European journal of pain : EJP
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The mechanisms of action that facilitate improved outcomes after conservative rehabilitation are unclear in individuals with cervical radiculopathy (CR). This study aims to determine the pathways of recovery of disability with different exercise programs in individuals with CR. ⋯ Psychological and pain characteristics did not differentially explain the mechanism of effect that two exercise regimes had on disability in individuals with cervical radiculopathy. In addition, we found that improvements in self-efficacy was approximately five times more important than that of neck-arm pain intensity in mediating the anxiety-disability relationship. A mechanistic understanding of recovery provides candidate modifiable mediators that could be the target of future intervention trials.
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Previous studies have only investigated how symptom presentation and socio-demographic factors influence care-seeking for low back pain (LBP). However, the influence of health and lifestyle factors remains unclear, and the potential confounding effects of aggregated familial factors (including genetics and the early shared environment) has not been considered extensively. ⋯ This is the first study investigating the factors that influence seeking medical care for LBP, while adjusting for the influence of familial factors using a co-twin control design. Poor sleep quality is associated with seeking medical care for LBP in the long term and does not appear to be confounded by familial factors. Early screening for indicators of poor sleep quality and appropriate referral to interventions for improving sleep quality or reducing pain in sleep may improve LBP management.
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Behavioural pain scales are recommended to assess postoperative pain for children who are too young to use self-report tools. Their main limitation is underestimation of pain in the days following an intervention. Although relevant, facial expression is not used in daily clinical practice. This prospective study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Facial Action Summary Score (FASS), a five-item scale, to assess postoperative pain until hospital discharge in children <7 years. ⋯ The aim of this study was to prove that facial expression of pain can be used in clinical practice to measure postoperative pain in children. The reduced number of false negatives is the main strength of this tool.
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Chronic pain is associated with significant physical and psychological impairments across the adult lifespan. However, there is a relative gap in knowledge on individual differences that predict pain-related functioning. The current study highlights one important source of individual variation: age. ⋯ Our cross-sectional analysis of 2,905 treatment-seeking adults with chronic pain presenting to a tertiary care center in the United Kingdom revealed distinct age differences in cognitive-affective linked to disability and depression. This study contributes to the limited knowledge on age-related variance in psychological mechanisms underlying adjustment to chronic pain. Promising avenues for future research include refining our understanding of age-related differences in cognitive-affective, biopsychosocial dimensions of chronic pain and elucidating the most salient treatment targets among different age groups.
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Offset analgesia (OA) is characterized by a disproportionately large decrease in pain perception after a slight decrease in noxious stimulation. In patients with ongoing pain, this response is reduced. The effect is pronounced in painful body areas. The influence of acute pain has not been sufficiently investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of two experimental acute pain models, measured within the area of acute pain and on the non-affected opposite side, thereby considering the possible somatotopic nature of OA. ⋯ Temporal contrast of pain perception is inhibited in acute pain states. This study showed that reduced offset analgesia is observed when pain is experimentally induced using noxious cold and exercise stimuli.