The Clinical journal of pain
-
Assessment of pain in patients with whiplash-associated disorders has been previously reported using a variety of instruments. However, the reproducibility of the findings derived from such measurements has not been explored with respect to this particular patients group. ⋯ On the basis of the current patient sample, this study demonstrates that although PPT findings may generally be applied for monitoring change in chronic whiplash patients, the use of VAS scores should be limited to patients whose initial score is above 4. It is also suggested that if the PPT is to serve as an outcome measure, its measurement should be performed by the same tester.
-
The aim was to investigate whether increased pericranial tenderness or decreased pressure pain threshold (PPT) was related to headache intensity, duration, and frequency in chronic tension-type headache (CTTH). ⋯ Increased tenderness may predispose the patients to other perpetuating factors in inducing headache attacks. Further research is needed to clearly define the role of pericranial tender tissues or other factors in the genesis and maintenance of CTTH.
-
Review Historical Article
Opioids: after thousands of years, still getting to know you.
-
Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Patient compliance with SSRIs and gabapentin in painful diabetic neuropathy.
Anticonvulsants are widely used for treatment of painful diabetic neuropathy. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are not first-line drugs but are commonly prescribed medicines for chronic pain. The majority of patients are hesitant to use these drug groups, thus their compliance remains an issue. ⋯ The lack of negative effects on quality of life, the better compliance, and the comparable efficiency of SSRIs suggest that these drugs may be considered as alternative to gabapentin in painful diabetic neuropathy.
-
Comparative Study
Use of tricyclic antidepressants in older patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
To describe patterns of use of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) (eg, amitriptyline, nortriptyline) among older patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). ⋯ The high prevalence of contraindications, warnings, or precautions and the low level of TCA exposure suggest that many older patients with DPN who receive TCAs may be inappropriately treated.