Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Effects of acupressure on menstrual distress and low back pain in dysmenorrheic young adult women: an experimental study.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of acupressure on menstrual distress and low back pain (LBP) in dysmenorrheic young adult women. In all, 129 female students, who had been experiencing dysmenorrhea with LBP during menstruation and who scored more than 4 points on the visual analog scale for pain, were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group (n = 65) received acupressure massage three times a week for 30 minutes on the sanyinjiao (SP6), ciliao (BL32), and taichong (Liver 3) acupoints. ⋯ During the 12-month follow-up, the experimental group had significantly lower menstrual distress and LBP scores than the control group. Among 65 participants in the experimental group, 53 (82%) reported a moderate to high levels of menstrual distress, 51 (78%) reported moderate to high levels of LBP relief, and 49 (75%) reported moderate to high levels of satisfaction with acupressure. Our findings may serve as a reference for health care professionals and young women to improve self-care during menstruation and help further understand the therapeutic effects of acupressure on menstrual distress and LBP.
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Self-care is an important aspect of managing a chronic disease. In sickle cell disease (SCD), home self-care contributes to individual pain management and thus pain crisis prevention. A better understanding of self-care can help health care providers equip patients with the resources and skills necessary to participate in their disease management. ⋯ Of the hypothesized variables, only income was significantly associated with hospital visits for pain crises (r = -0.219, p = .05). Individuals with SCD may benefit from self-care interventions that enhance social support, SCD self-efficacy, and access to education. To inform intervention development, further investigation is needed regarding daily self-care behaviors used by young adults with SCD.
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Multicenter Study
Mild, moderate, and severe pain in patients recovering from major abdominal surgery.
Pain interferes with various activities, such as coughing, deep breathing, and ambulation, designed to promote recovery and prevent complications after surgery. Determining appropriate cutpoints for mild, moderate, and severe pain is important, because specific interventions may be based on this classification. The purpose of this research was to determine optimal cutpoints for postoperative patients based on their worst and average pain during hospitalization and after discharge to home, and whether the optimal cutpoints distinguished patients with mild, moderate, or severe pain regarding patient outcomes. ⋯ A substantial proportion of patients experienced moderate to severe pain. The results suggest a narrow boundary between mild and severe pain that interferes with function. The findings indicate that clinicians should seek to aggressively manage postoperative pain ratings greater than 3.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Effectiveness of a stretching exercise program on low back pain and exercise self-efficacy among nurses in Taiwan: a randomized clinical trial.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a stretching exercise program (SEP) on low back pain (LBP) and exercise self-efficacy among nurses in Taiwan. A total of 127 nurses, who had been experiencing LBP for longer than 6 months and had LBP with pain scores greater than 4 on the Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VASP), were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group (n = 64) followed an SEP, whereas the control group (n = 63) was directed to perform usual activities for 50 minutes per time, three times a week. ⋯ A total of 81% of the participants in the experimental group reported a moderate to high level of LBP relief. The findings can be used to enhance self-care capabilities with SEP for nurses that experience LBP or are vulnerable to such work-related pain. SEP is an effective and safe nonpharmacological intervention for the management of LBP.
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Pain is still undertreated among hospitalized patients. Recently, patient satisfaction with pain management has received significant attention. This field has not yet been explored among Jordanian patients. ⋯ Also, the Arabic version of the APS-POQ was found to be reliable among the Jordanian population. Findings of this study are similar to those reported by earlier studies in other countries and support the need for applying the caring attitude in managing patients' reports of having pain. This study is the first in Jordan, opening the door for future studies to be conducted in this important field.