Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Diagnosis of Achilles insertional tendinopathies (AIT) is based on pain by tendon palpation. However, there is no consensus or standard with regard to the amount of force to be used during the evaluation. Algometry is a method of measuring the pressure applied in a specific region and can be a method for determining diagnosis values. ⋯ Algometry was shown to be a simple and reliable method for diagnosing AIT. Values of PT less than 4.08 kgf were found to be predictors of the disease.
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The association between low-grade systemic inflammation and musculoskeletal pain may be influenced by multiple factors. However, little is known about the relative importance of these factors, and few studies account for them. This Delphi study aimed to reach consensus on the most important confounders which influence the association between low-grade systemic inflammation and musculoskeletal pain. ⋯ These findings provide insight in the complexity of the association between low-grade systemic inflammation and musculoskeletal pain. Some factors currently listed as confounders may be re-classified as moderators or mediators as insights progress.
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The past two decades have witnessed a surge in the use of cervical spine joint procedures including joint injections, nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablation to treat chronic neck pain, yet many aspects of the procedures remain controversial. ⋯ Cervical medial branch radiofrequency ablation may provide benefit to well-selected individuals, with medial branch blocks being more predictive than intra-articular injections. More stringent selection criteria are likely to improve denervation outcomes, but at the expense of false-negatives (ie, lower overall success rate). Clinical trials should be tailored based on objectives, and selection criteria for some may be more stringent than what is ideal in clinical practice.
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Pain catastrophizing is an important psychological predictor of pain. Recent evidence suggests the relationship between catastrophizing and pain intensity could be bidirectional, but most studies have been conducted on chronic pain patients and using criticized statistical methods. The present study aimed to examine if the relationship between pain intensity and catastrophizing was bidirectional in the context of childbirth. ⋯ Pain intensity predicting catastrophizing is consistent with previous literature, while the lack of effect of catastrophizing over pain intensity is an unexpected result, which may suggest that catastrophizing plays a different role in the postpartum period. These results highlight the importance of timely efforts for pain management during the postpartum period and contribute to the theoretical conceptualization of catastrophizing.
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To describe the method and clinical efficacy of awake computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) as a treatment for trigeminal neuralgia (TN). ⋯ This new awake CT-guided PBC technique produces better outcomes than the traditional PBC under fluoroscopy guidance and general anesthesia.