Articles: back-pain.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Randomised controlled trial of Alexander technique lessons, exercise, and massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain: economic evaluation.
An economic evaluation of therapeutic massage, exercise, and lessons in the Alexander technique for treating persistent back pain. ⋯ An exercise prescription and six lessons in Alexander technique alone were both more than 85% likely to be cost effective at values above pound20 000 per QALY, but the Alexander technique performed better than exercise on the full range of outcomes. A combination of six lessons in Alexander technique lessons followed by exercise was the most effective and cost effective option.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Acute opioid administration improves work-related exercise performance in patients with chronic back pain.
We studied the impact of acute opioid administration on work-related exercise performance in patients with chronic back pain. A double-blinded, random-order, placebo-controlled, crossover trial was conducted. Subjects were predominantly men (63%), with a mean age of 49 years. Subjects performed a continuous lifting and lowering test to voluntary fatigue at a load equivalent to 33% of their predetermined maximal lifting load twice: Once after receiving a single intravenous dose of 1 mug/kg fentanyl (a narcotic analgesic) and once after saline placebo. Of the 30 subjects undergoing testing, 3 subjects were unable to complete testing due to medication-induced nausea. Subjects lifted on average 29.4 +/- 17.9 kg under the influence of fentanyl versus 25.6 +/- 3.1 kg with placebo (effect size = 0.23). Time to fatigue was higher in the fentanyl group (312 +/- 251.4 vs 231 +/- 199.9 seconds, effect size = 0.40), and these subjects also performed more total work (7004 +/- 5144 vs 4748 +/- 3147 J, effect size = 0.72). Opioid analgesia improves lifting performance in the short term in individuals with chronic back pain. Longer trials of the effectiveness of opioid analgesia as an adjunct to functional restoration programs are recommended. ⋯ This article presents the results of a clinical trial showing that acute opioid administration improves work-related exercise performance in individuals with chronic back pain. Longer trials of the effectiveness of opioid analgesia as an adjunct to functional restoration programs are recommended.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A randomized controlled trial of exposure in vivo for patients with spinal pain reporting fear of work-related activities.
Pain-related fear is related to disability in persistent pain conditions. Exposure treatment has been reported to be of great benefit in replicated single case experiments. ⋯ Compared to a group receiving usual treatment and waiting for exposure, the exposure in vivo group demonstrated a significantly larger improvement on function. Overall exposure had moderate effects on function, fear and pain intensity. We conclude that exposure may be important in treatment, but is not recommended as a "stand alone" adjunct to usual treatment.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Evaluating the efficacy of graded in vivo exposure for the treatment of fear in patients with chronic back pain: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
Psychological treatments for chronic pain, particularly those based upon cognitive behavioural principles, have generally been shown to be efficacious. Recently, a treatment has been developed based upon the fear-avoidance model of chronic musculoskeletal pain, which suggests chronic pain can be relieved by exposing the individual to movements and tasks that have been avoided due to fear of (re)injury. This graded in vivo exposure treatment has been found to be beneficial in case studies. ⋯ While only trend differences were observed for pain-related disability, patients in the graded in vivo exposure condition demonstrated (a) significantly greater improvements on measures of fear of pain/movement, fear avoidance beliefs, pain-related anxiety, and pain self-efficacy when compared to those in the graded activity condition, and (b) significantly greater improvements on measures of fear-avoidance beliefs, fear of pain/movement, pain-related anxiety, pain catastrophising, pain experience, and anxiety and depression when compared to those in the wait-list control condition. Additionally, patients in the graded in vivo exposure condition maintained improvements in these areas at one month follow-up. Implications of these findings for the treatment of individuals with chronic low back and other pain conditions are discussed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Anger management style and emotional reactivity to noxious stimuli among chronic pain patients and healthy controls: the role of endogenous opioids.
Previous work suggests that elevated trait anger-out exacerbates pain responses in part through endogenous opioid dysfunction. The authors examined whether this opioid dysfunction affects not only perceived pain intensity, but also emotional responses to being hurt. ⋯ Opioid dysfunction associated with trait anger-out may affect not only perceived pain intensity, but also pain-related suffering in individuals with chronic pain conditions. Implications for understanding the health effects of anger management styles are discussed.