified GRADE approach. Results Moderate to strong evidence suggests that exercise therapy and psychosocial interventions are effective for relieving pain and improving function for musculoskeletal pain. NSAIDs and opioids reduce pain in the short-term, but the effect size is modest and the potential for adverse effects need careful consideration. Corticosteroid injections were found to be beneficial for short-term pain relief among patients with knee and shoulder pain. However, current evidence remains equivocal on optimal dose, intensity and frequency, or mode of application for most treatment options. Conclusion This review presents a comprehensive summary and critical assessment of current evidence for the treatment of pain presentations in primary care. The evidence synthesis of interventions for common musculoskeletal pain presentations shows moderate-strong evidence for exercise therapy and psychosocial interventions, with short-term benefits only from pharmacological treatments. Future research into optimal dose and application of the most

Fluoroscopically guided caudal epidural steroid injection for management of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis: short-term and long-term results

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Lee, Joon Woo; Myung, Jae Sung; Kang, Heung Sik [Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Department of Radiology, Seong Nam, Gyeongi-do (Korea); Park, Kun Woo; Yeom, Jin S. [Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Seong Nam, Gyeongi-do (Korea); Kim, Ki-Jeong; Kim, Hyun-Jib [Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Seong Nam, Gyeongi-do (Korea)

2010-07-15

To evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of fluoroscopically guided caudal epidural steroid injection (ESI) for the management of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) and to analyze outcome predictors. All patients who underwent caudal ESI in 2006 for DLSS were included in the study. Response was based on chart documentation (aggravated, no change, slightly improved, much improved, no pain). In June 2009 telephone interviews were conducted, using formatted questions including the North American Spine Society (NASS) patient satisfaction scale. For short-term and long-term effects, age difference was evaluated by the Mann-Whitney U test, and gender, duration of symptoms, level of DLSS, spondylolisthesis, and previous operations were evaluated by Fisher's exact test. Two hundred and sixteen patients (male: female = 75:141; mean age 69.2 years; range 48{proportional_to}91 years) were included in the study. Improvements (slightly improved, much improved, no pain) were seen in 185 patients (85.6%) after an initial caudal ESI and in 189 patients (87.5%) after a series of caudal ESIs. Half of the patients (89/179, 49.8%) replied positively to the NASS patient satisfaction scale (1 or 2). There were no significant outcome predictors for either the short-term or the long-term responses. Fluoroscopically guided caudal ESI was effective for the management of DLSS (especially central canal stenosis) with excellent short-term and good long-term results, without significant outcome predictors. (orig.)

Prevalence of Burnout Among Pain Medicine Physicians and Its Potential Effect upon Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Oncologic Pain or Chronic Pain of Nononcologic Origin.

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Riquelme, Irene; Chacón, José-Ignacio; Gándara, Alba-Violeta; Muro, Inmaculada; Traseira, Susana; Monsalve, Vicente; Soriano, José-Francisco

2018-01-19

To evaluate the prevalence of burnout among physicians treating patients with chronic pain and to assess the potential relationships between the presence of burnout and patients' clinical outcomes such as pain relief, satisfaction with pain control, and quality of life. An observational, prospective, and noncomparative study. Pain medicine clinics. Physicians from medical departments involved in the management of chronic pain. Patients aged ≥18 years who exhibited moderate chronic pain lasting at least three months. Physicians were evaluated with the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). Patients were evaluated with the Charlson Comorbidity Index, the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D), and ad hoc instruments for evaluating satisfaction with pain control, the extent to which the treatment met patients' expectations, and subjective impressions of improvement. Of the 301 physician participants, 22 (7.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.9 to 10.8) met the criteria of burnout. Burnout was higher among physicians from pain units, while none of the 35 primary care physicians reported burnout. The presence of burnout was positively associated with patients' pain relief (odds ratio [OR] = 1.423, 95% CI = 1.090 to 1.858) but not with satisfaction with pain control or quality of life. Of the remaining independent variables, being treated by pain unit physicians was significantly associated with worse pain relief (OR = 0.592, 95% CI = 0.507 to 0.691), lower satisfaction (β = -0.680, 95% CI = -0.834 to -0.525), and worse quality of life (β = -4.047, 95% CI = -5.509 to -2.585) compared with being treated by physicians from other specialties (e.g., traumatologists, oncologists, etc.). Our study shows a lack of negative or clinically relevant (as shown by the negligible to small effect sizes) impact of burnout on patient-reported outcomes (namely, pain relief, satisfaction, and quality of life) in patients with

Efficacy of long-term milnacipran treatment in patients meeting different thresholds of clinically relevant pain relief: subgroup analysis of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled withdrawal study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mease PJ

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Philip J Mease,1 Daniel J Clauw,2 Joel M Trugman,3 Robert H Palmer,3 Yong Wang3 1Swedish Medical Center and University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; 2Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; 3Forest Research Institute, Jersey City, NJ, USA Background: Fibromyalgia patients from a long-term, open-label study of milnacipran (50–200 mg/day were eligible to participate in a 12-week, randomized, placebo-controlled withdrawal study. The withdrawal study evaluated loss of therapeutic response in patients who achieved ≥50% pain improvements after receiving up to 3.25 years of milnacipran. This post-hoc analysis investigated whether patients who met lower thresholds of pain improvement also experienced worsening of fibromyalgia symptoms upon treatment withdrawal. Method: Among patients who received milnacipran ≥100 mg/day during the long-term study, three subgroups were identified based on percentage of pain reduction at randomization: ≥50% (protocol-defined "responders"; n=150; ≥30% to <50% (patients with clinically meaningful pain improvement; n=61; and <30% (n=110. Efficacy assessments included the visual analog scale (VAS for pain, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire-Revised (FIQR, 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey Physical Component Summary (SF-36 PCS, and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI. Results: In the ≥30 to <50% subgroup, significant worsening in pain was detected after treatment withdrawal. The difference between placebo and milnacipran in mean VAS score changes for this subgroup (+9.0, P<0.05 was similar to the difference in protocol-defined responders (+9.4, P<0.05. In the <30% subgroup, no worsening in pain was observed in either treatment arm. However, patients in this subgroup experienced significant worsening in FIQR scores after treatment withdrawal (placebo, +6.9; milnacipran, -2.8; P<0.001, as well as worsening in SF-36 PCS and BDI scores. Conclusion: Patients who

