The Clinical journal of pain
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To characterize the distribution of masseter muscle activity and force control during bilateral jaw clenching tasks in people with chronic nonspecific neck pain, without an associated temporomandibular disorder. ⋯ People with chronic neck pain display increased activation and altered distribution of masseter muscle activity during a jaw-clenching coordination task. These results provide a greater appreciation of how secondary orofacial pain or temporomandibular disorders may develop in people with neck pain.
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The manner in which one responds to the experience of chronic pain is a primary determinant of pain-related distress and disruptions in functioning. In particular, responses to pain that reflect substantial unwillingness, or a lack of acceptance, in relation to pain are reliably associated with greater difficulties in comparison with responses that reflect willingness and acceptance. To date, several multi-item self-report assessments have been developed to evaluate pain-related willingness and acceptance. The purpose of the present research was to develop and evaluate a single item measure, the Acceptance and Willingness screener (AWS). ⋯ These results correspond with previous work and provide initial support for the validity of a single item screening measure of acceptance and willingness in chronic pain.
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Chronic pain and long-term opioid use may lead to a persistent deficit in hedonic capacity, characterized by increased sensitivity to aversive states and insensitivity to natural rewards. Dispositional mindfulness has been linked with improved emotion regulation and pain coping. The aim of the current study was to examine associations between dispositional mindfulness, hedonic capacity, and pain-related interference in an opioid-using chronic pain sample. ⋯ Findings indicate that dispositional mindfulness was associated with hedonic capacity among this chronic pain sample. In light of this association, it is plausible that interventions that increase mindfulness may reduce pain-related impairment among opioid-using patients by enhancing hedonic capacity.
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Improvement in pain is a major expectation of patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery. ⋯ Pain is not uncommon after lumbar surgery and is associated with a network of clinical, surgical, and psychological variables. This study provides evidence that patients' expectations about pain are an independent variable in this network. Because expectations are potentially modifiable this study supports addressing pain-related expectations with patients before surgery through discussions with surgeons and through formal preoperative patient education.
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Comparative Study
Myofascial Trigger Points and Migraine-related Disability in Women with Episodic and Chronic Migraine.
The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in the presence of head and neck-shoulder trigger points (TrPs) between women with episodic or chronic migraine and their association with migraine-related disability. ⋯ Women with episodic and chronic migraine had a similar number of TrPs. TrPs may be considered a trigger factor that can facilitate the onset of migraine or also can potentially be a promoting factor for pain once the migraine attack has started and hence may contribute to related disability. Nevertheless, we observed that the number of TrPs in the head and neck-shoulder muscles in an interictal state was not associated with the degree of migraine-related disability, suggesting a multifactorial nature of self-perceived disability in this population.