The Clinical journal of pain
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To explore the existence of subgroups in a cohort with chronic low back pain (n=294) based upon data from multiple psychological questionnaires, and profile subgroups on data from multiple dimensions. ⋯ Clinical implications relating to presentations of each cluster are postulated.
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The objective of this prospective, open-label study was to determine the long-term effect of medicinal cannabis treatment on pain and functional outcomes in participants with treatment-resistant chronic pain. ⋯ The treatment of chronic pain with medicinal cannabis in this open-label, prospective cohort resulted in improved pain and functional outcomes, and a significant reduction in opioid use. Results suggest long-term benefit of cannabis treatment in this group of patients, but the study's noncontrolled nature should be considered when extrapolating the results.
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To examine the acute effects of isometric exercise of different intensities on pain perception in individuals with chronic lateral epicondylalgia. ⋯ Individuals with lateral epicondylalgia demonstrated increased pain intensity after an acute bout of isometric exercise performed at an intensity above, but not below, their individual pain threshold. Further investigation is needed to determine whether measurement of an individual's exercise induced pain threshold may be important in reducing symptom flares associated with exercise.
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Although there is a large body of research on the relationship between pain catastrophizing and functioning among individuals with chronic pain, little is known about the potential differential impact of specific aspects of pain catastrophizing. The current study evaluates the relationship between the Rumination, Helplessness, and Magnification subscales of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and pain-related outcomes. ⋯ Pain catastrophizing is a multifaceted construct, and different domains of catastrophizing are uniquely related to pain-related outcomes. This study represents the first to evaluate the functioning of these subscales in a large, diagnostically heterogeneous sample of chronic pain patients.
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To apply topographical mapping of the electromyography (EMG) amplitude recorded from the upper trapezius muscle to evaluate the distribution of activity and the location of peak activity during a shoulder elevation task in participants with and without myofascial pain and myofascial trigger points (MTrP) and compare this location with the site of the MTrP. ⋯ People with myofascial pain and MTrP displayed a caudal shift of the distribution of upper trapezius muscle activity compared with asymptomatic individuals during a submaximal shoulder elevation task. For the first time, we show that the location of peak muscle activity is not associated with the location of the MTrP.