Articles: pain.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2025
Multicenter StudyEvaluation of a Reiki Volunteer Program within Two Cancer Infusion Centers.
Reiki is a biofield therapy from Japan currently used in many US hospitals. Evidence supports Reiki's effectiveness for addressing cancer and treatment-related symptoms such as pain and anxiety. However, no study to date has assessed changes in nausea following Reiki received during infusion treatments or assessed patients from multiple healthcare locations. ⋯ Outpatients receiving Reiki during infusion reported clinically significant improvements in all symptoms, high levels of satisfaction, and a qualitatively positive healing experience. More research is needed to assess long term changes following Reiki, including with an expanded program at additional healthcare locations.
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This study assessed the effect of expectation of analgesia on conditioned pain modulation (CPM) in healthy participants stratified into inhibitors and non-inhibitors. ⋯ Several studies have investigated whether cognitive modulation can alter the magnitude of the inhibitory response of conditioned pain modulation (CPM), yet some gaps remain. This study accounted for measurement error to accurately determine changes in CPM influenced by expectation of analgesia.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Mar 2025
What matters to mothers: A qualitative exploration of pain and recovery after cesarean section.
Fast recovery after cesarean section is vital since the mother not only has to take care of herself but also the newborn. Recovery scores are useful tools to measure and compare recovery; however, standardized questionnaires may miss in-depth patient experiences. What is important to women in the postoperative period after cesarean section can vary in different populations, making it crucial to understand the specific needs of one's own population. This study aims to explore what matters most to Danish mothers during the early phase of recovery following elective cesarean section. ⋯ In this qualitative, explorative study, participants were interviewed by telephone 4-7 days following their elective cesarean section. The focus was the women's experience of recovery, pain, and mobilization, both in hospital and when going home. The findings identified a need for more information about the perioperative course, as most participants were surprised and unprepared both for the pain from other areas than the scar and for the surgery experience being unpleasant, and many requested physical rehabilitation plans.
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Although the behavioral response to pain is complex and involves supraspinal processes, assessment of pain symptoms in animal models still mainly relies on reflex-based nociceptive tests, which do not account for the affective-motivational nor cognitive components of pain. We introduce a double avoidance place preference paradigm, an integrated testing procedure in freely moving rats that relies on the conflict between the avoidance of a dark compartment in which a thermal ramp is activated, and the escape towards an aversive brightly lit compartment. We were able to differentiate the first nociceptive threshold from the temperature of definitive escape from the dark compartment, conveying information on the adaptive behavior of animals. ⋯ In animals exhibiting hyperalgesia following intraplantar complete Freund adjuvant injection, escape thresholds were significantly higher than that of control animals, hinting at a maladaptive affective-motivational response to noxious stimulation. However, in cuff animals, we failed to reveal any hot nociceptive hypersensitivity, but animals exhibited a strong adaptive response to cold simulation upon reexposure. Overall, the proposed paradigm allows for an integrated cortical response leading to a proactive avoidance behavior, while fully complying with ethical standards in animal experimentation.
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Peripheral optogenetics is an emerging neuromodulation technique that regulates the activity of the nervous system outside the brain through the expression of photosensitive proteins and the application of photic stimulation. This article reviews recent advances in applying optogenetics to the spinal cord and peripheral nerves, offering a comprehensive understanding of the functions and regulatory mechanisms of the peripheral nervous system through the modulation of specific neuronal activities. ⋯ Despite current challenges, such as operability, effectiveness, and selective neuron targeting, peripheral optogenetics holds significant potential for advancing neuromodulation. Continued research and technological innovations will further expand its role, offering new possibilities for understanding and treating disorders involving the peripheral nervous system.