European journal of pain : EJP
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The relationship between estimates of total and central body fat with fibromyalgia pain, fatigue and overall impact has not been fully described. We aimed to assess the individual and combined association of body fat (total and central) with pain, fatigue and the overall impact in fibromyalgia women; and to study the possible mediation role of physical fitness in these associations. ⋯ Physical fitness might potentially explain the association between obesity and fibromyalgia symptoms.
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Chronic pain in patients is usually related to an episode of pain following acute injury, emphasizing the need to prevent progression from acute to chronic pain. Multiple factors in the acute phase might be responsible for perpetuating the pain. The presentation of patients at the emergency department (ED) presents a prime opportunity to identify patients at high risk for chronic pain and to start appropriate treatment. ⋯ Two prognostic factors, severe pain at discharge and pain catastrophizing, are potentially modifiable. The implementation of a pain protocol in the ED and the use of cognitive-behavioural techniques involving reducing catastrophizing might be useful.
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Cognitive processes like attentional and interpretation biases have been suggested to play a vital role in the onset and exacerbation of chronic pain. Research consistently supports the occurrence of interpretation bias (IB) in pain patients and healthy individuals high in pain anxiety. Nevertheless, studies on the indirect assessment of IB or the relation between IB and responses to pain are limited. The present studies examined the association between indirect assessed IB and pain anxiety, while Study 2 additionally examined IB as a mediator in the relation between pain anxiety and pain responses. ⋯ Current findings underscore the importance of interpretational processes in the context of physical health threat. Furthermore, the ambiguous word priming task is proposed as a suitable paradigm for further research on the indirect assessment of IB. Nevertheless, further research is warranted to deepen our understanding of IB and its contribution to the experience of (chronic) pain.
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There were several reports suggesting α-adrenoceptor antagonists are effective to treat neuropathic pain. The aims of this study were as follows: (1) to introduce drug delivery system for dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons; (2) to elucidate the effects of α-adrenoceptor antagonists in acute, subacute or chronic phase and (3) to determine which subtype of adrenoceptor was mainly involved. ⋯ This study showed α-adrenoceptor antagonists could suppress pain behaviour via α2-adrenoceptor in acute phase and temporary attenuate pain behaviour in chronic phase. These findings presented potentials sympathetic nerve blockade contributed to treat neuropathic pain.