The Clinical journal of pain
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Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I, also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy, usually develops after trauma or immobilization, is characterized by focal pain and autonomic dysregulation, and sometimes focal trophic changes such as osteoporosis. The pathophysiology is unknown and there have been few controlled treatment trials. The purpose of this study was to obtain pilot data on the safety and efficacy of a highly potent bisphosphonate, ibandronate, for the treatment of CRPS, which might be responsive to bisphosphonates' inhibition of osteoclast and anti-inflammatory activity. ⋯ These data justify a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of ibandronate that should perhaps be limited to patients with hand CRPS.
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Empathy and empathic response are receiving greater attention in pain research as investigators acknowledge that other forms of interaction may impact the pain process. The purpose of this study was to examine validation and invalidation as forms of empathic and nonempathic responses in chronic pain couples. ⋯ This work suggests that empathic and nonempathic communication are distinct from solicitous spouse responses. The findings have implications for theoretical and clinical work on social factors in pain.
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This study aims to investigate correlates of pain-related empathic accuracy in spouses of chronic pain patients. Specifically, analyses addressed: (1) the correlates of pain-related empathic accuracy, (2) the relation between pain-related empathic accuracy, and patient and spouse adaptational outcomes, and (3) the relation between pain-related empathic accuracy and relational outcomes. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that empathic accuracy is associated with negative outcomes for the patient, and might not be an important correlate of marital satisfaction in couples in which one of the partners is suffering from chronic pain.
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This preliminary study examined aspects of pain communication (self-efficacy for pain communication and holding back from discussing pain and arthritis-related concerns) among patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and their partners, and associations between patient and partner pain communication and measures of patient and partner adjustment. ⋯ Taken together, results from this preliminary study suggest that self-efficacy for pain communication and holding back from discussions of pain and arthritis-related concerns may be important in understanding how patients with OA and their partners adjust to the demands of the patient's disease.
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The communication impairments that characterize severe dementia make pain assessment challenging. As such, pain problems often go undetected. Our goal was to determine whether systematic pain assessment leads to improved pain management practices and decreases nursing stress in comparison with a control condition. ⋯ This investigation provides strong support for both the importance of systematic pain assessment in long-term care and for the clinical utility of the PACSLAC in improving pain management practices and decreasing caregiver distress.