Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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The main aim was to determine the effects of percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on endogenous pain mechanisms in patients with musculoskeletal pain. ⋯ PENS and TENS have a mild-moderate immediate effect on local mechanical hyperalgesia in patients with musculoskeletal pain. It appears that these effects are not sustained over time. Analyses suggest an effect on central pain mechanisms producing a moderate increase in remote PPT, an increase in conditioned pain modulation, but further studies are needed to draw clearer conclusions.
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The authors of this systematic review with meta-analysis evaluated the evidence for the effectiveness of various applications of dry needling (DN) combined with other conservative treatments for subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS). ⋯ The meta-analysis suggests that various applications of DN performed with other conservative interventions are more effective than conservative treatment alone for reducing pain and disability in patients with SAPS. Direct-comparison studies are needed to determine whether one application of DN is superior to another.
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Meta Analysis
Telemedicine in cancer pain management: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Telemedicine is defined as the delivery of medical services through a variety of telecommunication tools. This novel approach can fit the needs of cancer patients who cannot often reach clinics due to their disabling symptoms. In this population of patients, pain is undoubtedly the most important symptom which dramatically affects the quality of life. Our work aimed to investigate the effectiveness of telemedicine in the management of cancer pain in order to assess the feasibility of a combination between telemedicine and traditional in-person visits; we also propose a model of integration of these two approaches. ⋯ Telemedicine can be effectively used to manage cancer pain. This novel approach will certainly have a revolutionary economic and organizational impact on health care systems in the next future. Furthermore, the model herein proposed could help set up an algorithm to safely and efficiently implement telemedicine.
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The objective was to qualitatively synthesize all reported cases of complications, adverse effects, side effects, or harms arising from the use of scrambler therapy (ST). ⋯ When used in accordance with the treatment protocols described by the United States Food and Drug Administration and device manual, ST is associated with a reported composite complication rate that is orders of magnitude lower than those of invasive neuromodulation devices. ST neuromodulation is a safe alternative for patients who cannot undergo invasive neuromodulation device implantation because of either risk or preference.
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Meta Analysis
Health coaching for low back pain, hip and knee osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.
Health coaching aims to empower people to reach their goals and is increasingly used in health care settings. Whether health coaching improves pain and disability for people with hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA) or low back pain (LBP) is unknown. ⋯ Meta-analyses provide evidence that health coaching reduces both disability and pain in people with chronic LBP and reduces disability in people with knee OA, though the clinical significance is unknown. There is currently no evidence supporting or refuting the use of health coaching for hip OA.