The neurolytic celiac plexus block using CT guidance through anterior abdominal approach to control the cancer pain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan Jie; Yang Ning; Liu Wei; Jin Zhengyu; Zhao Yupei; Cai Lixing

2001-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of neurolytic celiac plexus block (Ncb) using CT guidance through anterior abdominal approach. Methods: The clinical data of 24 patients who were given NCPB because of the suffering of upper abdominal and back pain caused by pancreatic carcinoma and other cancer in advanced stage were retrospectively analyzed. The therapeutic effect was evaluated with complete pain relief and partial pain relief. Results: The effective rate and complete pain relief rate in short period ( 3 months) were 71.4% and 14.3% respectively. No severe complications occurred. Conclusion: NCPB guided by CT through anterior abdominal approach is an effective, safe and simple method to control the upper abdominal and back pain caused by cancer

Multiple sites and actions of gabapentin-induced relief of ongoing experimental neuropathic pain.

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Bannister, Kirsty; Qu, Chaoling; Navratilova, Edita; Oyarzo, Janice; Xie, Jennifer Yanhua; King, Tamara; Dickenson, Anthony H; Porreca, Frank

2017-12-01

Gabapentin (GBP) is a first-line therapy for neuropathic pain, but its mechanisms and sites of action remain uncertain. We investigated GBP-induced modulation of neuropathic pain following spinal nerve ligation (SNL) in rats. Intravenous or intrathecal GBP reversed evoked mechanical hypersensitivity and produced conditioned place preference (CPP) and dopamine (DA) release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) selectively in SNL rats. Spinal GBP also significantly inhibited dorsal horn wide-dynamic-range neuronal responses to a range of evoked stimuli in SNL rats. By contrast, GBP microinjected bilaterally into the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), produced CPP, and elicited NAc DA release selectively in SNL rats but did not reverse tactile allodynia and had marginal effects on wide-dynamic-range neuronal activity. Moreover, blockade of endogenous opioid signaling in the rACC prevented intravenous GBP-induced CPP and NAc DA release but failed to block its inhibition of tactile allodynia. Gabapentin, therefore, can potentially act to produce its pain relieving effects by (a) inhibition of injury-induced spinal neuronal excitability, evoked hypersensitivity, and ongoing pain and (b) selective supraspinal modulation of affective qualities of pain, without alteration of reflexive behaviors. Consistent with previous findings of pain relief from nonopioid analgesics, GBP requires engagement of rACC endogenous opioid circuits and downstream activation of mesolimbic reward circuits reflected in learned pain-motivated behaviors. These findings support the partial separation of sensory and affective dimensions of pain in this experimental model and suggest that modulation of affective-motivational qualities of pain may be the preferential mechanism of GBP's analgesic effects in patients.

Patellofemoral pain in athletes

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Petersen, Wolf; Rembitzki, Ingo; Liebau, Christian

2017-01-01

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is a frequent cause of anterior knee pain in athletes, which affects patients with and without structural patellofemoral joint (PFJ) damage. Most younger patients do not have any structural changes to the PFJ, such as an increased Q angle and a cartilage damage. This clinical entity is known as patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Older patients usually present with signs of patellofemoral osteoarthritis (PFOA). A key factor in PFPS development is dynamic valgus of the lower extremity, which leads to lateral patellar maltracking. Causes of dynamic valgus include weak hip muscles and rearfoot eversion with pes pronatus valgus. These factors can also be observed in patients with PFOA. The available evidence suggests that patients with PFP are best managed with a tailored, multimodal, nonoperative treatment program that includes short-term pain relief with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), passive correction of patellar maltracking with medially directed tape or braces, correction of the dynamic valgus with exercise programs that target the muscles of the lower extremity, hip, and trunk, and the use of foot orthoses in patients with additional foot abnormalities. PMID:28652829

Ear acupuncture or local anaesthetics as pain relief during postpartum surgical repair: a randomised controlled trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kindberg, S; Klünder, L; Strøm, J

2009-01-01

-hour hands-on training in the use of ear acupuncture. All midwives (n= 36) in the department had previous experience in using acupuncture for obstetric pain relief. Pain and wound healing were evaluated using validated scores. Data collection was performed by research assistants blinded towards...... treatment allocation. Randomisation was computer assisted. A total of 207 women were randomised to receive ear acupuncture (105) and local anaesthetics (102), respectively. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was pain during surgical repair. Secondary outcomes were wound healing at 24-48 hours and 14...... days postpartum, participant satisfaction, revision of wound or dyspareunia reported 6 months postpartum. Results Pain during surgical repair was more frequently reported by participants allocated to ear acupuncture compared with participants receiving local anaesthetics (89 versus 54%, P

Arthroscopic Partial Capitate Resection for Type Ia Avascular Necrosis: A Short-Term Outcome Analysis.

