Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Sustained abnormal postures (i.e., fixed dystonia) are the most frequently reported motor abnormalities in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), but these symptoms may also develop after peripheral trauma without CRPS. Currently, there is no valid and reliable measurement instrument available to measure the severity and distribution of these postures. The range of motion scale (ROMS) was therefore developed to assess the severity based on the possible active range of motion of all joints (arms, legs, trunk, and neck), and the present study evaluates its reliability and validity. ⋯ The ROMS is a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate the severity and distribution of sustained abnormal postures.
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The aim of this study was to compare adherence to opioid prescribing guidelines and potential opioid misuse in patients of resident vs attending physicians. ⋯ With some variability, residents and attending physicians were only partly compliant with national guidelines. Residents were more likely to manage patients with a higher likelihood of opioid misuse.
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Observational Study
Screening for neuropathic characteristics in failed back surgery syndromes: challenges for guiding treatment.
Neuropathic pain screening tools have shown promise in identifying common neuropathic pain characteristics that derive from diverse etiologies (e.g., diabetic peripheral neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia). However, no prior studies have specifically assessed whether these tools are capable of discerning the underlying pain mechanisms in the vast, heterogeneous group of patients diagnosed with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). ⋯ Unlike other neuropathic syndromes, the neuropathic component of FBSS is less reliably identified by the LANSS and DN4.