Articles: chronic.
-
Previous research has shown that chronic back pain amongst European adolescents is increasing. Determining the factors associated with this increasing trend is crucial for developing prevention strategies. In this study, we used data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey to examine whether increases in screen time and/or obesity between 2002 and 2014 were associated with the increase in the prevalence of chronic back pain amongst European adolescents during the 12-year period. ⋯ More screen time and obesity are slightly associated with more chronic back pain (CBP) prevalence in adolescents across the WHO European Region. The findings may be used to identify ways to prevent or reduce the rising trend of CBP in adolescents.
-
There is an urgent need for safe and effective nonpharmacologic approaches to treat chronic knee pain in older adults. Although virtual reality (VR) has shown some effectiveness for acute pain, there is limited evidence on the effects of VR on chronic pain particularly with older adult populations. This single application, within-subject pilot study evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of VR as a clinical treatment for older adults with chronic osteoarthritis knee pain. ⋯ The findings also suggest VR meditation intervention had a positive effect on affect, with a significant large decrease in negative affect scores pre- to post-VR (d = 1.14). The significant moderate to large decreases in pain interference for normal work (d = 0.71), mood (d = 0.53), sleep (d = 0.67), and enjoyment of life (d = 0.72) suggest that older adults may have a higher ability to participate in meaningful daily activities up to 24-48 h after VR meditation. VR appears to be a feasible and effective nonpharmacological tool for older adults to treat chronic overall and knee-specific pain.
-
Cancer-related neuropathic pain is prevalent in up to 40% of patients with advanced disease. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is used to treat chronic pain when other treatments are ineffective. ⋯ Additionally, all parts of SCS can potentially interfere with radiotherapy delivery. We present a case of successful administration of radiotherapy to a patient without damaging the SCS device implanted in proximity to the target lesion.