The Clinical journal of pain
-
Comparative Study
A comparison of the neuroablative effects of conventional and pulsed radiofrequency techniques.
To compare the neuroablative effects of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) and conventional radiofrequency (CRF) techniques on the sciatic nerve, a peripheral nerve that includes motor, sensory, and autonomous fibers. ⋯ Nerve tissues can be affected during any type of procedure, even during surgical applications. Our results suggest that PRF is less destructive than CRF for the peripheral nerves. However, this idea should also be investigated at the molecular level, and safety analysis should be performed for routine clinical practice.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Effect of microneedle design on pain in human volunteers.
To design microneedles that minimize pain, this study tested the hypothesis that microneedles cause significantly less pain than a 26-gauge hypodermic needle, and that decreasing microneedle length and the number of microneedles reduces pain in normal human volunteers. ⋯ Microneedles are significantly less painful than a 26-gauge hypodermic needle over the range of dimensions investigated. Decreasing microneedle length and number of microneedles reduces pain.
-
Clinical Trial
Ketamine and midazolam delivered by patient-controlled analgesia in relieving pain associated with burns dressings.
A study involving the use of a mixture of ketamine and midazolam delivered via patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device was trialed to assess its effectiveness in reducing pain associated with repeated burns dressings in an adult population. ⋯ The use of ketamine/midazolam delivered by PCA was shown to be an effective means of pain control during burns dressings as assessed by both staff and patients. The incidence of adverse events was low.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Sex differences in presentation, course, and management of low back pain in primary care.
Epidemiologic surveys frequently show that women more often and are more affected by low back pain (LBP). The aim of this secondary analysis of a randomized controlled study was to explore whether presentation and course of LBP of women is different from men, and if sex affects the use of healthcare services for LBP. ⋯ Our findings confirm that women are more severely affected by LBP and have a worse prognosis. Utilization of healthcare services cannot be fully explained by female sex, but rather by a higher impairment by back pain and pain in other parts of the body characteristic of the female population.
-
Clinical Trial
Prevalence rates for and predictors of self-reported adherence of oncology outpatients with analgesic medications.
Inadequate adherence with an analgesic regimen may be a reason why oncology patients experience unrelieved pain. However, only a limited number of studies have evaluated the prevalence rates for adherence and no studies have attempted to determine predictors of adherence in patients with cancer pain. On the basis of concepts from the Health Belief Model, the purposes of this study were to describe oncology outpatients' level of adherence with an analgesic regimen and to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of selected demographic variables, pain characteristics, barriers to pain management, and self-efficacy (SE) on adherence with an analgesic regimen. ⋯ Improvements in pain management may occur if clinicians routinely assessed patients' level of adherence with their analgesics regimen.