Articles: chronic-pain.
-
Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is a common problem, with up to a third of patients reporting persistent or intermittent pain 1 year after common operations. A proposed definition is pain that develops after a surgical procedure, which lasts at least 2 months, and where other causes and preexisting pain have been excluded. A variety of preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of CPSP. Preventive strategies include effective postsurgical acute pain management, preoperative administration of gabapentin or pregabalin continued postoperatively, and considering the necessity of the surgical procedure itself and exploring alternatives.
-
To determine the relationship between urine drug testing (UDT) frequency and patient adherence for prescribed buprenorphine, carisoprodol, fentanyl, hydrocodone, methadone, morphine, and oxycodone. ⋯ Adherence for prescribed medications is higher with frequent urine monitoring. UDT can be used as tool that may help improve this in patients with chronic pain.
-
Second messengers mediating the expression of neuroplasticity in a model of chronic pain in the rat.
Hyperalgesic priming is a model of the transition from acute to chronic pain, in which previous activation of cell surface receptors or direct activation of protein kinase C epsilon markedly prolongs mechanical hyperalgesia induced by pronociceptive cytokines. We recently demonstrated a role of peripheral protein translation, alpha-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (αCaMKII) activation, and the ryanodine receptor in the induction of hyperalgesic priming. In the present study, we tested if they also mediate the prolonged phase of prostaglandin E2-induced hyperalgesia. We found that inhibition of αCaMKII and local protein translation eliminates the prolonged phase of prostaglandin E2 hyperalgesia. Although priming induced by receptor agonists or direct activation of protein kinase C epsilon occurs in male but not female rats, activation of αCaMKII and the ryanodine receptor also produces priming in females. As in males, the prolonged phase of prostaglandin E2-induced hyperalgesia in female rats is also protein kinase C epsilon-, αCaMKII-, and protein translation-dependent. In addition, in both male and female primed rats, the prolonged prostaglandin E2-induced hyperalgesia was significantly attenuated by inhibition of MEK/ERK. On the basis of these data, we suggest that the mechanisms previously shown to be involved in the induction of the neuroplastic state of hyperalgesic priming also mediate the prolongation of hyperalgesia. ⋯ The data provided by this study suggest that direct intervention on specific targets may help to alleviate the expression of chronic hyperalgesic conditions.
-
Musculoskeletal care · Mar 2014
A new perspective on family involvement in chronic pain management programmes.
The aim of this study was to investigate how those with pain, and their significant others, perceive the involvement of significant others in a multidisciplinary chronic pain management programme. ⋯ The involvement of significant others in programmes is perceived to be important but must be a balance between what is feasible for significant others and beneficial for all. Further research into when and how significant others are included within programmes is urgently required.