The Clinical journal of pain
-
Psychophysical assessments of orofacial sensory function were performed in order to investigate neurophysiological aspects of the burning mouth syndrome (BMS). ⋯ The presence of abnormal prepain perceptions and disturbances in the perception of nonnociceptive and nociceptive thermal stimuli applied on both pain-affected and normal regions suggest a perceptual deficit unrelated to specific pathophysiological mechanisms in BMS. However, it appears that a psychological explanation of BMS should be used cautiously, as the present results suggest alterations in sensory function.
-
This study examined pain and impairment beliefs [measured with the Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale, (PAIRS)] of chronic low back pain patients during rehabilitation and hypothesized that pain beliefs would be stronger in drop-out subjects, decrease during treatment, and after treatment correlate strongly with disability measures. ⋯ Pain beliefs are of minimal value for predicting treatment compliance, but may be altered during functionally oriented treatment of chronic low back pain. Posttreatment disability closely mirrored attitudes and belief-associated pain and impairment.
-
This study attempts to clarify the relationship between depression and the cognitions of chronic pain patients. It was hypothesized that the ambiguity and desirability of self-rated traits would significantly predict level of depression. ⋯ Patients with chronic pain are more likely to acknowledge undesirable traits in themselves when they have higher levels of depression when the pain level was controlled. These findings may have important implications for the cognitive-behavioral treatment of chronic pain patients.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
False-positive rates of cervical zygapophysial joint blocks.
To determine the false-positive rate of anesthetic blocks of the medial branches of the cervical dorsal rami in the diagnosis of cervical zygapophysial joint pain. ⋯ Uncontrolled diagnostic blocks are compromised by a significant false-positive rate that seriously detracts from the specificity of the test.
-
The purpose of the present study was to examine factors that influence individual differences in treatment response after multidisciplinary pain management. ⋯ Changes in coping strategies and negative thinking may be important mechanisms related to improvement, or lack of improvement, in a range of outcome measures. Patients from families who are controlling and disorganized, and patients high on negative thinking at pretreatment may represent high-risk groups in need of further individually tailored interventions.