European journal of pain : EJP
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Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is characterized by mechanical hyperalgesia after lengthening contractions (LC). It is relatively common and causes disturbance for many people who require continuous exercise, yet its molecular and peripheral neural mechanisms are poorly understood. ⋯ Here, we show that not only C- but also Aδ-fibre nociceptors in the muscle are involved in mechanical hypersensitivity after lengthening contractions, and that acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC)-3 expressed in the thin-fibre nociceptors is responsible for the mechanical hypersensitivity. ASIC3 might be a novel pharmacological target for pain after exercise.
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Self-medication is associated with an important utilization of Over-The-Counter (OTC) analgesics. The medical outcome resulting from therapeutic options bypassing the physician prescription is a major issue. In that context, pharmacists are expected to play a crucial role. The main objective of this review was to analyse the state-of-the art of pharmacists' role in pain management self-medication. ⋯ Analgesics are widely used without prescription, all over the world. They represent the largest market of OTC drugs, with an overall benefit/risk ratio favourable when appropriately used. Because of potential individual risks associated to the ailment or to the patient's behaviour, pharmacists' interventions have proven to optimize analgesic self-medication, provided that pharmacy staffs are both available and more specifically trained. In the future, in pain management, especially self-medication, pharmacists should play an increasing role and should be included in educational programmes and pain management guidelines.
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Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and offset analgesia are different features of descending pain inhibition. This study investigated CPM, offset analgesia and clinical pain measures in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) before and after treatment with the combination of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) plus acetaminophen. ⋯ This study demonstrated that conditioned pain modulation is correlated with the response to a standard pharmaceutical interventions treating osteoarthritis pain. Furthermore, we demonstrated that a decrease in clinical pain intensity is not associated with a normalization of conditioned pain modulation or offset analgesia, which questions if restoring these descending pain inhibitory mechanisms are pain intensity driven.
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Pain perception is a multimodal experience composed of sensory, emotional and cognitive dimensions. Accumulating evidence suggests that the chemical senses can influence pain perception, but their relation with phasic pain is still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of smell and taste having different valence on phasic pain. ⋯ By demonstrating the link between smell, taste and phasic pain this study may have a translational impact in clinical conditions characterized by so-called shock-like pain, such as neuropathic pain.
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Focusing on pain while completing a pain diary might have detrimental effects on pain intensity. Inverted comfort ratings might be used instead. ⋯ The positive effects of pain diaries on pain trajectories appear to constitute a reliable effect and not a methodological artefact. Pain diaries should be investigated systematically to identify ways to optimize their effects on clinical outcomes. Comfort diaries, however, do not appear to be an efficacious substitute for pain diaries; if the current findings replicate, they indicate that primary care practitioners should continue to use pain diaries in clinical care.