The Clinical journal of pain
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Efficacy of microcurrent therapy in the treatment of chronic nonspecific back pain: a pilot study.
Microcurrent therapy (MCT) is a novel treatment for pain syndromes. The MCT patch is hypothesized to produce stimuli that promote tissue healing by facilitating physiologic currents. Solid evidence from randomized clinical trials is lacking. To evaluate the efficacy of MCT in treating aspecific, chronic low-back pain, we conducted a double-blind, randomized, crossover, pilot trial. ⋯ A positive trend in MCT use for aspecific, chronic low-back pain is reported. Further investigations are required to evaluate the significance and relevance of this.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Opioid-sparing effects of ketorolac and its correlation with the recovery of postoperative bowel function in colorectal surgery patients: a prospective randomized double-blinded study.
Postoperative ileus (PI) is one of many common complications in major abdominal surgery. PI results in patient discomfort, increased gastrointestinal leakage, prolonged hospital stay, and increased medical expenses. In this study, we have investigated the morphine-sparing effects of ketorolac and its correlation with the duration of PI in patients with colorectal surgeries. ⋯ The addition of ketorolac to IVPCA morphine has demonstrated a clear opioid-sparing effect and benefits in regards to the shortening of the duration of bowel immobility. We suggest that adding ketorolac to morphine IVPCA be included in the multimodal postoperative rehabilitation program for the early restoration of normal bowel function.
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Meta Analysis
Predictors of placebo response in pooled lamotrigine neuropathic pain clinical trials.
One limitation of neuropathic pain clinical trials is the often large and variable extent of response in the placebo group, possibly obscuring true medication effects. We pooled data from 252 individuals in the placebo arms of 3 clinical trials of lamotrigine in patients with neuropathic pain to examine the relationship of baseline patient and study site characteristics with 12-week change in the Pain Intensity Numerical Rating Scale score (DeltaPI-NRS). The 574 patients in the pooled lamotrigine treatment arms were used as a replication dataset. ⋯ These results suggest that both patient and study site characteristics can influence the response in the placebo arms of neuropathic pain studies.
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To investigate whether comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD) influenced the efficacy and safety of duloxetine in treating fibromyalgia (FM). ⋯ Duloxetine was effective in reducing pain and other symptoms in FM patients with and without MDD and demonstrated a similar safety profile for both groups.
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Provoked vestibulodynia is believed to be the most frequent cause of vulvodynia in women of childbearing age, with prevalence rates of up to 12% in the general population. Despite this high prevalence and the fact that vestibulodynia impacts negatively on quality of life, in particular sexual functioning, there has been a paucity of sound research to elucidate the condition's etiology. More specifically, few studies have focused on the role of psychologic factors in the experience of vulvo-vaginal pain and associated sexual impairment. ⋯ Findings support a theoretical model of vestibulodynia as a pain disorder influenced among others by cognitive and affective factors.