Der Schmerz
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The characterization of subtypes of chronic pain patients based on their pain coping profiles may contribute to a better understanding of the pain syndrome, to more specific indications of established treatment options as well as to further development of therapeutic interventions. ⋯ The results revealed three distinct subgroups regarding pain coping patterns: (1) high impairment and high coping, (2) low impairment and high coping and (3) high impairment and low coping. The subgroups differed significantly in almost all characteristics, except for pain duration and pain intensity. The categorization into the abovementioned pain coping subtypes may assist clinicians in tailoring pain treatment to the needs and characteristics of the individual patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
[Neuromodulation using matrix stimulation : A treatment for acute pain?]
There is currently a lack of studies that evaluate the effects of matrix electrode neuromodulation on acute pain. In this prospective and randomized cross-over study, we investigated the efficacy of 4 Hz-matrix stimulation on venipuncture-induced pain in 30 healthy subjects. ⋯ The results of this study showed for the first time that pre-emptive matrix stimulation could be an effective way to reduce acute pain. The duration of stimulation seems to play a key role in the effectiveness of the neurophysiological mechanism of action. Matrix stimulation is a therapeutic intervention with very few side effects, which could, in the future, expand our pain-management options for the treatment of acute pain.
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In 2009 the diagnosis chronic pain disorder with somatic and psychological factors (F45.41) was integrated into the German version of the International Classification of Diseases, version 10 (ICD-10-GM). In 2010 Paul Nilges and Winfried Rief published operationalization criteria for this diagnosis. In the present publication the ad hoc commission on multimodal interdisciplinary pain therapy of the German Pain Society now presents a formula for a clear validation of these operationalization criteria of the ICD code F45.41.
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Chronic pain is characterized by a complex interaction of somatic, mental and social factors. Assessing these factors in patients with chronic pain is vital during the diagnostic work-up and when making a structured treatment plan. Interdisciplinary pain assessment (ISA) is the most promising method to deal with these challenges. This article presents our experience in performing pain assessments in the hospital setting and also illustrates the characteristic features of chronic pain patients undergoing such assessments. ⋯ Our study shows that ISA enables fast, high-quality diagnostic assessments of chronic pain while taking the biopsychosocial model of pain in particular into account. In addition, ISA is not biased with regard to outcome results and recommends the further treatment that appears best for the individual patient. ISA leads not only to inpatient treatment, but also to treatment in other therapeutic settings and, as such, is not merely a door-opener to multimodal pain therapy.