The Clinical journal of pain
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Recent literature indicates a relationship between history of sexual abuse and subsequent psychological and social dysfunction. Less thoroughly examined are the possible abuse-related physical effects. This article examines the prevalence of sexual abuse among 135 chronic pain patients. ⋯ Twenty-eight percent reported child sexual abuse, with history of victimization more significant for women (39%) than men (7%). The abused and nonabused groups of women differed on such variables as marital status, occupation, history of rape and substance abuse, and age of hospitalization. The relationship between sexual abuse and chronic somatic reactions was discussed.
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This study examined the relationship of pain drawings to somatization in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Sixty-nine adult patients with SCD completed a pain drawing in which they shaded in areas of the body in which they experienced pain and also completed the symptom checklist (SCL) 90-R as an index of psychological distress. ⋯ The results suggest that health care professionals who treat SCD patients need to consider pain patterns. In individuals with pain patterns atypical for SCD, the psychological status of the patient may need to be evaluated to facilitate optimal pain management.
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This study reviews the results and complications of 162 percutaneous thermocoagulations of the gasserian ganglion in 124 patients with typical idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. The mean duration of follow-up observation was 3.7 years (range, 1-6 years). ⋯ Anesthesia dolorosa occurred in 3% of cases, dysesthesia in 3%, and paresthesia in 17%; neuroparalytic keratitis with permanent reduction of visual acuity was observed in 2% of cases, permanent diplopia in 1%, permanent hearing deficit in 3%, and permanent impairment of mastication in 3%. We compare thermocoagulation with other surgical procedures (microvascular decompression, glycerol injection, and percutaneous decompression) used in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.
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This study examined the relation between marital satisfaction, psychological distress, self-reported pain, disability, and clinical findings in 63 chronic low-back pain (CLBP) patients from primary health care centers. The relation between marital satisfaction and psychological distress in their spouses was also studied. ⋯ In male CLBP patient couples, marital dissatisfaction and psychological distress were much less significantly related. This gender difference should be taken into account in the treatment of CLBP couples.