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Shimizu, Takamasa; Omokawa, Shohei; del Piñal, Francisco; Shigematsu, Koji; Moritomo, Hisao; Tanaka, Yasuhito

2015-12-01

To examine short-term clinical results of arthroscopic partial resection for type Ia avascular necrosis of the capitate. Patients who underwent arthroscopic treatment for type 1a avascular necrosis of the capitate with at least 1-year follow-up were identified through a retrospective chart review. The necrotic capitate head was arthroscopically resected with removal of the lunate facet and preservation of the scaphoid and hamate facets. Wrist range of motion, grip strength, and radiographic parameters--carpal height ratio, radioscaphoid angle, and radiolunate angle-were determined before surgery and at the latest follow-up. Patients completed a visual analog scale for pain; Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand measure; and the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation score before surgery and at the latest follow-up. Five patients (1 male, 4 females) with a mean age of 34 years (range, 16-49 years) and a mean follow-up duration of 20 months (range, 12-36 months) were identified during the chart review. All were type Ia (Milliez classification). Arthroscopy revealed fibrillation or softening with cartilage detachment at the lunate facet of the capitate head and an intact articular surface at the scaphoid and hamate facet. At the latest follow-up, the mean wrist flexion-extension was 123° (vs 81° before surgery) and grip strength was 74% (vs 37% before surgery). The visual analog scale score for pain; the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score; and the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation score before surgery showed a significant improvement following treatment. Radiographic parameters did not significantly change at the final follow-up, although the proximal carpal row trended toward flexion. Arthroscopic partial resection of the capitate head was an acceptable treatment for type Ia avascular necrosis of the capitate. It provided adequate pain relief and improved the range of wrist motion and grip strength during short-term follow-up. Therapeutic IV. Copyright �

Proximal fibular osteotomy: a new surgery for pain relief and improvement of joint function in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

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Wang, Xiaohu; Wei, Lei; Lv, Zhi; Zhao, Bin; Duan, Zhiqing; Wu, Wenjin; Zhang, Bin; Wei, Xiaochun

2017-02-01

Objective To explore the effects of proximal fibular osteotomy as a new surgery for pain relief and improvement of medial joint space and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Methods From January 2015 to May 2015, 47 patients who underwent proximal fibular osteotomy for medial compartment osteoarthritis were retrospectively followed up. Preoperative and postoperative weight-bearing and whole lower extremity radiographs were obtained to analyse the alignment of the lower extremity and ratio of the knee joint space (medial/lateral compartment). Knee pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale, and knee ambulation activities were evaluated using the American Knee Society score preoperatively and postoperatively. Results Medial pain relief was observed in almost all patients after proximal fibular osteotomy. Most patients exhibited improved walking postoperatively. Weight-bearing lower extremity radiographs showed an average increase in the postoperative medial knee joint space. Additionally, obvious correction of alignment was observed in the whole lower extremity radiographs in 8 of 47 patients. Conclusions The present study demonstrates that proximal fibular osteotomy effectively relieves pain and improves joint function in patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis at a mean of 13.38 months postoperatively.

The RESPITE trial: remifentanil intravenously administered patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) versus pethidine intramuscular injection for pain relief in labour: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

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Wilson, Matthew; MacArthur, Christine; Gao Smith, Fang; Homer, Leanne; Handley, Kelly; Daniels, Jane

2016-12-12

The commonest opioid used for pain relief in labour is pethidine (meperidine); however, its effectiveness has long been challenged and the drug has known side effects including maternal sedation, nausea and potential transfer across the placenta to the foetus. Over a third of women receiving pethidine require an epidural due to inadequate pain relief. Epidural analgesia increases the risk of an instrumental vaginal delivery and its associated effects. Therefore, there is a clear need for a safe, effective, alternative analgesic to pethidine. Evidence suggests that remifentanil patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) reduces epidural conversion rates compared to pethidine; however, no trial has yet investigated this as a primary endpoint. We are, therefore, comparing pethidine intramuscular injection to remifentanil PCA in a randomised controlled trial. Women in established labour, requesting systemic opioid pain relief, will be randomised to either intravenously administered remifentanil PCA (intervention) or pethidine intramuscular injection (control) in an unblinded, 1:1 individual randomised trial. Following informed consent, 400 women in established labour, who request systemic opioid pain relief, from NHS Trusts across England will undergo a minimised randomisation by a computer or automated telephone system to either pethidine or remifentanil. In order to balance the groups this minimisation is based on four parameters; parity (nulliparous versus multiparous), maternal age (Asian (Pakistani/Indian/Bangladeshi) versus Other) and induced versus spontaneous labour. The effectiveness of pain relief provided by each technique will be recorded every 30 min after time zero, until epidural placement, delivery or transfer to theatre, quantified by Visual Analogue Scale. Incidence of maternal side effects including sedation, delivery mode, foetal distress requiring delivery, neonatal status at delivery and rate of initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth

Comparative clinical study using laser and LED-therapy for orofacial pain relief: dentin hypersensitivity and cervicogenic headache

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Lizarelli, Rosane F. Z.; Pizzo, Renata C. A.; Florez, Fernando L. E.; Grecco, Clovis; Speciali, Jose G.; Bagnato, Vanderlei S.

2015-06-01

Considering several clinical situations, low intensity laser therapy has been widely applied in pain relief or analgesia mechanism. With the advent of new LED-based (light emitting diode) light sources, the need of further clinical experiments aiming to compare the effectiveness among them is paramount. The LED system therapeutic use can be denominated as LEDT - Light Emitting Diode Therapy. This study proposed two clinical evaluations of pain relief effect: to dentin hypersensitivity and to cervicogenic headache using different sources of lasers (low and high intensity) and light emitting diodes (LEDs), one emitting at the spectral band of red (630+/- 5nm) and the other one at infrared band (880+/- 5nm). Two different clinical studies were performed and presented interesting results. Considering dentin hypersensitivity, red and infrared led were so effective than the control group (high intensity laser system); by the other side, considering cervicogenic headache, control group (infrared laser) was the best treatment in comparison to red and infrared led system.

