The Clinical journal of pain
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This study investigated the association between repeated childhood and adulthood abuse and somatic symptom reporting, mental health care use, and substance use among women with chronic pain. ⋯ These data indicate a significant association between health status and reported abuse among women presenting to a multidisciplinary pain center for pain management. This finding is consistent with those of previous investigators, and emphasizes the importance of routine evaluation of the presence of long-term abuse as a possible predictor of the onset of chronic pain states.
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To determine perception and pain thresholds in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome and in healthy controls, and to investigate whether patients with fibromyalgia syndrome can be grouped with respect to thermal hyperalgesia and whether these subgroups differ from healthy controls and in clinical appearance. ⋯ Patients with fibromyalgia syndrome were subgrouped by quantitative sensory testing (i.e., thermal pain thresholds). Subgroups show clinical differences in pain intensities, number of tender points, and sleep quality. Cold pain threshold was especially linked to these clinical aspects.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Acupuncture for chronic low back pain: a randomized placebo-controlled study with long-term follow-up.
The authors sought to determine whether a series of needle acupuncture treatments produced long-term relief of chronic low back pain. ⋯ The authors found a long-term pain-relieving effect of needle acupuncture compared with true placebo in some patients with chronic nociceptive low back pain.
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Review Case Reports
Chemical sympathectomy for neuropathic pain: does it work? Case report and systematic literature review.
To determine if chemical sympathectomy successfully reduces limb neuropathic pain. ⋯ Based on the case reported and systematic literature review, chemical sympathectomy seems to have at best a temporary effect, limited to cutaneous allodynia. Despite the popularity of chemical sympatholysis, only few patients and poorly defined outcomes are reported in the literature, substantiating the need for well-designed studies on the effectiveness of the procedure.