The Clinical journal of pain
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The aim of this study is to examine the difference in the report of bodily pain experienced by patients who develop temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and by those who do not develop TMD over a 3-year observation period. ⋯ The development of TMD was accompanied by increases in headaches, muscle soreness or pain, and other pains that were not observed in the Participants who did not develop TMD. Participants who developed TMD also report higher experience of joint, back, chest, and menstrual pain at baseline.
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Malfunction of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is common in early complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS I). This study was designed to evaluate the function of the SNS in patients with chronic CRPS I and to correlate the obtained data with hand function measurements. ⋯ Even 5 years after the diagnosis of CRPS I of the upper extremity we detected significant impairments of the pSNS in nearly two thirds of our patients. Patients still have pain and present with a significant deterioration of their hand function in comparison with the not affected hand. In our study we could not identify any correlation between pSNS function and clinical outcome as measured by MHQ.
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Sickle cell disease-related pain is difficult to treat adequately. Pain secondary to vasoocclusive episodes (VOE) may be unresponsive to high-dose intravenous opiates. Alternative treatment options for VOE are needed. We sought to review our experience with low-dose ketamine for children hospitalized with VOE. ⋯ Further research into ketamine for vasoocclusive pain is warranted.
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To examine characteristics of sleep and sleep complaints in older persons with chronic pain, as compared to older persons with neither sleep complaints nor chronic pain, on the basis of objective and subjective sleep assessment. ⋯ Sleep complaints such as disruptive sleep and problems initiating and maintaining sleep, and impairment in daytime functioning, are prevalent in older adults with chronic pain. Sleep and sleep complaints should be addressed to a much greater extent in this patient group.
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To investigate the changes in surface and intramuscular electromyographic (EMG) activity at latent trigger points (TrPs) in the extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle after injection of either glutamate or isotonic saline into latent TrPs in the infraspinatus muscle. ⋯ Our results show that an increased nociceptive activity at latent TrPs in the infraspinatus muscle may increase motor activity and sensitivity of a TrP in distant muscles at a same segmental level.