Terminology and definitions on groin pain in athletes: building agreement using a short Delphi method.

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Weir, Adam; Hölmich, Per; Schache, Anthony G; Delahunt, Eamonn; de Vos, Robert-Jan

2015-06-01

Groin pain in athletes occurs frequently and can be difficult to treat, which may partly be due to the lack of agreement on diagnostic terminology. To perform a short Delphi survey on terminology agreement for groin pain in athletes by a group of experts. A selected number of experts were invited to participate in a Delphi questionnaire. The study coordinator sent a questionnaire, which consisted of demographic questions and two 'real-life' case reports of athletes with groin pain. The experts were asked to complete the questionnaire and to provide the most likely diagnosis for each case. Questionnaire responses were analysed by an independent researcher. The Cohen's κ statistic was used to evaluate the level of agreement between the diagnostic terms provided by the experts. Twenty-three experts participated (96% of those invited). For case 1, experts provided 9 different terms to describe the most likely diagnosis; for case 2, 11 different terms were provided to describe the most likely diagnosis. With respect to the terms provided for the most likely diagnosis, the Cohen's κ was 0.06 and 0.002 for case 1 and 2, respectively. This heterogeneous taxonomy reflects only a slight agreement between the various diagnostic terms provided by the selected experts. This short Delphi survey of two 'typical, straightforward' cases demonstrated major inconsistencies in the diagnostic terminology used by experts for groin pain in athletes. These results underscore the need for consensus on definitions and terminology on groin pain in athletes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Do cervical epidural injections provide long-term relief in neck and upper extremity pain? A systematic review.

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Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Nampiaparampil, Devi E; Candido, Kenneth D; Bakshi, Sanjay; Grider, Jay S; Falco, Frank J E; Sehgal, Nalini; Hirsch, Joshua A

2015-01-01

The high prevalence of chronic persistent neck pain not only leads to disability but also has a significant economic, societal, and health impact. Among multiple modalities of treatments prescribed in the management of neck and upper extremity pain, surgical, interventional and conservative modalities have been described. Cervical epidural injections are also common modalities of treatments provided in managing neck and upper extremity pain. They are administered by either an interlaminar approach or transforaminal approach. To determine the long-term efficacy of cervical interlaminar and transforaminal epidural injections in the treatment of cervical disc herniation, spinal stenosis, discogenic pain without facet joint pain, and post surgery syndrome. The literature search was performed from 1966 to October 2014 utilizing data from PubMed, Cochrane Library, US National Guideline Clearinghouse, previous systematic reviews, and cross-references. The evidence was assessed based on best evidence synthesis with Level I to Level V. There were 7 manuscripts meeting inclusion criteria. Of these, 4 assessed the role of interlaminar epidural injections for managing disc herniation or radiculitis, and 3 assessed these injections for managing central spinal stenosis, discogenic pain without facet joint pain, and post surgery syndrome. There were 4 high quality manuscripts. A qualitative synthesis of evidence showed there is Level II evidence for each etiology category. The evidence is based on one relevant, high quality trial supporting the efficacy of cervical interlaminar epidural injections for each particular etiology. There were no randomized trials available assessing the efficacy of cervical transforaminal epidural injections. Paucity of available literature, specifically conditions other than disc herniation. This systematic review with qualitative best evidence synthesis shows Level II evidence for the efficacy of cervical interlaminar epidural injections with local

Successful Treatment of Opioid-Refractory Cancer Pain with Short-Course, Low-Dose Ketamine.

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Waldfogel, Julie M; Nesbit, Suzanne; Cohen, Steven P; Dy, Sydney M

2016-12-01

Opioids remain the mainstay of treatment for severe cancer pain, but up to 20% of patients have persistent or refractory pain despite rapid and aggressive opioid titration, or develop refractory pain after long-term opioid use. In these scenarios, alternative agents and mechanisms for analgesia should be considered. This case report describes a 28-year-old man with metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer with severe, intractable pain despite high-dose opioids including methadone and a hydromorphone patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). After treatment with short-course, low-dose ketamine, his opioid requirements decreased by 99% and pain ratings by 50%, with the majority of this decrease occurring in the first 48 hours. As this patient's pain and opioid regimen escalated, he likely experienced some component of central sensitization and hyperalgesia. Administration of ketamine reduced opioid consumption by 99% and potentially "reset" neuronal hyperexcitability and reduced pain signaling, allowing for improved pain control.

Short-term plasticity in turtle dorsal horn neurons mediated by L-type Ca2+ channels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Russo, R E; Hounsgaard, J

1994-01-01

Windup--the gradual increase of the response--of dorsal horn neurons to repeated activation of primary afferents is an elementary form of short-term plasticity that may mediate central sensitization to pain. In deep dorsal horn neurons of the turtle spinal cord in vitro we report windup of the re......Windup--the gradual increase of the response--of dorsal horn neurons to repeated activation of primary afferents is an elementary form of short-term plasticity that may mediate central sensitization to pain. In deep dorsal horn neurons of the turtle spinal cord in vitro we report windup...

