Scandinavian journal of pain
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Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) was described by Forero in 2016. ESPB is currently widely used in acute postoperative pain management. The benefits of ESPB include simplicity and efficacy in various surgeries. ⋯ ESPB appears to be an effective, safe, and simple method for acute pain management in cardiac, thoracic, and abdominal surgery. The incidence of side effects has been reported to be rare. A critical issue is to make sure that new evidence is not just of the highest quality, in form of well powered and designed randomized controlled trials but also including a standardized and homogeneous set of indicators that permit to assess the comparative effectiveness of the application of ESPB in acute interventional pain management.
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The population of Americans with limb loss is on the rise, with a different profile than in previous generations (e.g., greater incidence of amputation due to diabetes). This study aimed to identify the key characteristics of phantom limb sensation (PLS) and pain (PLP) in a current sample of Americans with limb loss. ⋯ Phantom limb phenomena are common and enduring. Telescoping and pre-amputation pain are associated with higher PLP. Persons with congenitally missing limbs experience lower levels of PLP than those with amputation(s), yet PLP is common even in this subpopulation.
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Sensitization in office workers with chronic neck pain in different pain conditions and intensities.
Office workers with chronic neck pain demonstrates signs of widespread hyperalgesia, less efficient descending pain modulation, which could indicate sensitization of central pain pathways. No studies have assessed a wide variety of office workers with different chronic neck pain disorders and assessed the impact of pain intensity on assessments of central pain pathways. This study aimed to assessed pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), temporal summation of pain (TSP) and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and to associate these with pain intensity and disability in subgroups of office workers. ⋯ Office workers with chronic trapezius myalgia and moderate pain intensity showed significant signs of widespread pressure hyperalgesia. Moreover, the moderate pain group demonstrated facilitated TSP indicating sensitization of central pain pathways. Neck Disability Index and TSP were independent predictors for pain intensity in pain groups. Sleep and stress were independent predictors for disability.
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There is very little published evaluation of the treatment of military veterans with chronic pain, with or without post-traumatic stress disorder. Few clinical services offer integrated treatment for veterans with chronic pain and PTSD. Such veterans experience difficulty in accessing treatment for either condition: services may consider each condition as a contraindication to treatment of the other. Veterans are therefore often passed from one specialist service to another without adequate treatment. The veteran pain management programme (PMP) in the UK was established to meet the needs of veterans suffering from chronic pain with or without PTSD; this is the first evaluation. ⋯ Military veterans experiencing both chronic pain and PTSD can be treated in a PMP adapted for their specific needs by an experienced clinical team.
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Increased symptoms related to central sensitization have previously been reported in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, identified by the original central sensitization inventory (CSI-25). However, the recently developed CSI short form (CSI-9) may be more clinically useful. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of CSI-9 compared to the original CSI-25 in individuals with IBD. Study objectives were to investigate the criterion validity of the CSI-9 to the CSI-25, assess individual association of the CSI measures with clinical features of IBD and pain presentations, and to establish disease-specific CSI-9 and CSI-25 cut-off scores for discriminating the presence of self-reported pain in individuals with IBD. ⋯ This is the first study to explore and validate the use of CSI-9 in IBD patients. Results demonstrated concurrent validity of the CSI-9 to CSI-25, with similar significant association to multiple patient features, and a suggested cut-off value of 17 on CSI-9 to screen for individuals with pain experiences. Study findings suggest that CSI-9 is suitable to use as a brief tool in IBD patients.