The journal of pain : official journal of the American Pain Society
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Review Meta Analysis
Is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) effective for the treatment of pain in fibromyalgia? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Fibromyalgia is a debilitating condition characterized by chronic widespread pain. It is believed to be caused by dysfunction of the central nervous system (CNS) but current treatments are largely ineffective. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a neuromodulation technique that targets the CNS, may offer a new line of treatment. ⋯ This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes current evidence for the clinical effectiveness of tDCS in the treatment of fibromyalgia pain. There is only tentative evidence of pain reduction when active tDCS is compared to sham. High heterogeneity and risk of bias across studies suggest a need for further empirical research.
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Review Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Comparing central pain processing in individuals with non-traumatic neck pain and healthy individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the evidence for altered central pain processing in people with nontraumatic neck pain and the relationship among central pain processing, demographics, and pain-related characteristics. Case-control studies reporting measures of altered central pain processing using quantitative sensory testing were reviewed. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals between people with nontraumatic neck pain and controls were calculated. ⋯ This review suggests that altered central pain processing is present in people with nontraumatic neck pain and may be associated with disability levels and age. PERSPECTIVE: This review found moderate-quality evidence of mechanical hyperalgesia at remote nonpainful sites in patients with nontraumatic neck pain compared with controls, indicating altered central pain processing. However, more studies are needed to confirm findings from dynamic quantitative sensory testing.