The Clinical journal of pain
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Numerous studies have documented rates of chronic pain in developed western nations; however, little is known about its prevalence or correlates in rapidly developing countries, where much of the world's population lives. This study was designed to assess the prevalence of chronic pain among adults in Chongqing, China and the correlates of chronicity among respondents with pain and degree of impairment within the subgroup reporting chronic pain. ⋯ Rates of chronic pain in Chongqing appear to approximate to those reported in western countries. A significant minority of those affected report substantial or severe impairment and are more likely than less impaired cohorts to have sought medical interventions to manage pain.
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To determine the factors associated with pain relief and improved physical functioning in chronic pain patients during outpatient management in the first 5 months immediately after a standardized inpatient pain management program. ⋯ This study found a strong association of change in pain severity and physical functioning with change in baseline level of affective health and coping during the first outpatient management period after inpatient rehabilitation. As a consequence, it may be possible to improve the treatment of chronic pain by therapy of mood and coping.
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Sublingual buprenorphine, with and without naloxone, is indicated for the treatment of opioid use disorders. Although not approved for pain, some evidence suggests it may be a safe and effective alternative to conventional opioid analgesics, particularly for those with addiction problems. This study surveyed pain specialists to examine the extent to which sublingual buprenorphine was prescribed for chronic pain and explore associated clinician attitudes and characteristics. ⋯ Results suggest that sublingual buprenorphine is indeed being used to treat chronic pain; however, the circumstances when this occurs are not entirely clear.
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To verify whether headaches (HAs) are associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in young Brazilian adolescents. ⋯ HAs were a potential risk factor for TMD in adolescents, and the risk was particularly higher for painful and chronic TMD. When HAs are present in young adolescents, a complete examination is strongly recommended with regard to the presence of painful TMD, and vice versa.
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Although high abundant cystatin c (CysC) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is well known, its ambiguous role associated with pain still remains unclear. This study evaluated the effects of intrathecal CysC content from chronic pain caused by osteoarthritis (OA) and the novel relationship with matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP2 and MMP9) in CSF. ⋯ These findings provide the first in vivo evidence on a relationship between CysC and gelatinases (MMP2 and MMP9), and could facilitate further investigation of novel interactions among these proteins within the proteomics field, especially protein-protein interactions involved in pain.