The Clinical journal of pain
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Fear-avoidance beliefs, physical activity, and disability in elderly individuals with chronic low back pain and healthy controls.
Research studies focussing on the fear-avoidance beliefs model (FABM) have expanded considerably during the last years, however, there has been very little research directed at the elderly. The objective of the present study was to investigate the validity of the FABM in older patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). ⋯ The findings are consistent with results reported in the literature for younger age groups and confirm the assumption that the FABM is also valid for the elderly.
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Clinical Trial
Prevalence rates for and predictors of self-reported adherence of oncology outpatients with analgesic medications.
Inadequate adherence with an analgesic regimen may be a reason why oncology patients experience unrelieved pain. However, only a limited number of studies have evaluated the prevalence rates for adherence and no studies have attempted to determine predictors of adherence in patients with cancer pain. On the basis of concepts from the Health Belief Model, the purposes of this study were to describe oncology outpatients' level of adherence with an analgesic regimen and to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of selected demographic variables, pain characteristics, barriers to pain management, and self-efficacy (SE) on adherence with an analgesic regimen. ⋯ Improvements in pain management may occur if clinicians routinely assessed patients' level of adherence with their analgesics regimen.
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Comparative Study
Complex regional pain syndrome (type 1): a comparison of 2 diagnostic criteria methods.
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a common problem presenting to orthopedic surgeons or pain therapists, most frequently encountered after trauma or surgery to a limb. Because of a lack of a simple objective diagnostic test, diagnosis is reliant on clinical assessment. Prospective studies have repeatedly demonstrated a higher incidence than retrospective studies, an observation that has been challenged owing to the lack of uniformity of diagnostic criteria across specialties and workers researching the condition. ⋯ These findings show that the Bruehl and Atkins criteria are basically concordant. The differences reflect only minor variations in the assessment of pain. Agreement between researchers in the orthopedic and pain therapy communities will allow improved understanding of CRPS.
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Unlike information provided for research, information disclosed to patients for treatment or procedures is largely unregulated and, as such, there is likely a considerable variability in the type and amount of disclosure. This study was designed to examine the nature of information provided to parents regarding options for postoperative pain control and their understanding thereof. ⋯ These results demonstrate the variability in the type and amount of information provided to parents regarding their child's postoperative pain control and reinforce the importance of clear and full disclosure of pain information, particularly with respect to the risks and benefits.