Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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Chronic noncancer pain influences patient's quality of life and their ability to cope. Pain relieving medication and other specific treatments commonly integrated in biopsychosocial rehabilitation demonstrate modest benefits in pain relief and improved functioning of individuals. Spiritual care, covering the fourth dimension provides insight, inspires hope and purpose, and is thought to mediate mental and physical health for patients. This study explores the need for its inclusion in interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation and describes the requirements and test environment for evaluation. ⋯ Active coping seems beneficial for maintaining positive long-term outcomes of interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation Spiritual care may be conducive to active coping. Further research is warranted to explore the additive value of this spiritual care in the context of a multidimensional care pathway.
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Measuring HRQOL is simple, inexpensive, permits the health status to be measured over time, and is useful to compare or initiate treatments and evaluate results, facilitating homogenization in patient inclusion. ⋯ Health-related quality-of-life measures detected significant differences in outcomes in patients infected by S. aureus compared with patients infected by other microorganisms. HRQOL measures may provide useful complementary information on outcomes after acute postoperative infection.
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Observational Study
High Prevalence of Neuropathic Pain Features in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study.
The present epidemiological research evaluated the prevalence of neuropathic pain characteristics in patients with painful knee osteoarthritis (OA) and the plausibility that such neuropathic features were specific of OA. ⋯ A relevant proportion of patients with chronic pain associated with knee OA featured neuropathic pain qualities that were not explained by other conditions. The present research has provided reasonable epidemiological grounds to attempt their definite diagnosis and classification.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Changes in Quality of Life after 3 months of Usual Care in a Large Sample of Patients with Noncancer Pain: The "QOOL: Quality of Life and Pain" Study.
Large-scale observational studies can provide useful information on changes in health outcomes over time. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 3 months of usual care on quality of life (QOL) and pain outcomes in noncancer chronic pain patients managed by pain specialists and to examine factors associated with changes in QOL. This was assessed using the EQ-5D and pain outcomes using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). ⋯ The BPI severity summary score improved from a mean (SD) of 6.5 (1.4) to 4.1 (1.7) and the interference summary score from 6.6 (1.5) to 4.2 (1.9). Changes on the BPI severity and interference scores were associated with changes in the EQ-5D Index and thermometer. In conclusion, 3 months of usual care in noncancer pain patients led to substantial improvements in QOL and pain outcomes.
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Several studies have documented increased cardiovascular risk factors, particularly hypercholesterolemia, in the migraine population with respect to controls. However, no studies have investigated the possible relationship between headache severity parameters and lipid serum levels. ⋯ This study shows a significant positive association between migraine frequency and intensity with total and LDL cholesterol, demonstrating for the first time a significant reduction of these lipid parameters after migraine prophylaxis. However, in view of the retrospective design of the study and the small population size, these results should be considered as preliminary, to be confirmed by future prospective controlled trials.