The Clinical journal of pain
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Loin pain hematuria syndrome (LPHS) is a rare pain syndrome, which is somewhat poorly characterized and challenging to treat. The condition of LPHS is still controversial and there is no consensus of validated diagnostic criteria or optimal treatment strategies. ⋯ Curiously, for such a controversial pain syndrome there is substantially more written in the literature regarding surgical-type treatments than conservative treatments. A brief review of LPHS potential pathophysiology and potential treatment approaches is presented.
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Chronic opioid therapy (COT) for chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) is characterized by both high rates of patient-initiated discontinuation and by perceived helpfulness among those who sustain opioid use. This study examines predictors of the desire to cut down or stop opioid therapy among patients receiving COT who report that opioids are helpful for relieving pain. ⋯ There are high rates of ambivalence about opioid use among COT recipients who consider opioids helpful for pain relief. Depressed patients are more likely to be ambivalent about use of prescribed opioids. Eliciting patient ambivalence may be helpful in patients who are not benefiting from long-term opioid use as an initial step toward consideration of discontinuation.
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Altered activation of the deep cervical flexors (longus colli and longus capitis) has been found in individuals with neck pain disorders but the response to training has been variable. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between change in deep cervical flexor muscle activity and symptoms in response to specific training. ⋯ Specific training of the deep cervical flexor muscles in women with chronic neck pain reduces pain and improves the activation of these muscles, especially in those with the least activation of their deep cervical flexors before training. This finding suggests that the selection of exercise based on a precise assessment of the patients' neuromuscular control and targeted exercise interventions based on this assessment are likely to be the most beneficial to patients with neck pain.
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Impaired left/right judgment of the affected body part is regarded as a disruption of the body's representation in cortical and subcortical somatosensory and motor areas and has previously been demonstrated in patients with severe neuropathic pain states. It remains unknown whether persistent but less severe pain states are sufficient to induce a similar impairment. ⋯ This study demonstrates that individuals with CTS present with a selective impairment in left/right judgment that is restricted to the affected quadrant. This indicates that left/right judgment is impaired in much less severe pain states than previously demonstrated. The findings are in line with previous reports, which suggested the presence of central mechanisms in patients with CTS.