Identifying a long-term/chronic, non-cancer pain population using a one-dimensional verbal pain rating scale

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Marianne Kjettrup; Sjøgren, Per; Ekholm, Ola

2004-01-01

The usefulness of the verbal pain rating scale (VRS) included in the Short Form 36 (SF-36) in identifying characteristics of long-term pain conditions, was analyzed using data from the 1994 Danish Health and Morbidity Survey. Based on the rating of pain intensity during a 4-week recall period...... the respondents were categorized into three groups: a high pain group (HPG) consisting of persons reporting moderate to severe pain (VRS 4-6), a low pain group (LPG) who rated their pain as very mild or mild (VRS 2-3), and a control group (CG) with no pain (VRS 1). The investigated sample comprised 3992 persons...... observed between the LPG and CG. The proportion of respondents with good perceived health was significantly lower in the HPG compared with LPG and CG. The dominant complaints in the HPG were related to the musculoskeletal system. During a 14-day period prior to the interview persons in the HPG had a mean...

The differential role of pain, work characteristics and pain-related fear in explaining back pain and sick leave in occupational settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Gheldof, Els L M; Vinck, Jan; Vlaeyen, Johan W S; Hidding, Alita; Crombez, Geert

2005-01-01

This cross-sectional questionnaire study investigated the role of pain (pain severity, radiating pain), work characteristics (physical workload, job stressors, job satisfaction), negative affect and pain-related fear in accounting for low back pain (LBP) and sick leave (SL) in 1294 employees from 10 companies in Belgium and the Netherlands. An increased risk for short-term LBP (1-30 days during the last year) was observed for workers reporting high physical workload (OR=2.39), high task exertion (OR=1.63) and high negative affect (OR=1.03). For prolonged LBP (>30 days during the last year) severe pain (OR=13.03), radiating pain (OR=2.37) and fear of work-related activities (OR=3.17) were significant risk factors. A lack of decision latitude decreased the risk of long-term LBP (OR=0.39). Short-term SL (1-30 days during the last year) was associated with severe pain (OR=2.83), high physical workload (OR=2.99) and high fear of movement/(re)injury (OR=1.88). A lack of decision latitude increased the risk of short-term SL (OR=1.92). Long-term SL (>30 days during the last year) was associated with radiating pain (OR=3.80) and high fear of movement/(re)injury (OR=6.35). A lack of co-worker support reduced the risk of long-term SL (OR=0.27). These results suggest that physical load factors are relatively more important in the process leading to short-term LBP and short-term SL, whereas job stressors, severe pain, radiation, and pain-related fear are more important in determining the further course and maintenance of the inability to work. The potential implications of these findings for primary and secondary prevention, and occupational rehabilitation are discussed.

PAIN RELIEF IN POLYTRAUMA PATIENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. C. Rajesh

2016-09-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Pain management in Polytrauma is a poorly-addressed concern at the time of active resuscitation. But, very often, pain assessment is also a challenge! Opioids belong to conventional analgesics of choice in any acute pain conditions. But, recently application of regional anaesthesia techniques and subanaesthetic doses of ketamine are satisfactorily employed. A clear understanding of neuropathic element of pain must be made as they require specific therapy. It must be emphasised that effective pain therapy is a multidisciplinary team work with active involvement of pain psychologist.

Magnets for Pain Relief

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... NCCIH NCCIH At a Glance Mission and Vision Organizational Structure Director's Message Strategic Plans & Reports Budget & ... © Matthew Lester Magnets are often marketed for different types of pain, such as foot or back pain ...

Long term safety, efficacy, and patient acceptability of hyaluronic acid injection in patients with painful osteoarthritis of the knee

Science.gov (United States)

McArthur, Benjamin A; Dy, Christopher J; Fabricant, Peter D; Valle, Alejandro Gonzalez Della

2012-01-01

The increasing prevalence of painful knee osteoarthritis has created an additional demand for pharmacologic management to prevent or delay surgical management. Viscosupplementation, via intraarticular injection of hyaluronic acid (HA), aims to restore the favorable milieu present in the nonarthritic joint. The safety profile of intraarticular HA injections for painful knee osteoarthritis is well established, with the most common adverse effect being a self-limited reaction at the injection site. Although acceptance of the early literature has been limited by publication bias and poor study quality, more recent and rigorous meta-analysis suggests that intraarticular HA injection is superior to placebo injection for pain relief and matches, if not surpasses, the effect size of other nonoperative treatments, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication. Intraarticular HA injection is effective in providing temporary pain relief in patients with painful knee osteoarthritis. Future investigations should focus on optimizing the composition and administration of HA agents to provide prolonged relief of painful osteoarthritis in the knee and other joints. PMID:23271899

Moxibustion for pain relief in patients with primary dysmenorrhea: A randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Mingxiao; Chen, Xiangzhu; Bo, Linna; Lao, Lixing; Chen, Jiao; Yu, Siyi; Yu, Zheng; Tang, Hongzhi; Yi, Ling; Wu, Xi; Yang, Jie; Liang, Fanrong

2017-01-01

Though moxibustion is frequently used to treat primary dysmenorrhea in China, relevant evidence supporting its effectiveness is still scanty. This study was a pragmatic randomized, conventional drug controlled, open-labeled clinical trial. After initial screen, 152 eligible participants were averagely randomized to receive two different treatment strategies: Moxibustion and conventional drugs. Participants and practitioners were not blinded in this study. The duration of each treatment was 3 months. The primary outcome was pain relief measured by the Visual Analogue Scale. The menstrual pain severity was recorded in a menstrual pain diary. 152 eligible patients were included but only 133 of them eventually completed the whole treatment course. The results showed that the menstrual pain intensity in experimental group and control group was reduced from 6.38±1.28 and 6.41±1.29, respectively, at baseline, to 2.54±1.41 and 2.47±1.29 after treatment. The pain reduction was not significantly different between these two groups (P = 0.76), however; the pain intensity was significantly reduced relative to baseline for each group (Ppain-related symptoms. The serum levels of pain mediators, such as PGF2α, OT, vWF, β-EP, PGE2, were significantly improved after treatment in both groups (Ppain, given their treatment effects and economic costs. This study as a pragmatic trial only demonstrates the effectiveness, not the efficacy, of moxibustion for menstrual pain. It can't rule out the effect of psychological factors during treatment process, because no blind procedure or sham control was used due to availability. In clinical practice, moxibustion should be used at the discretion of patients and their physicians. ClinialTrials.gov NCT01972906.

