European journal of pain : EJP
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The aim of this study was to describe the Quality of Life and pain coping strategies of school children in relation to headache severity. We conducted a cross-sectional study in 2815 children between the age of 9 and 17 years, who filled out Waters' Headache Questionnaire (WHQ), the Paediatric Pain Assessment Tool (PPAT), the Quality of Life Headache in Youth (QLH-Y) questionnaire and the Pain Coping Questionnaire (PCQ) in the class-room setting. ⋯ Results show that children with the highest headache severity report the lowest Quality of Life in general and the lowest Quality of Health, as well as the most problems with regard to physical functioning, impact of headache on daily and leisure activities, physical symptoms other than headache, and social functioning at home. With regard to using pain coping strategies, children with the most severe headaches seek more social support, they internalize and externalize more, they use less behavioural and cognitive distraction techniques, and seek information less.
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Shoulder pain is known to retard rehabilitation after stroke. Its causes and prognosis are uncertain. This study describes the incidence of poststroke shoulder pain prospectively, in an unselected stroke population in the first 6 months after stroke and identifies risk factors for developing pain. ⋯ Shoulder pain after stroke occurred in 40% of 123 patients surviving, consenting and not too unwell to participate. This included 52 patients of an original cohort of 205 patients presenting with stroke. Eighty percent of patients made a good recovery with standard treatment Patients with sensory and or motor deficits represent at risk sub-groups.
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To examine the hypothesis that psychological factors of psychological distress, maladaptive response to illness and perception of happiness in childhood, are associated with self-reported oro-facial pain (OFP). ⋯ This large cross-sectional community-based study showed significant association for all of the factors considered. The obtained data raise interesting questions of cause and effect for which further, longitudinal studies are required to establish temporal relationship between these factors and the onset, cause, and treatment of OFP.
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Case Reports
Gabapentin treatment of glossopharyngeal neuralgia: a follow-up of four years of a single case.
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia causes intermittent, lancinanting pain, involving the posterior tongue and pharynx, with radiation to deep ear structures. There are different pharmacological therapies which are tried to treat the neuralgia: carbamazepin, phenytoin, diazepam, amytriptyline, phenobarbital, ketamine, and baclofen; there are also surgical treatment proposed in order to cure the neuralgia such as vascular decompression or electrical stimulation of the motor cortex controlateral to the pain area. We report a single case of a patient with glossopharyngeal neuralgia treated with Gabapentin, the first described, who was followed up for four years, who respond completely to the therapy and did not complain from side effects, reducing even the reminiscence of pain during the second cluster of crisis.
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A prospective cohort study on chronic non-malignant pain patients was performed to describe health consequences and changes in use of health care resources and social transfers following multidisciplinary pain treatment. Patients, referred to a Danish Multidisciplinary Pain Center (MPC), were evaluated during four periods: six months prior to referral, waiting list period, intervention, nine months follow-up. ⋯ pain intensity (VAS), The Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), The Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWB), The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD). Use of health care resources and social transfers were retrieved from public registers. Statistically significant improvements were obtained in pain intensity, SF-36 bodily pain, PGWB index and subscores vitality, and general health at discharge and follow-up. Intervention costs amounted to EUR 1102 (SD 721). Health care costs were not significantly reduced, but significant reductions in social transfers were seen.