Pain
-
Meta Analysis
Treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome with gabapentin and pregabalin--a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
The efficacy of gabapentin (GPT) and pregabalin (PGB) in the treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) was assessed. We screened MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, www.clinicaltrials.org, the Cochrane Library (through October 2008), and the reference sections of original studies on GPT/PGB in FMS. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the treatment of FMS with GPT and PGB were analyzed. ⋯ There was strong evidence for a reduction of pain (SMD -0.28, 95% CI -0.36, -0.20; p<0.001), improved sleep (SMD -0.39, 95% CI -0.48, -0.39; p<0.001), and improved health-related quality of life (HRQOL) (SMD -0.30, 95% CI -0.46, -0.15; p<0.001), but not for depressed mood (SMD -0.12, 95% CI -0.30, 0.06; p=0.18). There was strong evidence for a non-substantial reduction of fatigue (SMD -0.16, 95% CI -0.23, -0.09, p<0.001) and of anxiety (SMD -0.18, 95% CI -0.27, -0.10; p<0.001). The external validity of the studies was limited because patients with severe somatic and mental disorders were excluded.
-
Many people with hemophilia are affected by chronic arthritic joint pain as well as acute bleeding pain. In this cross-sectional study, 209 men with hemophilia A or B completed the Hemophilia Pain Coping Questionnaire (HPCQ), the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ), and the RAND 36-item Health Survey (SF-36), a measure of health-related quality of life. Multiple regression was used to test the influence of active pain coping, passive adherence coping, and negative thoughts about pain (HPCQ scales), and activity engagement and pain willingness (CPAQ scales), on physical and mental components of quality of life (SF-36 PCS and MCS scales), taking account of age, hemophilia severity, use of clotting factor, and pain intensity. ⋯ Negative thoughts moderated and partly mediated the influence of pain intensity on mental quality of life. There was no evidence that active pain coping influenced quality of life. The findings suggest that quality of life in hemophilia could potentially be improved by interventions to increase pain acceptance and reduce negative thoughts about pain.
-
The primary purpose of this study was to analyze the sequential relationships proposed by the fear-avoidance model of pain [Vlaeyen JWS et al. The role of fear of movement/(re)injury in pain disability. J Occup Rehab 1995;5:235-52]. ⋯ Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that early change in catastrophizing, late changes in fear of movement and late change in pain severity were significant predictors of return-to-work, while late changes in depression were not. These findings highlight the importance of reductions in psychosocial risk factors in augmenting return-to-work outcomes. Implications for the fear-avoidance model and future research are discussed.
-
Pain is a largely subjective experience, and one which is difficult to convey to others, and relies significantly on language to be communicated. The language used to describe pain is therefore an important aspect of understanding and assessing another's pain. A growing body of research has reported differences in the pain experienced by men and women. ⋯ Men used fewer words, less descriptive language, and focused on events and emotions. Common themes were the functional limitations caused by pain, difficulty in describing pain, and the dual nature of pain. Clinical implications include the value of gathering free pain descriptions as part of assessment, and the use of written pain descriptions.
-
Comparative Study
Gender role expectations of pain is associated with pain tolerance limit but not with pain threshold.
Gender role expectations of pain (GREP) was suggested to predict sex differences in pain perception. Our aim was to explore sex differences in GREP and investigate its relationship with heat-pain threshold (HPT) and heat-pain tolerance limit (HPTL). University students (115 males, 134 females) filled the GREP questionnaire. ⋯ Both males and females held stereotypical "macho" attitude towards themselves with regard to pain sensitivity and willingness to report of pain however only females held stereotypical, "macho" attitude towards themselves with regard to pain endurance. The sex differences in GREP and in HPTL and the correlations between GREP items and experimental thresholds suggest that the relationship between GREP and experimental pain is complex and sex-specific. It also appears that GREP is affected by culture.