The Effect of Entonox, Play Therapy and a Combination on Pain Relief in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohan, Simi; Nayak, Ruma; Thomas, Reju Joseph; Ravindran, Vinitha

2015-12-01

Pediatric pain is often undertreated/neglected due to time constraints, difficulties in timing of oral analgesics, fear of side effects of opioids and anxiolytics, and apprehension of additional pain in the use of local anesthetic injections. In this study, the researcher was prompted to choose rapidly acting interventions that were low dose and allowed the child to stay alert, suitable for a quick discharge. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Entonox, play therapy, and a combination to relieve procedural pain in children aged 4-15 years. The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial; the subjects were divided into four groups using a sequential allocation plan from 123 total subjects. Group A received Entonox, Group B received play therapy, Group C received both Entonox and play therapy, and Group D received existing standard interventions. The study was vetted by the departmental study review committee. The pain level was assessed using FLACC scale for children aged 4-9 years and the Wong Bakers Faces Pain Scale for children aged 10-15 years; scores ranged from 0 to 10. All the data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 with descriptive statistics and, inferential statistics. The mean pain scores were as follows: Entonox group, 2.87; Play therapy group, 4; combination group, 3; and control group, 5.87. When statistical testing was applied, a significant reduction in the pain score in all the three experimental groups when compared to the control group was found (p = .002), but not in the pain score among the three experimental groups (p = .350). The findings of this study indicated that all three interventions were effective in lowering pain scores when compared to the control group. Play therapy is as potent as Entonox in relieving procedural pain, though there was no additive effect on pain relief when play therapy and Entonox were combined. A protocol for age-related choice between play therapy and Entonox administration was introduced

Postoperative pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kehlet, H; Dahl, J B

1993-01-01

also modify various aspects of the surgical stress response, and nociceptive blockade by regional anesthetic techniques has been demonstrated to improve various parameters of postoperative outcome. It is therefore stressed that effective control of postoperative pain, combined with a high degree......Treatment of postoperative pain has not received sufficient attention by the surgical profession. Recent developments concerned with acute pain physiology and improved techniques for postoperative pain relief should result in more satisfactory treatment of postoperative pain. Such pain relief may...

A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Effects of Diosmin in the Treatment of Radicular Pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yinhe Wang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Diosmin has been widely used to treat patients with vascular pain for its potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. To evaluate the therapeutic effects of Diosmin in the treatment of radicular pain, we conducted an investigator-initiated, randomized, active-controlled noninferiority trial between January 1, 2009, and December 1, 2010. Diosmin (50 mg/kg/day was orally administered to treat the radicular pain in 150 patients for one month. Another 150 patients with the same symptom were given 20% 250 ml mannitol (1 g/kg/day for 7 days and dexamethasone (10 mg/day for 3 days intravenously guttae. Short-term relief and long-term relief were measured. Secondary outcomes include improvement in functional and psychological status, return to work, and reduction in anti-inflammatory analgesic drugs intake. Patients treated with oral Diosmin achieved reduction in radicular pain. The total satisfaction rate of Diosmin group was 84.7% [95% confidence interval (CI: 77.9%, 90.0%], and the complete satisfaction rate was 50.7% (95% CI: 42.4%, 58.9%. No statistically significant difference was found between the Diosmin group and the active-control group regarding patient satisfaction. No adverse effects were found during the study period. Our study suggests that clinical application of Diosmin with a dose of 50 mg/kg/day might reduce the radicular pain. This trial is registered with ISRCTN97157037.

Short and medium term outcomes after rollerball endometrial ablation for menorrhagia.

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Fraser, I S; Angsuwathana, S; Mahmoud, F; Yezerski, S

1993-04-05

To review prospectively the intraoperative, short and medium term outcomes of patients treated by rollerball endometrial ablation during the learning curve for this relatively new procedure. Seventy-seven women with menorrhagia (71 with dysfunctional bleeding; six with additional small intramural myomas) underwent hysteroscopic rollerball endometrial ablation by coagulation diathermy during 1.5% glycine irrigation, after a two-month period of hormonal suppression. OPERATIVE AND SHORT-TERM EFFECTS: These were recorded at operation and six-week follow-up. No serious short-term complications were recorded. Objective measurement of intraoperative blood loss was always less than 20 mL. One woman experienced uterine perforation with a narrow cervical dilator which did not interfere with the ablation, and two patients had mild postoperative uterine infections. One patient experienced persistent postoperative pain. MEDIUM-TERM OUTCOME: This was recorded at each visit, or by telephone, and confirmed by questionnaire at one year. Twenty-five per cent achieved complete amenorrhoea, 29% staining only, 30% light periods, 10% "normal" or erratic periods and 6% were unchanged. Five patients underwent a second ablation, and three of these later underwent hysterectomy. Measured menstrual blood loss fell from 104 +/- 19 mL (mean +/- standard error of mean) to 1.7 +/- 1.1 mL at six months in 18 women. Other menstrual symptoms were also often dramatically reduced. Of those women with dysmenorrhoea, 33% were cured and 43% markedly improved; of those with midcycle pain, 28% were cured and 53% markedly improved; of those with significant premenstrual symptoms, 13% were cured, 47% markedly improved, 11% unchanged, and 6% were worse. This new procedure is a safe and effective treatment for menorrhagia caused by dysfunctional uterine bleeding, with impressive ancillary benefits for dysmenorrhoea, midcycle pain and premenstrual tension. It is often called minimally invasive surgery, but it

Short-term Clinical Course of Knee Pain in Children and Adolescents: A Feasibility Study Using Electronic Methods of Data Collection.

