Reumatismo
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Valid and reliable assessment of pain is fundamental for both clinical trials and effective pain management. The nature of pain makes objective measurement impossible. Chronic musculoskeletal pain assessment and its impact on physical, emotional and social functions require multidimensional qualitative tools and healthrelated quality of life instruments. ⋯ Despite the growing availability of instruments and theoretical publications related to measuring the various aspects of chronic pain, there is still little agreement and no unified approach has been devised. There is, therefore, still a considerable need for the development of a core set of measurement tools and response criteria, as well as for the development and refinement of the related instruments, standardized assessor training, the cross-cultural adaptation of health status questionnaires, electronic data capture, and the introduction of valid, reliable and responsive standardized quantitative measurement procedures into routine clinical care. This article reviews a selection of the instruments used to assess chronic musculoskeletal pain, including validated newly developed and well-established screening instruments, and discusses their advantages and limitations.
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To present diagnostic criteria for the clinical diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and to offer a scheme for diagnostic work-up in clinical practice. ⋯ The diagnosis of FMS is easy in most patients with CWP and does not ordinarily require a rheumatologist. A rheumatologist's expertise might be needed to exclude difficult to diagnose or concomitant inflammatory rheumatic diseases. In the presence of mental illness referral to a mental health specialist for evaluation is recommended.
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Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome that affects at least 2% of the adult population. It is characterised by widespread pain, fatigue, sleep alterations and distress, and emerging evidence suggests a central nervous system (CNS) malfunction that increases pain transmission and perception. ⋯ Mechanism-based FM management should consider both peripheral and central pain, including effects due to cerebral input and that come from the descending inhibitory pathways. Rheumatologists should be able to distinguish primary and secondary FM, and need new guidelines and instruments to avoid making mistakes, bearing in mind that the diffuse pain of arthritides compromises the patients' quality of life.
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To review the literature addressing the relationship between mood disorders and fibromyalgia/chronic pain and our current understanding of overlapping pathophysiological processes and pain and depression circuitry. ⋯ The finding of comparable pathophysiological characteristics of pain and depression provides a framework for understanding the relationship between the two conditions and sheds some light on neurobiological and therapeutic aspects.
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This paper describes the techniques for controlling pain by the physical means that are most widely used clinically, particularly in the case of fibromyalgia. They are grouped on the basis of the physical energy used: mechanical, thermal (including magnetic and electromagnetic), and light (LASER). The main underlying neurophysiological mechanisms are gate activation, the stimulation of descending systems of pain control, and the endogenous opiate system.