The Clinical journal of pain
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Ecological momentary assessment has been recommended in the management of chronic pain. Smartphone apps might be a useful tool for that purpose. This goal of this study was to develop and test a multidimensional smartphone app for adults with chronic pain. A multidisciplinary team developed the app content after a series of meetings, considering clinical guidelines for pain measurement. The content included pain intensity and interference, fatigue, mood, perceived health status, activity level, side effects of the medication, use of rescue medication, and pain-related sychological constructs (catastrophizing, acceptance, fear, and coping). ⋯ The new assessment protocol in the app allows for an easy and rapid multidimensional assessment of chronic pain patients.
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Expressions of pain by individuals with chronic pain may encourage solicitous and distracting responses from some partners and punishing responses from others. Partners' responses can impact the well-being of individuals with chronic pain. Yet information about factors that can explain the link between expression of pain behaviors and different partners' responses is scarce. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of perceived partner burden and relationship quality in the link between expressions of pain behaviors and perceived partner responses (ie, solicitous, distracting, and punishing responses). ⋯ Enhanced partner burden and reduced relationship quality may be one pathway through which pain behaviors relate to partner responses.
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To provide a descriptive account of long-term functioning (≥5 y posttreatment) among youth who completed intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment (IIPT) for pediatric chronic pain conditions. ⋯ Results show long-term positive functioning among individuals who underwent intensive rehabilitation treatment for chronic pain as children or adolescents. Despite experiencing one or more pain flares at some point after treatment, most former IIPT patients report minimal to no ongoing functional disability, complete or partial resolution of pain symptoms, and developmentally appropriate progress toward goals (eg, school completion, independent living).
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It has been reported that the optimal concentration of epidural dexmedetomidine for labor analgesia is 0.5 μg/mL when combined with 0.1% ropivacaine. This study investigated the median effective concentration (EC50) of epidural ropivacaine for labor analgesia when combined with 0.5 μg/mL dexmedetomidine. ⋯ The EC50 of epidural ropivacaine for labor analgesia was 0.083% (95% CI, 0.077%-0.089%) and decreased to 0.062% (95% CI, 0.058%-0.066%) when combined with 0.5 μg/mL dexmedetomidine (http://www.chictr.org.cn, registration number: ChiCTR-OPC-16008548).
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Observational Study
Unilateral Lateral Epicondylalgia Shows a Pro-nociceptive Pain Profile: A Case-control Observational Study.
Lateral epicondylalgia (LE, tennis elbow) is characterized by both local tissue pathology and features indicative of secondary hyperalgesia. The aim of this study was to evaluate endogenous pain modulation characteristics in people with chronic LE, and to investigate the relationship between endogenous pain modulation and clinical characteristics. ⋯ LE is characterized by locally increased facilitation of pain, as measured by TS, but this is not associated with severity of pain or disability.