Science.gov (United States)

Swain, Michael S; Kamper, Steven J; Maher, Chris G; Latimer, Jane; Broderick, Carolyn; McKay, Damien; Henschke, Nicholas

2017-10-01

Musculoskeletal disorders, such as knee pain, are common in children and adolescents, but there is a lack of high quality research that evaluates the clinical course of these conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of conducting a prospective study of children and adolescents with knee pain using electronic methods of data collection. Children and adolescents with knee pain that presented to primary care physiotherapy clinics were enrolled and followed-up on a weekly basis via short messaging service (SMS) until their knee pain had recovered (i.e. two consecutive weeks of no pain). Feasibility was assessed in terms of recruitment, retention and response rates to SMS and an online questionnaire. Baseline and 6-month follow-up measures included pain, disability, physical function, physical activity and health related quality of life. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to estimate the median time to knee pain recovery. Thirty participants (mean age 13.0 ± 2.2 years, 53% boys) were recruited over 26 months. The overall response rate to weekly SMS follow-up was 71.3% (809 received/1135 sent). One third of participants stopped responding to SMS prior to recovery, and these participants typically had a much lower response rate during the time they remained in the study. At 6-month follow-up, 80% of the cohort completed the final online questionnaire, and 29% of participants still reported current knee pain (≥1/10 VAS). The median time for knee pain recovery was 8 weeks (95%CI: 5, 10). Electronic data collection alone seems insufficient to track pain recovery in young people and may need to be supplemented with more traditional data collection methods. Researchers should consider further measures to address slow recruitment rates and high attrition when designing large prospective studies of children and adolescents in the future. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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

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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.

The effect of sucrose as pain relief/comfort during immunisation of 15-month-old children in health care centres: a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Despriee, Åshild Wik; Langeland, Eva

2016-02-01

To investigate the effect of 30% sucrose compared with a placebo (water) as pain relief and comfort during immunisation of 15-month-old children in health care centres. Children experience different levels of pain and distress during immunisation. Sweet solutions function as pain relief during immunisation for infants up to one year of age. However, there are few studies of older children. An experimental design in which the participants (15-month-old infants) were randomly assigned to an intervention group that received a 30% sugar solution or a control group that received a placebo (water). The study was performed at three health care centres in a large Norwegian municipality. The parents of all 15-month-old infants who were recommended for vaccination (for measles, mumps and rubella) between 5 September 2013 and 31 March 2014 were invited to have their infant participate. Duration of crying was the outcome measure. A total of 114 children were included (59 in the intervention group, 55 in the control group). The intervention group infants' crying was shorter (18 seconds mean) compared with the control group infants (33 seconds mean). The difference in crying duration between the groups was both statistically and clinically significant. This trial revealed that 30% sucrose orally has a calming and pain-relieving effect on 15-month-old infants during immunisation. Public health nurses should use a 30% sucrose solution for pain relief during immunisation of 15-month-old infants. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effective Relief of Pain and Associated Symptoms With Closed-Loop Spinal Cord Stimulation System: Preliminary Results of the Avalon Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, Marc; Cousins, Michael J; Brooker, Charles; Taylor, Nathan; Boesel, Tillman; Sullivan, Richard; Poree, Lawrence; Shariati, Nastaran Hesam; Hanson, Erin; Parker, John

2018-01-01

Conventional spinal cord stimulation (SCS) delivers a fixed-input of energy into the dorsal column. Physiologic effects such as heartbeat, respiration, spinal cord movement, and history of stimulation can cause both the perceived intensity and recruitment of stimulation to increase or decrease, with clinical consequences. A new SCS system controls stimulation dose by measuring the recruitment of fibers in the dorsal column and by using the amplitude of the evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) to maintain stimulation within an individualized therapeutic range. Safety and efficacy of this closed-loop system was evaluated through six-month postimplantation. Chronic pain subjects with back and/or leg pain who were successfully trialed received a permanent system (Evoke; Saluda Medical, Sydney, Australia). Ratings of pain (100-mm visual analogue scale [VAS] and Brief Pain Instrument [BPI]), quality of life (EuroQol instrument [EQ-5D-5L]), function (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI]), and sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]) were collected at baseline and repeated three and six months after implantation. Fifty-one subjects underwent a trial procedure; permanent implants were placed in 36 subjects. The proportion of subjects with ≥50% relief was 92.6% (back) and 91.3% (leg) at three months, and 85.7% (back) and 82.6% (leg) at six months. The proportion with ≥80% pain relief was 70.4% (back) and 56.5% (leg) at three months, and 64.3% (back) and 60.9% (leg) at six months. Statistically significant improvements in mean BPI, EQ-5D-5L, ODI, and PSQI were also observed at both time points. The majority of subjects experienced profound pain relief at three and six months, providing preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of the closed-loop SCS system. The exact mechanism of action for these outcomes is still being explored, although one likely hypothesis holds that ECAP feedback control may minimize recruitment of Aβ nociceptors and Aδ fibers during daily

