European journal of pain : EJP
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Attention focus, trait anxiety and pain perception in patients undergoing colposcopy.
Few studies have compared the relative efficacy of attention-focus strategies in reducing clinical pain. Colposcopy, a medical diagnostic examination performed to identify premalignant cervical cell changes, elicits both anxiety and pain in patients, while allowing little or no behavioural control over the event. Employing a multi-group experimental design, the present study sought to investigate how different types of attention-focus strategies impacted upon pain perception, state anxiety and affect, in a sample of 123 colposcopy patients. ⋯ Pre-colposcopy pain expectancy, but not trait anxiety, was found to be positively related to colposcopy-related pain. It was further demonstrated that heightened state anxiety following colposcopy was due to experienced pain and pain unpleasantness, rather than to aspects of the pre-colposcopy prediction of pain. The results have implications for management of acute clinical pain.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Preoperative administration of etoricoxib in patients undergoing hip replacement causes inhibition of inflammatory mediators and pain relief.
Administering cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors preoperatively appears attractive since these drugs reduce post-operative pain, but do not increase the risk of post-operative bleeds, asthmatic attacks and stress-related gastrointestinal ulcers. In a former investigation, we could show that post-operative administration of etoricoxib reduces prostaglandin production in wound fluid, but the onset of action is variable due to delayed post-operative absorption. ⋯ Administration of etoricoxib 2 h before surgery allows for an effective drug concentration in critical tissues, a reduction of the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and for better pain relief.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Differences in perception and brain activation following stimulation by large versus small area cutaneous surface electrodes.
Application of electrical stimulation through conventional surface electrodes activates both non-nociceptive and nociceptive fibres. To encompass this problem, electrical stimulation through small area pin electrode was introduced where subjective description of stimulation quality indicated preferential activation of nociceptors. The present study aimed to show that brain areas involved in nociceptive processing are activated by stimulation through cutaneous pin electrode (CPE) to a larger extent than conventional surface electrodes. ⋯ The current study gives evidence that CPE activates the nociceptive brain areas to a greater extent than conventional surface electrode. Therefore, CPE should preferentially be utilized in future studies where electrical stimuli are used to study nociception.
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To study the associations of sociodemographic factors, working conditions, lifestyle and previous pain in the spine with new onset chronic neck pain (NP). ⋯ We found potentially modifiable predictors of chronic NP among employees: workplace bullying, sleep problems, and high body mass index in women, and work-related emotional exhaustion in men. In both genders, previous acute NP and chronic LBP were predictive of chronic NP.
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Numerous studies have demonstrated the capacity of music to modulate pain. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon remain unknown. ⋯ The RIII reflex and pain ratings were increased during the listening of unpleasant music compared with pleasant music, suggesting the involvement of descending pain-modulatory mechanisms in the effects of musical emotions on pain. There were no significant differences between the pleasant-stimulating and pleasant-relaxing musical condition, indicating that the arousal of music had little influence on pain processing.