Increased pain relief with remifentanil does not improve the success rate of external cephalic version: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgos, Jorge; Pijoan, José I; Osuna, Carmen; Cobos, Patricia; Rodriguez, Leire; Centeno, María del Mar; Serna, Rosa; Jimenez, Antonia; Garcia, Eugenia; Fernandez-Llebrez, Luis; Melchor, Juan C

2016-05-01

Our objective was to compare the effect of two pain relief methods (remifentanil vs. nitrous oxide) on the success rate of external cephalic version. We conducted a randomized open label parallel-group controlled single-center clinical trial with sequential design, at Cruces University Hospital, Spain. Singleton pregnancies in noncephalic presentation at term that were referred for external cephalic version were assigned according to a balanced (1:1) restricted randomization scheme to analgesic treatment with remifentanil or nitrous oxide during the procedure. The primary endpoint was external cephalic version success rate. Secondary endpoints were adverse event rate, degree of pain, cesarean rate and perinatal outcomes. The trial was stopped early after the second interim analysis due to a very low likelihood of finding substantial differences in efficacy (futility). The external cephalic version success rate was the same in the two arms (31/60, 51.7%) with 120 women recruited, 60 in each arm. The mean pain score was significantly lower in the remifentanil group (3.2 ± 2.4 vs. 6.0 ± 2.3; p external cephalic version-related complications. There was a trend toward a higher frequency of adverse effects in the remifentanil group (18.3% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.10), with a significantly higher incidence rate (21.7 events/100 women vs. 6.7 events/100 women with nitrous oxide, p = 0.03). All reported adverse events were mild and reversible. Remifentanil for analgesia decreased external cephalic version-related pain but did not increase the success rate of external cephalic version at term and appeared to be associated with an increased frequency of mild adverse effects. © 2016 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The effects of long- and short-term interdisciplinary treatment approaches in women with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Saral, Ilknur; Sindel, Dilsad; Esmaeilzadeh, Sina; Sertel-Berk, Hanife Ozlem; Oral, Aydan

2016-10-01

We investigated the effects of long- and short-term interdisciplinary treatment approaches for reducing symptoms and improving health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and physical functions of patients with fibromyalgia and compared the effects of two different interdisciplinary treatment approaches. We conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled trial involving 66 women with fibromyalgia eligible for the study at a university hospital setting. The patients were randomized into three groups (allocation ratio 1:1:1) using a computer-generated random numbers: a long-term interdisciplinary treatment group (LG, n = 22) that participated in 10 sessions (3-h once-weekly session for 10 weeks) of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) together with exercise training and other fibromyalgia related educational programs (two full days); a short-term interdisciplinary treatment group (SG, n = 22) that received two full days of educational, exercise, and CBT programs; and a control group (CG, n = 22). The patients were evaluated at baseline and 6 months after treatment using the visual analog scale (pain, fatigue, and sleep), Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, Short Form-36, tender point numbers, and pressure algometry as primary outcomes. The statistical analysis was confined to the 'per-protocol' set. No blinding was performed. The number of patients analyzed was 21 in the LG, 19 in the SG, and 19 in the CG. The intensity of pain (p treatment approaches when compared with controls; the long-term treatment was found more effective in reducing pain than the short-term. Both, long- and short-term interdisciplinary treatments were effective in reducing the severity of some symptoms and disease activity in patients with fibromyalgia. The short-term program well meets the needs of women with fibromyalgia particularly in relation to pain and health status as measured using FIQ; however, a long-term program may be beneficial in reducing fatigue and

Neurotransmitters behind pain relief with transcranial magnetic stimulation - positron emission tomography evidence for release of endogenous opioids.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamusuo, S; Hirvonen, J; Lindholm, P; Martikainen, I K; Hagelberg, N; Parkkola, R; Taiminen, T; Hietala, J; Helin, S; Virtanen, A; Pertovaara, A; Jääskeläinen, S K

2017-10-01

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) at M1/S1 cortex has been shown to alleviate neuropathic pain. To investigate the possible neurobiological correlates of cortical neurostimulation for the pain relief. We studied the effects of M1/S1 rTMS on nociception, brain dopamine D2 and μ-opioid receptors using a randomized, sham-controlled, double-blinded crossover study design and 3D-positron emission tomography (PET). Ten healthy subjects underwent active and sham rTMS treatments to the right M1/S1 cortex with E-field navigated device. Dopamine D2 and μ-receptor availabilities were assessed with PET radiotracers [ 11 C]raclopride and [ 11 C]carfentanil after each rTMS treatment. Thermal quantitative sensory testing (QST), contact heat evoked potential (CHEP) and blink reflex (BR) recordings were performed between the PET scans. μ-Opioid receptor availability was lower after active than sham rTMS (P ≤ 0.0001) suggested release of endogenous opioids in the right ventral striatum, medial orbitofrontal, prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, and left insula, superior temporal gyrus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and precentral gyrus. There were no differences in striatal dopamine D2 receptor availability between active and sham rTMS, consistent with lack of long-lasting measurable dopamine release. Active rTMS potentiated the dopamine-regulated habituation of the BR compared to sham (P = 0.02). Thermal QST and CHEP remained unchanged after active rTMS. rTMS given to M1/S1 activates the endogenous opioid system in a wide brain network associated with processing of pain and other salient stimuli. Direct enhancement of top-down opioid-mediated inhibition may partly explain the clinical analgesic effects of rTMS. Neurobiological correlates of rTMS for the pain relief are unclear. rTMS on M1/S1 with 11 C-carfentanyl-PET activates endogenous opioids. Thermal and heat pain thresholds remain unchanged. rTMS induces top-down opioid-mediated inhibition

The changes of regional cerebral blood flow: successful pain relief of intractable CRPS type II patients by motor cortex stimulation